How To Break Into Top Media Buying

Words: Iryna Teut, Head of HR Pin-Up Traffic

In 2025, iGaming is one of the fastest-growing and most in-demand industries for people who want to build a career in international business, with a high and steadily growing income. When it comes to Fintech, we’ve pretty much caught up, and in many ways, overtaken them.

Our industry is expanding fast, opening new markets and creating opportunities both for beginners and for experienced professionals. Today, I’ll explain how a media buyer can enter the iGaming space, what qualities we at PIN-UP Partners look for in candidates, and share a few tips from myself, someone who’s reviewed thousands of CVs and done just as many interviews. 

Spoiler: We’re actively hiring media buyers right now, so read to the end. This might be your chance to start the career of your dreams!

How to start your career

You’ve probably heard it many times in different ways that you can’t get anywhere without a diploma. In some fields that might be true, but media buying works differently. There is no special university for media buyers, and no one is going to give you a diploma that says, “Certified Media Buyer.”

But studying something like marketing, advertising, economics, statistics or IT can give you a strong foundation to start from. These subjects teach real skills that prove to be useful in this job, and that’s what really matters.

Now let’s say you are 18 to 20 years old, just starting your career and thinking about which direction to go in. There are many teams out there that are open to hiring junior specialists with no experience. Some of them work in other areas like health and wellness offers (also called “nutra”). Should you ignore other niches? Not at all. That kind of job can be a great starting point if you want to move into iGaming, later.

Here’s a quick tip. If you show real interest in the product and try to understand who the audience is, how they consume content, and what problems they have, that will definitely help you in your first interview. A successful media buyer always asks these questions before launching their first campaign. Another green flag for a junior is internship experience at an ad agency. If you know how to write clear briefs for designers, can work well in a team, and understand the basics of a sales funnel, then you’ve got a strong start.

Another way to get started, that is a bit more technical but also promising, is by working as an account farmer. This role is directly connected to media buying. Your job would be to create and warm up advertising accounts, so they look like real users and do not get flagged by platforms like Facebook. The work is routine and requires focus and attention to detail, but people who do well in this position often get a chance to move up and try themselves as junior media buyers. So, if you couldn’t start in media buying right away, this path might be your way in.

What Qualities Should a Successful Media Buyer Have?

I will answer this from the point of view of PIN-UP Partners, and I can honestly say that these principles apply not just to us, but to most big companies in the industry.

A successful media buyer is not just someone who knows how to launch ad campaigns. It is someone who can work under pressure, adapt quickly and think beyond standard ideas. Here are the qualities we value the most in candidates:

Flexible thinking — the ability to test ideas, react quickly to changes and adjust your approach based on specific goals.

Stress resistance — media buying is almost always about managing risks. It is important to stay focused even when the numbers start to drop.

Teamwork — solo media buying is more of a myth. It is important to share insights, work in sync with analysts, designers and team leads – and understand the full context of team communication.

Responsibility — launching a campaign is only the first step. You should understand how your actions affect the business, where the risks are, where the potential is, and how to manage the budget in the most efficient way.

We look for these qualities during interviews and in cover letters. Clear thinking, initiative and maturity stand out right away. If you see yourself in this description, we are waiting for you in the bot.

Does the Media Buying Team Work and What Kind of Specialists are PIN-UP Partners Looking For?

At PIN-UP Partners, media buying is closely connected to the work of analysts, designers, product teams and team leads. This is not a place for solo work — we believe in strong teamwork between departments. Every person on the team should not only handle their own tasks but also share insights, numbers, ideas and feedback. Sometimes, one helpful comment from a media buyer can lead to a better product feature, a stronger creative from the designer or a faster change in strategy from the analysts. This kind of teamwork is what brings real results.

We are looking for both experienced media buyers with solid cases and product knowledge, and also talented specialists with a strong base and high motivation to learn. At PIN-UP Partners, we have many examples of people who joined us with little experience and grew into senior roles or team leads within a couple of years. Still, right now we are mainly focusing on people who already have hands-on experience in media buying and are ready to jump into real work from day one.

What Sources and Volumes Do We Work With?

Our team works with a wide range of traffic sources from classic platforms like Facebook and Google to in-app networks, influencer marketing, alternative platforms and direct media buyers. We do not focus on just one vertical or format. Instead, we build a full buying system from testing to scaling. Our main goal is to buy high-quality traffic that converts well and brings stable results. In this way, we are similar to many other top media buying teams in the industry.

That is why we are looking for people who can handle large volumes and also take responsibility for big budgets. You need to understand how to keep ROI positive and not panic if something goes wrong. It is also important to quickly adjust to new rules, because platform algorithms change almost every day. If that sounds like you — we are definitely on the same page. 

What Kind of Experience Should a Media Buyer Have to Join Our Team?

We are looking for candidates with at least two years of experience in affiliate marketing or media buying who have already launched campaigns for gambling products or similar verticals. It is important that the person understands how to work with different traffic sources, knows how to choose and test offers, build funnels and work with creatives. We especially value experience in scaling campaigns. If you have a case where you managed growth and handled large volumes confidently — that is a big plus.

Analytics also plays a big role. You need to be comfortable working with numbers, testing ideas, tracking user behavior and making smart decisions based on data. These skills are essential if you want to succeed in media buying.

Your Dream Job Might Be One Step Away

Just like in any profession, growing as a media buyer means always learning and looking up to those who are already successful. Even if our requirements seem higher than your current level, don’t give up. Think of them as a direction to grow. The harder the challenge, the faster you grow as a specialist.

If you are reading this and feel like you match what we are looking for — we would love to meet you. Join our bot https://t.me/pinup_hr_bot and let’s talk about how you can strengthen the PIN-UP Partners team. This could be your chance to land your dream job with a team that supports you and salaries that are above the market average. 

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