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Normal, unfortunately, but that doesn’t make it any less messed up.
10 accounts? No. That’s a poorly run agency. 4-5 max. Ideal 2-3.
Normal, and unfortunately something I hear about a lot. Try not to focus on number of accounts, but variety of work and people. That’s helped me.
10 accounts sounds a bit much to me. Are you in a specialty practice (i.e. digital) and touching multiple one-off projects? If so, that makes sense but it’s odd to me that you’d be considered a day-to-day on 10 different accounts. There are sooo many agencies where that just isn’t case. From comments above, seems the opposite is also true but you don’t need to work under those conditions if it’s not something you’re into.
It could also be the year-end too and the fact that a lot of clients who stalled their budgets earlier in the year are not turning services back on. A lot of agencies slowed hiring / reduced staff so that mix has been a recipe for an increased work load and not enough staff to get it all done. That said, if it’s always like that then it’s your agency’s staffing model and the only solve is to look elsewhere. I’ve been at quite a few agencies and only consider agencies that have a more structured model and don’t take on as many project-based clients. Like now, despite there being an influx of new business and clients trying to run through leftover budgets, no one at my agency is working on more than 4 or 5 clients (unless they’re practice leaders - VP or higher). That’s not super rare either as many agencies I’ve worked with or have friends at share the same kind of thing happening there. You find more structured models like this on the account management side than you do a specialty practice and definitely more so at mid-sized to large agencies. Hang in there. It’ll hopefully slow down. In the mean time, do you have a manager you can flag your workload and bandwidth with? With so much going on, your manager is probably not super locked in to how much you have on your plate. Having the conversation with them may at least help you see where the light is at the end of the tunnel.
Wow I disagree with everyone but SVP. I've worked at many small and large agencies and have never been at one where that was the norm. 3-5, depending on size of budget, is normal and advised; if flagship accounts it might only be 1-2. Once anyone hits 5, unless they're an EVP who doesn't really staff the work, mindshare and focus becomes an issue.
OP here.
I have 3 retainers and the rest are small projects.
To be honest, I have been lagging behind in the milestones although I have help from others, because I have to track every deadline, every milestone and payments, let alone having to write copies and even do work beyond the original contractual obligation (such as drafting press releases when the scope requires me to write and plan content for SM) just because my boss has promised client so.
A month has passed since I posted this and I am still working over the festive period. There was a day where I felt the need to cry because it feels to me that I am now in a rather abusive work environment.
In my experience 5-6 is normal. Less is common especially with large files. More is a tough load and suggests the agency is either fragmenting your account teams or carrying clients that are too small to be worth it.
Mentor
Yes. At a former large agency, I had anywhere between 1 and 15 clients at a time, depending on budgets, staffing and need.
Yep, totally normal ♥️ I try to remember that not each client requires the same level of attention.
in travel/hospitality boutiques this is normal
I’m an SAE and I have 8.