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Advertising Account Manager*

Last modified: November 07, 2011, 01:25 PM
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This is an ideal career for creative thinkers. Account Managers or ‘suits’ manage the day to day dealings of the client account. You are the diplomats of the agency, bringing together the client with the relevant agency departments in order to create great advertising and ultimately achieve the client’s marketing objectives.

Description 

This is an ideal career for creative thinkers. In advertising there are four main areas of work. Account Management, where you manage client/s and work with the marketing departments, Strategy Planners who assist in strategy development, Creative where you create and develop great ideas and Media where you buy media from the various markets such as television, radio, newspaper, magazine, outdoor and online. 

Career Advice - Advertising Account Manager Career

Account Managers or ‘suits’ manage the day to day dealings of the client account. You are the diplomats of the agency, bringing together the client with the relevant agency departments in order to create great advertising and ultimately achieve the client’s marketing objectives.  

What you do every day 

As an Account Manager no two days in your life are ever the same.  The diversity of your role is enormous.  You have daily administrative tasks such as opening jobs and overseeing what the agency will be invoicing the client. Writing briefs, managing deadlines and timelines, moving the job through the agency, managing budgets and attending shoots takes up the rest of your day. You represent both the agency and the client on all aspects of the job.  

Personality that best fits this career 

Having a career in Account Management is not for the faint hearted.  Making order out of chaos, you have to be super organised, love detail and be persuasive.  Your time management skills must be excellent and you must be a fast learner – you never stop learning in this role.  You must love being part of a team and accept that job satisfaction comes when the whole team has pulled together.  You must be good under pressure and realise it’s a service industry – your hours are not your own. If a job needs doing – it’s got to be done.  So given the pressure of the job, make sure you love creativity and marketing before you make advertising your career. 

Best thing about this career 

Diversity – no two days are the same!  Working with inspirational, creative people and being an integral part of a team working together to create something amazing.  An agency is a good place to work – good ones have a great feel and look to them.  In turn, people who work in those agencies enjoy their environment. 

Worst thing about this career 

Diversity – no two days are the same!  Trying to keep everyone happy – it’s a delicate balancing act between creatives and clients. Unreasonable deadlines – it’s a service industry! 
A heavy emphasis on attention to detail and accuracy.

About the Author

Christine Barnes

Christine Barnes

Chris is a highly respected member of the advertising industry.  She’s served on the National Board of the Advertising Federation of Australia, was the Victorian Chair and ran a mentoring program for young women in the industry.

 

Catapulting from account service secretary to Managing Director of a Top 4 Melbourne agency, Chris has enormous experience.  Her passion for great work and the results it delivers makes her as enthusiastic about the industry today as she was when she first entered it.


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