Trying out a career lets you find out if it's right for you. This week: advertising.

Would you have imagined that Gary Lineker, who never got so much as a yellow card as a professional footballer, would make a great villain for Walkers crisps? How about combining athletes, ventriloquists and the African savannah to sell PlayStations? Or using singing cherries and music police to herald the arrival of a telephone network?

If that's the kind of idea that comes naturally to you, perhaps you should try out the world of advertising.

Although people in the business still come from a wide range of backgrounds, the qualifications you need to go into

the sector have been somewhat formalised. Most recruits have done a primary degree and then a master's degree or postgraduate diploma in advertising.

Some go into the business end of advertising; account executives and business managers deal with clients, plan strategy and take care of budgets. They generally have business backgrounds, as do media managers, who decide whether radio, television or billboards are most suited to the campaign, then organise that end of things.

The creative side of advertising involves copywriters, art directors and designers. Copywriters, who write the ads, come from all sorts of fields; art directors generally have a qualification in film or graphic design. They decide what the ad will look like.

Finally, there is the production team. Its members have technical qualifications. It is their job to bring everyone else's ideas to life.

Because Ireland's advertising world is relatively small, work-experience opportunities are limited. Deciding which area you are interested in and developing the relevant skills is important at this point. If, however, you want to try getting work experience in an advertising agency or related business, look it up on the internet or in the phone book and get writing.

John Holohan of the Institute of Advertising Practitioners in Ireland has some helpful advice.