How do I get a job out of college as an account manager? What makes a successful advertising account manager?
I am graduating in December 2018 with a degree in Advertising from San Jose State University. I want to work in account management/client services in an advertising agency after graduation. I have a bit of familiarity with what this role entails and what the advertising industry is like. However, I would love to hear first hand from professionals. I want to start honing in on skills that will make me a competitive candidate as I enter the job market. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you!
#advertising #marketing-and-advertising #sales #business #business-development
14 answers
Jeff’s Answer
My number one piece of advice is that you need to secure at least one professional internship in an ad agency or a corporate marketing department prior to graduation. Not only will you gain real world experience it will be an almost essential step in your journey toward becoming an advertising professional. Also to be an account manager it is important that you have a well rounded education to include a mix of business, marketing and communications courses and experiences. Get involved in on campus ad club and or a like organization.
Stefania (Mandrin) Revelli, CCSP, CPRW
Stefania’s Answer
Hi Ben,
I have a soft spot for advertising because it's where my career started! It's a fun industry full of energy, creativity and great people. It's a lot of work and many hours, but if you love being part of something great and creative, you'll enjoy yourself immensely. A great part of account management is understanding that you are ultimately responsible for the final product and that you are the middle man between both the client and your in-house creative people. Therefore, there's a lot of running around to make sure it all happens and all happens on time. You have to set timelines and adhere to them strictly. You also have to make sure both parties -- clients -- and in house creatives are happy.
Important skills to have apart from the know-how are communication, time management, detail orientation (you'll be the last person signing off on ads so they need to be perfect) and problem solving. You'll be juggling many things at once so it's important to be organized. Before you set your sights on becoming an account manager, traditionally you would start as an account executive, work your way up to supervisor and then managerial levels. So my best recommendation would be to sift through the ad agencies that interest you, depending on your location. Choose your top contenders and then dig around their Career section to see the job description and requirements they are asking for in an entry level position like an account executive or assistant. See how you fit and where your development areas are. This will also help you get a feel for their company mission and culture, which is important when you interview. You can also look into LinkedIn or job search engines like Indeed.com to see what agencies are looking for in a candidate. If you have the opportunity to Intern anywhere, I would highly recommend looking into it. It's a fantastic way to get a little experience and exposure under your belt.
I'd also recommend reading up on the recent news trends and ongoings in the ad world (AdWeek and Advertising Age are great resources). Pick a few campaigns you really love and be prepared to talk about why you think they hit the mark with audiences in case you are asked.
Hope that helps, good luck to you!
Stefania recommends the following next steps:
Angela’s Answer
Charlie’s Answer
Let me say this. If you want to do this you have a thirst for sales. You have to be able to keep pushing all the people saying no in the hopes you find that one customer.
when you say Account Manager it’s usually called Account Executive. Managers are people who put their time in as AE’s, and are more about setting goals, pricing, and managing a sales staff. The higher up you go the more pressure there is for upur team to meet your quota.
Next always remember to listen to your customers. It’s not about a slick sales pitch but forming a relationship with customers. You want to establish yourself as an expert in your field and a trusted advisor who can make their business grow. It takes a person who’s a self starter and a entrepreneur of sorts. I can tell you the guys I deal with need someone who they can trust. Sometimes it’s about putting in a little time on a client meeting. Sometimes it’s about valuing their time and cutting through it all. A good salesperson is a little bit of psychologist. Identifying quickly the personality type and figuring out the best way to relay your information to them.
I’ve worked with a range of sales people. Some were seasoned and had their contacts they built up over time through working relationships. Some were fresh out of college and cold calling mom and pops, scrapping for any business leads.
In any sales career you will lean months and fat months. When you do well, don’t spend it, save it! Because when you hit a lean month, that savings may mean the difference between hamburgers or ramen for dinner.
Charlie recommends the following next steps:
Allie’s Answer
Some of the best advice I can give someone who wants to start a career in sales is get use to hearing "No"- don't let it stop you, know your products or services inside and out, learn how to ask open ended questions, battle objections before they get brought up, and always keep learning- read sales books, take online courses, and don't be afraid to ask for help.
Megan’s Answer
Hi there,
I would recommend getting a sales internship at university as a great starting point. Post university, a lot of tech organisations have roles called SDRs (also sales development representatives, BDR, business development representative, ADR, account development representative, etc.). Here is an example: https://adobe.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/external_experienced/job/San-Mateo/Sales-Development-Representative_76586. You can find roles like this in advertising technology companies, as well as agencies.
This is a very good entry level role to pivot to a successful career in account management, sales, customer success, management, or marketing!
Megan recommends the following next steps:
Michelle’s Answer
* Strong communication skills, both oral and written
* Ability to partner well with internal and external partners
* Willing to be curious and ask questions
* Ability to learn quickly and work with data/numbers
* Attention to detail
* Flexibility and ability to multi-task
Best of luck!
Andrew’s Answer
Lindsey’s Answer
Robert’s Answer
HI Ben,
I studied advertising in school, and began my career in the field. I was fortunate to get a couple internships prior to graduating- that helped me make contacts in the industry. So when I graduated, I was a step ahead and was able to land a position fairly quickly.
Some thoughts below.
Hope this helps.
Best of luck.
-Robert
Robert recommends the following next steps:
Jason’s Answer
Frank’s Answer
Scott’s Answer
Read a book a week from this list:
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Kindle-Store-Sales-Selling-Techniques/zgbs/digital-text/154983011
Lisa’s Answer
Strong Communicator, Attention to Detail, Organization & Ability to Multitask (manage/keep track of multiple projects at once with many moving parts) - more details below
There is so much back and forth communication that goes on when executing ad campaigns. You must be on top of all communication, able to articulate information in a concise yet thorough manner, and efficient in response time. Things happen fast and clients often have urgent requests, so a sense of urgency is key. You also must pay attention to detail, because it's really easy to let things slip through the cracks. Having a system for organization, whether it's a shared google doc, or whatever is easiest for you, to keep track of ALL communication. The client always comes first, so I think the best Account Managers have that in mind in all that they do. I think developing a sense of rapport with your clients goes a long way too. So much of communication goes through email these days, but don't be afraid to schedule calls or just pick up the phone. It's often much easier to solve problems with a real conversation, and it helps with getting to know your clients on a personal level.
That was a bit of a ramble, but I hope it helps :)