Advertising account executive: Career development

A job as an advertising account executive is normally an entry-level role for a graduate. Career progression is usually as follows:

• account manager, managing executives and handling higher profile clients. Most  account managers spend at least three or four years at this level before having enough  experience to seek promotion;
• account director, taking responsibility for all account staff and clients;
• group account director.

Most candidates spend several years in each role before gaining promotion.

Career progression is firmly linked to gaining relevant experience and key transferable skills. One way of achieving this is by moving between agencies and working for several different clients. Therefore, mobility and flexibility are important.

Career development very much depends on the success of your campaigns. Working on an award-winning campaign, for example, will give you a higher profile and industry recognition, and will make your career progression much more rapid. It will also mean that you may be headhunted by other advertising agencies.