Advice on Account Management

A few things to take in to account (pun intended):

1. An account manager at Interesting Development said it best when she said, “Your team should always feel safer when the account is in the room”. Know your stuff, and make sure your confidence in your team makes them feel at ease in even the toughest of moments.

2. Not only should you know the client’s ask inside and out, but you should deeply understand the company. What are their goals? Timelines? What’s it like to be a member of their target audience and how can you embody that in your campaign?

3. Your brief is often times what will make it all the way to the client’s CEO’s office. Your job as the account is to ensure it translates equally as well on their screen, as with the song and dance of presentation. 

4. You should always be the calmest person in the room. If the metaphorical building is on fire behind you, you’re the one that should be saying “What fire?”

5. Be empathetic. Always.

Elizabeth Beymer | May 11, 2019

Listen.

To be able to listen is immensely valuable. This is something that was reiterated by many over the course of the week. Rather than being the one to jump in with your opinion or ideas, take the time to listen to what others have to say. Part of this comes from checking your ego at the door. There’s value in having your ideas and POV challenged by others, especially when trying to come to a compelling and strong strategy. Listen to others, whoever they are, no matter their role. Respects their ideas and let them propel you forward. Laurel Martin #4 | 5.11.19

Top 5 Takeaways

1. Add value to your team, not only in your position but in any way you can. Wear many hats

2. Manage your career the same way you would anything else in your life. Care for it, tend to it, and grow with it

3. Never give up the “student” roll and continue a self driven education. Never stop learning & drop your ego

4. Land at a “non-obvious truth” & make sure your idea moves with culture

5. Make legendary brands modern and modern brands legendary

Allison Trujillo 5.11

Invaluable Advice

Coming into this week I was skeptical - cynical, even - about the hiring process in the advertising industry. However, hearing what some industry members had to say about it has given me some peace of mind. I used to believe that getting that initial job would require close relationships with the right people in the industry and/or an impossible amount of previous internship or work experience. While I still believe relationships are important in this industry, I have also realized that there are far more factors that go into the decision-making process than I once thought. Knowing this fact, while also absorbing all of the recruitment-related advice I could, has given me a renewed sense of confidence in my ability to earn a position I hope to receive. While I understand that a position won’t be handed to me on a silver platter, I feel like I now have the tools and the knowledge to create exciting opportunities for myself. This past week has been invaluable not only because of the people I have met and the places I have visited, but because I now feel more ready than ever to enter this competitive, creative, crazy world.

–Olivia Dozois–05/11/2019– 

Trust your gut

This is a big one. We all think we want to work at a place with an incredible office, with the coolest furniture, where all the workers dress like they’re models off duty and are friends with famous people. That’s great and all don’t get me wrong. But, do you feel comfortable in the room? When you walk in the door do you like the energy? Would you have the courage to speak your ideas? 

As great as it is to be with the “cool agencies” if it doesn’t align with your values, culture, the way you operate listen to that. Don’t force yourself to like an agency simply because it’s known by everyone to be “super chill n shit”. Like an agency because it’s a good fit for you. You’ll know that feeling the second you walk in the door and don’t push it away. 

Trust your gut. Move with your gut. Reach out to places that make your gut happy :-)

FLOCK Together

FLOCK has been a great resource to learn more about and have so many women willing to take the time to help younger ducks. I knew what FLOCK was but never had the opportunity to meet any of the people apart of it or listen to advice first-hand in person. Each woman has a unique story and advice for careers and internships and the stage of life us seniors are in. A key takeaway from the FLOCK panels I have is to know your worth and understand what you bring to a team and be honest with yourself. Never stand for less than you deserve.

Alexa Dixon | 5/9/19

“Never Sleeps” is an understatement.

If anything, New York is always awake. It’s less about the absence of sleep, but more the constant presence of alertness. It was a week of always being turned on: no back burners, just full speed ahead. Whether it was work or play, networking or eating, riding the subway or walking down to Times Square, to say this was the fastest week of my life would be an understatement. I’ve already updated my resume to reflect the valuable skills I have learned here, between dodging cabs, identifying the best locations for dollar slices, and Olympic-tier fast walking.

Nah, in all seriousness though, I’m exhausted. We all are - emotionally, mentally, physically. We came, we saw, and we conquered all of our fears and inhibitions, turning from anxious students to industry-ready professionals. We’ve had the opportunity to talk the talk and walk the walk alongside some of the greatest our University has to offer. It is said that history repeats itself. This isn’t always a virtue, but in this case, I believe it means big things for us. 

Is this where I say go team?

SEIBOLD 5.10.19

Expanding Horizon’s

I had the pleasure of visiting Horizon Media on my last day of agency visits and I am so happy I had that opportunity. As one of four media planners on this trip, there is sometimes a lack of focus of media and how it plays a role into the agency beyond what creatives see and contribute to and it was incredibly helpful and insightful to get a variety of media planners and digital strategists input and stories of experience. The UO Alum that led us, Ari, also gave us a quick crash course on mobile strategy and how companies track media habits through WiFi, TV, and our smartphones. The beautiful office (that included a nap room) was enough to excite and draw me in, but the insight and energy Horizon provided was amazing and encouraging in the industry I hope to go into.

Alexa Dixon | 5/9/19

Comfortably Uncomfortable

Going on this trip has been a test for me as an individual to say the least. Before the trip, I was sold on moving and living in New York for a few years to understand the industry within the city. Now, as the days end and I come closer to putting my grad cap on, I am facing reality checks on who, what, where, and how my life will unfold after college. Do I say f*%& it and make the move here without a job? Or do I move home to LA (because free rent) and to work on my portfolio? Do I freelance? Do I say ‘wait what if’ and open up a restaurant? Do I save the world? So many options and questions constantly floating in my head. It sounds overwhelming but I know that I am not the only one. I know that I am growing and learning at a fast pace and I welcome these thoughts. I welcome them because they make me uncomfortable. Over and over again I have been told that doors open when we are uncomfortable. Things happen no one sees coming when we are uncomfortable. Spending the week in the city of NY has pushed me to find a space where I can be comfortably uncomfortable. In this space, I have met so many more amazing fellow Ad students and professors. In this space, I have opened up the possibilities for my future. In this space I have found unforeseen insights within the industry that I will never forget. In this space I have found what it means to be comfortably uncomfortable. To that I say, Cheers! 

Jess Leonard. 5.10.19.