If I had a dollar for every time someone thought an Account Executive (AE) is an accountant, I’d be rich! Oftentimes, that assumption leads to conversations about what I do and its perks. Well, first and foremost, we’re like the backbone of an advertising agency. We manage communication between the agency and its clients, which requires exceptional people skills if I say so myself. We also manage portfolios and, ironically, the job also entails handling accounting data. I guess that means there’s an element of truth to the initial assumption.
The advertising industry is incredibly dynamic and ever-changing. As a result, I’m constantly on my toes working to make my clients happy and ensure we deliver exactly what they want, if not better. Put simply, we’re responsible for quality assurance when answering a brief, meeting client expectations, managing our clients. We also have to be proactive and stay up to date with trends offline and online. The average day can easily go from hopping out of a meeting to attending a shoot then catching a flight for a launch event and returning on the same day to finalise a 360 campaign. All whilst managing my portfolio. Crazy right? Makes me wonder if I do in fact have the same 24 hours as Beyoncé.
In between all the madness, we get to interact with a lot of talented individuals and we also get to influence who the next big talent will be. Getting invited to cool events is another major perk of being an AE as well as receiving gifts and branded collateral from clients. I hope it doesn’t bother any of my colleagues but you know how it is, it’s not easy being the favourite. I kid! All in all, there’s more to being an AE than meeting deadlines. We’re an extension of our client’s eyes, mouths, and ears. Sounds dramatic but it’s true.
I think it’s fair to say as an AE, you’ve got to have thick skin and the attitude of a go-getter. As for myself, I’m still learning. Naturally, I’m a very soft person but I’ve come to realise that it’s really a jungle out there and only the tough can survive. Not only that, turning down ideas internally, encouraging creativity, and sometimes having to tell a designer to tone it down or go in another direction can be quite the task. So, if you know that you get easily overwhelmed, this is not the job or industry for you.
Granted, there are many perks bestowed on those who work in advertising, particularly AEs, from working with big brands, attending product launches, supporting pioneer brands in their select industries, and being a part of life-changing campaigns. Our work is meaningful and impactful. We help create iconic and memorable campaigns which can carry our legacy well into the future. I take great pride in the work I do as an Account Executive at Dicomm McCann but be warned, when they ask you if you can multi-task and work under pressure during your job interview, they’re not joking.
Signed off by a young executive
