Agency Insiders: How to Get a Job in Account Management

From left to right: Shawn Zupp, Elliott Seaborn, Kate Rozen, Jon Swanson, Ed Feather

Last Thursday, COM held its 3^rd annual “Agency Insiders” event, which featured a panel of distinguished alumni from top agencies in New York and Boston:

Shawn Zupp (COM ’95)                                                                                                     Managing Director, StruckAxiom

Elliott Seaborn (COM ’93)                                                                                                                 SVP Marketing, Digitas

Kate Rozen (COM ‘98)                                                                                                                         Senior Brand Manager, Time Warner Cable 

Ed Feather (COM ’94)                                                                                                                         Senior Brand Director, PARTNERS + simons

Jon Swanson                                                                                                                                   Talent Recruiter, The Swanson Group

Professor Carolyn Clark set the tone of the night with the introductory statement, “Let’s get our career on.”

Touché, Professor Clark. Here’s what the panelist had to say about landing a job in Account Management.

Qualifications for an AAE

Jon: You must have an entrepreneurial spirit, drive, and the ability to think quickly on your feet. Make sure to manage your personal brand while looking for an AAE position. Showcase your skills within different verticals: interactive, social media, green technology, etc.

Kate: I agree with Jon. Being younger also proves a real asset for people with tenure. They want to know what you think as a consumer and what you find interesting.

Elliot:  When interviewing a candidate for an AAE position, I look for a good story. Tell me who you are as a person. I don’t expect a lot of experience, but I want to see how the interviewee learns and speaks—essentially their aptitude to learn. How will they grow into the position?

Shawn: The evolution of Project Management has changed what Account Management is. It used to be more about managing the client relationships, but it has become more strategic. So, I would say highlight projects where you were a strategic thinker, not just a “doer.” Show that entrepreneurial spirit.

Ed: Be humble yet ambitious. Know that you are new at this but show your willingness and eagerness to learn.

The Cover Letter and Resume

Elliot: The cover letter should pull together the story of your resume. Build the story from top to bottom.

Shawn: Don’t be generic with the resume and cover letter. Have many versions of your resume. Customization is a key best practice.

How to Get Your Resume in the Door

Jon: Do “warm calls.” LinkedIn is a perfect tool for implementing this tactic. Utilize your network.

Shawn: You have to walk the walk of HR. It’s a necessary evil and the easiest path to getting a “yes.”

Kate: Don’t count on your contacts to get it for you, but we are willing to help you. Your legwork combined with your network is the ideal method of getting your resume seen.

The Interview

Ed: I get a rush from flustering people in the interview. Be on your toes. I like to have a conversation with the person because personality really matters.

Shawn: I also like to take you off your game because account managers encounter curve balls everyday. I like to see what’s your sense of resolve.

Kate:  Dress professionally. Tell me what you learned from experiences. I really look for chemistry.

Elliot: Tell me your story—blend who you are as a person with your qualifications.

Jon: Don’t take anything for granted.

Shawn: Do not ask the question: “What’s your typical day like?” Instead, ask them how’d they get to where they are today?

Kate: Write “thank you” emails in letter format and include salutations.

Salary

Kate: Look at the total opportunity. Evaluate the totality of the experience then the salary.

Shawn: You can begin to earn more quickly but expect a starting salary of $35,000-$40,000.

Kate: Do the math. Is it the right people and the right experience for you?

My (hypothetical) Google Job Experiment

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs.

Jobs seem to be the trending topic around COM. Unlike finance majors who have known  their post-grad future since September, most COM students anxiously await the fateful day they hear the glorious words “You’re hired.”

In my interactive marketing class, our professor talked about Alec Brownstein’s creative approach to the job search.  He devised a strategy to gain the attention of advertising top Creative Directors at his “dream” agencies. The insight behind his self-promotional campaign was everyone “googles” themselves.  Using his SEM knowledge, he bid on the names of industry bigwigs like David Droga, Tony Granger and Ian Reichenthal.

When each CD did a “vanity google“of their own name, an ad appeared in which Brownstein asked each exec for a job. What’s the ROI? After investing a whopping $6, Brownstein now works for Y&R.

After hearing about Brownstein’s brilliant employment strategy, I thought to myself how would I consolidate my elevator speech into a 25-35-35 character ad?

First, I would need to customize each ad for the executive and agency I was targeting.

For example, I would love to work for the Third Act, Digitas’ brand content division. Based on the information I learned from a conversation with the Third Act’s Paul Kontonis, I would create this targeted, keyword-rich ad:

Keywords to bid on:

• Paul Kontonis
• Stephanie Sarofian
• John McCarus
• Eric Korsh
• Teal Newland

As a Digitas fanatic, I would continue to confess my love and desire to work there with this ad:

Keywords to bid on:

• Nora Kassis Walker
• Elliott Seaborn

As a Happy Socks-wearing, Stella Artois-drinking, Target-loving gal, I am obsessed with Mother New York. To gain Mother’s attention, I would say:

Keywords to bid on:

• Angie Vieira Barocas
• Pernilla Ammann

Although I haven’t invested in these PPC ads, I’m hoping that organic traffic to this blog post will lead to those magical words “You’re hired!”

12 BU Advertising Majors explore NYC Ad Agencies

Spring Break 2011 WOO!

Although not the typical booze cruise most envision when I say the phrase “Senior Year Spring Break,” I, along with 11 other ad junkies, ventured to the big city to explore the glitz and glam of Madison Ave.*

Boston University Advertising Professors, Tobe Berkovitz and Christopher Cakebread, organized visits to six leading agencies in NYC:

• Publicis
• BBDO Worldwide
• Grey Group
• McGarryBowen
• Digitas
• Big Spaceship

In an effort to spot a Don Draper look-a-like, I flip cammed most of the trip. After meticulously  reviewing the footage, I concluded that Don Draper flew to Punta Cana with the rest of BU for the week. Sad days.

Good news though! As a result of my quest, I stumbled upon some great advice from ad industry insiders as well as my classmates’ reactions to the agency visits. Take a look!

*Disclaimer: None of the agencies were actually located on Madison Ave, but the spaces were super swanky and creative. More on the decor in my next post.