What degrees should I look at if interested in a career in advertising or journalism?

If you're in the UK and want to be a journalist you need to do a degree in journalism accredited by the NCTJ

(see nctj.com for details).

Pick one where teaching and preparation for the NCTJ's difficult exams is a core part of the course. No-one employs journalists who aren't fully qualified.

Advertising is a little more difficult as there isn't such a clear pathway. It also very much depends which side of advertising you want to get into - writing, brand management or selling, for eg. There are a lot of degrees which focus on different aspects of the industry - a quick google or UCAS search will find them.

Because this is a less clear-cut career path be very careful and make sure you ask about employment rates at open days (as you should for any degree).

Both industries are massively competitive and difficult to get into, so make sure you are the sort of person who is happy to work very hard and very long hours before you consider either

Journalism, broadcast journalism, finance, marketing, business. Good choices.