When you’ve got a creative mindset and a talkative personality, sometimes it’s difficult to know what to do with it, especially when it comes to finding a career.
But what if we told you that being outgoing, chatty and creative is perfect for a career in the exciting world of advertising and marketing? Working as an account manager, you'll be the vital link between a company and its clients.
So, what will I actually be doing?
Working for the fast-paced industry of advertising, digital or a direct marketing, you’ll be in charge of overseeing the smooth running of an advertising or marketing campaign, from briefing designers to controlling the pennies, and you may even be responsible for a team of account executives.
This role has plenty of variety and requires some serious multi-tasking and juggling jobs, such as:
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The nitty gritty
This is largely an office-based role although you will spend time in meetings or visiting clients. Your working day will typically be standard office hours, Monday to Friday. However, when a deadline is looming, you’ll be expected to put the extra hours in to ensure the success of a campaign.
Money, money, money
Starting salaries begin at around £25k but if you make a success of this role, the financial rewards can be great with top account managers earning £45k plus per year.
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The good points...
"This can be a creative role that is very much about relationship building," says Tallulah, an account manager for a digital agency. "The role is very sociable and involves a fair amount of hospitality and making clients and senior management feel good about the accounts and the way they are being handled. Although hard work, the role can be very well paid, lots of fun and quite glamorous."
There’s also great room for career development, as after taking on bigger agencies with more clients, you could progress to become an account director or even a board director.
...and the bad
"When things go wrong (which can often be for all sorts of reasons) then you are right in the firing line - from senior management, internal staff and from the clients. Managing client expectations and the capacity of your company to deliver these expectations can be a tricky line to walk."
Is there study involved?
Advertising and marketing is a competitive industry and the more qualifications you have under your belt the better. A HND or degree in advertising, marketing, communication or business management will be a bonus. You may also want to consider taking one of the following courses:
- Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing
- CAM Diploma in Digital Marketing
- CAM Diploma in Marketing Communications
Need additional qualifications? Find a course at our Learning Zone
OK, I'm interested... But is it really the job for me?
If you’re dynamic, creative, motivated and know how to get the most out of a team, this is the ultimate job for you. It also helps if you have:
- Strong presentation and negotiation skills
- Confidence and a persuasive manner
- Tight organisational and time management skills
- Great business sense and the ability to work to budgets
