Dear Brook:
I can’t answer “how far can a visa officer go, in terms of a career path?” Perhaps you can research that.
When will you know if there is a job available to you at the local advertising company is a valid question, as well as what are your chances to receive that job. And… since you asked regarding the other job, how far can you go with this job, in terms of a career path?
Pay and benefits is another consideration.
If you have the first job available for you to take and no other job, then I would take it, if I was you. It reads interesting to me, so I would be motivated.
There are such jobs heavily regulated by workers unions where you are secure, it seems, from the moment you accept the job for the coming decades until retired, with salary regularly increasing with time, according to a set salary table, regular raises, and such. Outside such jobs, it is hard to predict what will benefit you as the job market changes a lot.
anita