Advertising account executive jobs

Account executives in advertising are responsible for coming up with innovative concepts for ad campaigns and serving as a liaison between an advertising firm and its customers.

Working inside an advertising or multi-service agency, your primary responsibility as an advertising account executive will be to serve as a liaison between the firm and the customers it serves. You are going to be in charge of coordinating advertising campaigns and, as a result, effectively interacting with everyone who is involved. You could also be referred to as a "handler" of accounts.

It is essential to have a solid understanding of the requirements of your customers, which you may get through working directly with them throughout the duration of campaigns, sometimes on a daily basis. In addition to this, you will be responsible for managing administrative tasks and campaign work to guarantee that advertising projects are finished on time and within budget.

Responsibilities

You'll need to be able to do the following to get a job as an advertising account executive:

consult with customers and act as their point of contact to talk about and determine the advertising needs they have.

Collaborate with coworkers at the firm to develop a marketing strategy for the client that takes into account both their brief and their budget.

the customer will be given the campaign concepts and budget, which will be presented (with colleagues from the agency, notably the account manager).

help the account manager in briefing the media, creative, and research employees, and collaborate to formulate marketing plans with the account manager.

keep consistent communication with both the client and the advertising agency in order to function as a liaison for both parties and to facilitate communication between them.

Ensure that there is an adequate flow of communication.

discuss the specifics of the campaigns with the customers and the employees of the agency.

presenting creative work to customers in order to get approval or suggestions for changes.

monitor budgets, keep track of campaign expenses, and send invoices to customers.

Create reports for your customers.

Keep an eye on how successful the campaigns are.

handle administrative responsibilities

schedule and attend meetings

In order to bring in new business for the agency, you will need to make pitches with other members of the firm's personnel.

Salary

Beginning salary often vary anywhere from £19,000 to $24,000 in the United Kingdom.

Executives and account managers with more experience may make between 30,000 and 40,000 pounds per year, while account directors can make up to 55,000 pounds per year. There is a possibility that senior account directors might make up to £65,000.

The range of salaries for top positions, such as company directors and board directors, is somewhere between £80,000 and over £100,000 per year.

The size of the agency as well as its location both have an impact on the salaries paid to employees at all levels. For instance, CEOs working in London and the surrounding area make, on average, more money than those working in remote regions.

There are certain companies that provide their employees with extra advantages, such as profit-sharing programs, free memberships to fitness centers, vehicle allowances, and medical insurance.

The monetary amounts listed are just meant to serve as a reference point.

Time spent working

Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., is a normal workweek. On the other hand, in order to meet deadlines, you will often be required to start the day early or to work late into the night. Weekend work is unusual.

Even while there aren't many prospects for paid overtime in the business, some agencies will make up for it by offering time off. However, job sharing is often an option, and after a certain amount of years of service, some of the bigger organizations may give paid sabbaticals to employees who have satisfied the necessary requirements. Career breaks and working part-time are not very prevalent.

What may be anticipated

It is possible that you may deal with customers on many accounts, and the climate can be demanding and competitive at times. The hours might also be lengthy.

Even though you will spend most of your time at an office, you should be prepared to travel often over the course of the working day since you will be needed to meet customers and may participate in television or radio shoots or castings. There are times when working away from home overnight or traveling internationally for business is necessary.

The scope of operations for large advertising firms is expanding rapidly into overseas markets. Many are subsidiaries of much bigger media and communications conglomerates, the headquarters of which may be located in another nation in Europe or in the United States.

Even though business casual is the typical dress code, the atmosphere at work is more laid back than formal. The position may require interacting informally with customers.

In the field of advertising, layoffs are sometimes unavoidable due to factors such as the state of the economy or the challenges that the company is facing at the present time. Advertising firms are always seeking new clients and business opportunities.

Qualifications

Although this field of employment is available to all graduates, having a degree or HND in one of the following disciplines may boost your chances of being hired, particularly considering how difficult it is becoming to get into the advertising industry:

advertising

business/management

communications

writing that is creative

design

English

marketing

ties with the public.

If an applicant has sufficient relevant work experience, entry without a degree or HND may be feasible; nonetheless, degrees are often preferred, particularly in bigger agencies.

Networking with advertising experts may be accomplished in a productive manner via the use of social networking platforms, in particular LinkedIn. There is a good chance that the jobs department at your institution will put on events at which you may make connections and talk to people who work in various fields.

Reading advertisements for jobs may be beneficial for having a thorough idea of the industry-specific skills and knowledge that are necessary.

Employers often feel that the skills and experience earned in comparable tasks are transferrable to advertising, therefore it is a good idea to look into related postings for work experience, such as those in sales, marketing, or public relations.

Skills

You will be required to provide proof of the following items:

superior abilities in both speaking and interacting with others

a can-do attitude combined with the capacity to take the initiative and maintain flexibility

great organizing skills

the capacity to function well under duress and absorb vast amounts of knowledge in a short amount of time while simultaneously keeping attention to detail

drive and determination

abilities that allow for successful teaming

talents in persuading others and negotiating

abilities in both verbal and writing communication

consciousness of the market

an enthusiasm for advertising as well as an awareness of the qualities that distinguish a successful advertisement

a disposition that is open to education

resilience, so that you are able to cope with challenges and negative feedback constructively.

A working knowledge of information technology as well as an understanding of how the sector is evolving as a result of the usage of new communication technologies are required.

Practice in the workplace

Having job experience prior to entering the workforce is not only highly desired but also a fantastic approach to get a feel for how an organization functions. It's also a great method to network, which might come in handy later on when you're seeking for a permanent position as an account executive.

You may get valuable experience by working during your vacation time, participating in an internship, or job shadowing. In the form of summer schools, formal work experience or internship programs are often made available by bigger organizations that provide them.

Because of how competitive the advertising industry is, gaining job experience in the field might be challenging at times; nevertheless, any other experience working in a commercial setting can be beneficial. You may obtain useful experience in a variety of ways, one of which is by participating in volunteer work for a certain amount of time if you are able to support yourself financially.

Find out more information on the many types of work experience and internships that are currently offered.

Employers

Larger advertising companies are where you will locate the bulk of available positions to pursue. It is possible for agencies to be a part of a bigger group or to function independently as their own firms.

A bigger business would typically have between 50 and 80 workers, while there are some organizations that have more than 300 staff members. The typical employee count for a smaller business is five to fifteen individuals.

As a result of the fact that many customers will be seeking for a whole "communications" package, many of the bigger advertising firms provide clients with interdisciplinary services such as marketing in addition to advertising.

Try looking for employment opportunities at:

Campaign Jobs

The Snare Drum

IPA Jobs Listings

Mad Staff

You may get a helpful list of advertising employers as well as basic information on the sector by consulting the overview of the marketing, advertising, and public relations industry in the UK.

You might also try speculatively applying for positions to see what comes up. An successful strategy may consist of submitting a speculative but targeted application together with a focused and attention-grabbing cover letter and curriculum vitae. Before making a direct application, you should make an effort to study as much as you can about advertising, the function of account executives, and the company for which you are interested in working. On the website of the IPA is a directory listing of all of the member agencies, along with pertinent contact information.

Larger organizations that provide graduate training programs often request applicants to submit their materials via their own websites. These are typically created at the beginning of the fall semester in your last year. Smaller and more specialized organizations often use specialized websites or recruiting consultancies when filling open positions as they become available.

Improvement of one's profession

Graduates are often hired by advertising agencies to work as advertising account executives or handlers. You may advance from this job to become a junior account manager, where you will help a senior account manager or other colleagues before taking on your own accounts and customers. If you are successful in this capacity, you will be promoted.

It's possible that some of the bigger organizations have formalized training programs in place. The competition for them is high, and you will need to submit your application in advance; check several websites for more information. October is often the month when application procedures get underway.

It is possible that you may be encouraged to further your education in order to get a qualification, and that your company will either give financial help or study leave (or both).

There is also the possibility of receiving instruction from an outside source, such as the IPA Foundation Certificate. This is an online course designed for young advertising professionals that covers the whole process of brand communications. In addition, the IPA gives experienced staff members access to a variety of short courses and seminars.

You could find that doing a marketing course that leads to CIM Qualifications is important for this profession, as it will allow you to get an awareness of mobile marketing, as well as digital and social media platforms. In addition, there are a great deal of free and low-cost crash courses that can be found online.

Prospects for one's career

It is common practice to begin one's career in this field as an advertising account executive, and then to proceed in the following order:

Managing executives and dealing with high-profile customers are the primary responsibilities of account managers, who often begin their careers in subordinate positions. The majority of account managers remain in their current positions for at least three or four years before they feel they have gained sufficient experience to pursue advancement.

account director is someone who is responsible for all account employees as well as customers.

director of the group account.

The amount of experience you get and the degree of success achieved by the campaigns you run will determine how fast and how far you move in your career. Working on a campaign that ends up winning awards, for example, will provide you a larger profile and recognition within the business. Additionally, the rate at which you advance in your career will be significantly accelerated. As a direct consequence of this, you run the risk of being poached by competitors in the advertising industry.

Because switching between agencies and working for a variety of clients may help you advance more rapidly in your career, mobility and flexibility are essential qualities to have when creating your professional profile.