Advertising Account Executive

What is the work like?

Advertising account executives, also known as account handlers, act as the link between an advertising agency and the client.

As an account executive, it would be your aim to understand the client's goals and then organise the agency's creative and administrative staff to produce effective campaigns. Your tasks would include:

• meeting clients to discuss their advertising needs
• working with account planners to devise a campaign that meets the client's brief and budget
• presenting campaign ideas and costings to clients
• briefing the creative team who will produce the adverts
• negotiating with clients, solving any problems and making sure deadlines are met
• checking and reporting on the campaign’s progress
• keeping in contact with the client at all stages of the campaign
• managing the account’s budget and invoicing the client
• making ‘pitches’ to try to win new business.

You would usually handle three or four non-competing accounts at the same time.

What qualifications and experience will employers look for?

You do not need particular qualifications to become an account executive. However, advertising is a very competitive industry and many employers will expect you to be qualified to BTEC HND or degree level.

Any degree or HND subject is acceptable, but you may have an advantage with one of the following:

• advertising
• marketing
• statistics or operational research
• communication and media studies
• business or management
• psychology.

You can use the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) website to search for degree and HND courses. Check course entry requirements with colleges and universities.

You may be able to get into some smaller advertising agencies without a degree if you start in a more junior position such as administrator, and work your way up as your experience and knowledge of the industry develops.

It is a good idea to try to find work experience in an advertising agency before looking for your first job. Contact agencies directly to ask about work placements, or see the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) website for a list of member agencies offering work experience.

Any previous work experience in the media, marketing, communications or sales would also be useful.

What further training and development can I do?

You will usually start as a junior account executive and learn on the job, possibly as part of an agency's structured graduate training scheme. Your training would typically cover marketing skills, market research techniques, report writing and communication skills.

You may also be able to work towards qualifications from the professional associations, such as:

• IPA Foundation Certificate, an online course for junior staff with at least six months’ experience in any area of advertising
• IPA Excellence Diploma, for middle managers with at least three to five years’ experience
• Communication Advertising and Marketing Education Foundation (CAM) Diploma in Marketing Communications – for this you will need a degree or equivalent, or at least two years’ relevant work experience.

You can also take short courses to help keep your knowledge and skills up to date throughout your career. See the IPA and the Account Planning Group websites for details.

Where can I go for more information?

11 Southwark Street
London
SE1 1RQ
Helpline: 0800 093 0444

7th Floor North
Artillery House
11-19 Artillery Row
London
SW1P 1RT
Tel: 020 7340 1100

16 Creighton Avenue
London
N10 1NU
Tel: 020 8444 3692

44 Belgrave Square
London
SW1X 8QS
Tel: 020 7235 7020

Moor Hall
Cookham
Maidenhead
Berkshire
SL6 9QH
Tel: 01628 427120

If you would like to discuss your career options with a learning adviser, call 0800 100 900 or use our online enquiry form

Alternatively, you can visit our website at: www.direct.gov.uk/careersadvice

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