Account Take-Aways

Before I landed in New York City last week, I had never thoroughly heard from an actual account manager about what this job description entitles. Of course I had advisors and peers helping me find my way inside Allen Hall Advertising, but a lot of what I learned came simply from trial and error. Although there’s a lot to be said for experiential learning, one of my biggest take aways from this New York Experience trip was the opportunity to hear from successful account managers what it is like to be them, especially in a fast-paced city like Manhattan.

One of the biggest things that I heard from nearly every account manager at all seven agencies that I visited was the importance of having ownership in the work my team produces. I have already experienced the interesting dynamic that unfolds for account managers in terms of lacking passion for developing creative work because it is often hard to feel included in something you weren’t necessarily hired to do. Before this trip, I believed creatives were hired to create and account managers are hired to make sure it all runs smoothly. Thus, it was easy for me to feel disconnected from the creatives and their work because I didn’t insert myself in their creative process, I simply made sure they were doing it. Therefore, my loyalty became skewed when things often began to get messy. However, I now see the importance of having an opinion in each campaign and finding a sense of my own personal ownership in what is being created. I’ve realized, through my recent NYC experience, that this will aid in my ability to convince the client of the true value of my team’s work. I heard time and time again at these New York agencies that a client won’t believe in a campaign if the account manager doesn’t, which seems so obvious I almost feel silly for not already knowing that. Regardless, I feel so thankful to walk away from this amazing opportunity with this new perspective. Although I learned an endless amount about whether I want to live in NYC or not, whether I want to work at a big agency or a smaller agency and so much more, this piece of knowledge seems to trump them all. I feel like this sense of voice, power and ownership will make my life, my future team’s lives and our client’s lives so much easier as their will be confidence in the work.

Meg Meagher