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Sounds like there’s a lot going on here. Life as an account person will often have you feeling like you’re putting out fires, always in the thick of a problem, etc. but if you’re already feeling stressed, burnt out, and sad about the work then something is off. You should be excited by solving problems and helping the creative come to life.
Talk to your account lead about how you’re feeling. Maybe you’ve been assigned too much too soon or need some help organizing how you approach tasks so you don’t feel so overwhelmed. A good leader will help you figure things out. A bad leader will tell you to figure it out yourself, or will hold it against you if you ask for help.
And that could be a source of the trouble, too. Not every manager / team / account is a good one. Part of the account job is learning how to work with different types and that takes time. But at the end of the day, sometimes the chemistry just isn’t there or the job isn’t worth the grief. Start with trying to figure things out with your lead(s).
Thank you so much, I really appreciate your perspective. I definitely think my manager is part of the problem - they said they give “tough love,” which, as someone who is very insecure because I’m learning so much from scratch, is not ok.
They probably are trying to teach me things way too fast. But it’s hard to bring up my concerns because they just say it’ll get better with time or even might seem a bit disappointed when I’m confused. But I’m not really sure how to fix it/approach it, because I worry it’s a “me” problem.
I had a hope that I would like this job, as I love working with people and problem-solving and leading a team, but this has just been such an overwhelming process with so much busy work.
Being an AAE is (in a much milder sense, but embrace the metaphor for a moment) a little like Navy Seal training. It’s hard, mentally taxing, and you have no idea what’s coming next as you learn through scenario training. Once those things you don’t know become second nature after a few years, you get a few cool scars, some war stories to share, and you’re completely comfortable on the battlefield.
Don’t be afraid to fail. We learn more from failure than success. But do learn how to find out what went wrong, and fix it; both in the short term to get your mistake on the right path, and long term so you can do better next time. Don’t be afraid to ask for help also (but try to figure out the solution first, so you can show your manager where and what you looked into). Every time I get a new client, I tell them my biggest strength is I’ve found every way possible you shouldn’t do something, because I’ve tried.
Think of Edison saying he didn’t fail 800 times before making a lightbulb, he learned 800 ways how not to make a lightbulb.
I'm an AS now but this is still fantastic advice - bookmarking this to always keep in mind and see failures as learning opportunities and an integral part of the process. Thank you!!
Coach
One thing that helped me when starting out was putting time on other account managers calendars - a quick “coffee chat” if they were willing - to learn more about the role, the company, and any tricks of the trade they were willing to share. Someone told me once to remember that we’re not saving lives, and that was a perspective I needed to hear.
Coach
“This is way above my pay grade” is another perspective I tell myself all the time!
If you don’t like it as an AAE, I’d recommend pivoting now before you get too far in & pigeonholed into this roles growth trajectory. From experience, once you start, it’s hard to stop.
Adding to what everyone has shared. All of the above could be true but it also depends on what size agency you’re at. If it’s a small agency, they’ll expect you to wear many, many, many hats with little to no time to train. If it’s a large agency, they love to use and abuse fresh out of college talent. It’s often a combination of weeding out the herd and because they can over work you. In the end, the large agencies know they can find someone else tomorrow.
If you’re looking for growth and development, a good medium size agency is what you want. 50 to 100 people would do the trick. That’s big enough they have some flexibility but small enough they’ll devote time to developing talent.
When everything’s said and done, it’s all on you. Advocate for yourself, set realistic boundaries and never let anyone tell you you’re not good enough. Find a strong mentor you can trust, outside of your agency, and practice self care.
To note: I really want to be a strategist, but I’m entry-level and there aren’t many strat opportunities for recent grads. I’ve heard being an AAE is a good starting point…but I really don’t know if this job is for me.
Adding to this - are you getting a chance to work on the kind of strategy work you want to do? If that kind of work is happening on your accounts right now, talk to your account leads to see if you can help support it. If it’s not, tell your manager so they can help you find that chance.
Network. Do your research into who does that kind of work, and see if you can grab 15-30min on their calendar just to learn and establish those connections. One thing I wish I kept doing was regular 1:1s with all the SMEs I worked with as an AAE (you can find a way to make it billable), but the relationships you build really do open doors and expand your skill set.
Making that switch is hard and it may take time (I knew it at AE, started doing it at SAE, and made it official at AS) but the more people who know what you want to do, the more support you’ll have. Good luck!!