Task 5: Job roles

Learning Outcome 2 (U24): Understand the behaviors, skills and attributes necessary within the advertising industry.
1.Explain the behaviors and attributes required for a specific job role: P4 (U24)

Account executive
An account executive has different responsibilities to fulfill their job role. They must meet up with clients and communicate with them to discuss and identify their different advertising
requirements. They must also work with agency colleagues to plan an advertising campaign that meets both the client’s brief and budget. Furthermore, the account executive must then present the ideas and budget to the client, along with any agency colleagues needed. For example, the account manager. The account manager is then needed there to work with the account executive, to brief media, creative and research staff and to also help with the forming of marketing strategies. The account executive will then communicate with the client and advertising agency by having regular contact with both of them. Furthermore, the account executive must ensure communication flows effectively and that they negotiate with clients and agency staff about the details within the campaign. Creative work must then be presented to clients to then be approved and modified, budgets must be handled to manage campaign costs and invoices for clients. Client reports must then be written and the account executive will then monitor the effectiveness of the campaigns. The account manager will undertake the administrative tasks and they will then attend and arrange meetings between other workers. They finally make pitches along with other staff members with the aim of securing new businesses for the agency.
The role of an account executive is to be the link for their companies as well as their clients and they must have a large understanding of the clients and their requirements, products and objectives. Furthermore, an account executive must have be able to provide their clients with advice that will be effective, in order for them to be able to create successful promotional activities and strategies. Account executives also manage the day-to-day meetings as well as being responsible for the satisfaction of clients. They are also expected to bring new clients into the business to make an increase in the money coming in.
An account executive is usually highly intelligent and inquisitive as they are asking for the better good. Individuals that usually ask a large amount of questions are aware of what they are talking about and therefore knowledgeable and have the ability to understand the goals and priorities of the client. Account executives are also meant to be over communicative and understanding. This will allow them to accomplish everything necessary. Account executives are also highly organised. Being organised will ensure all work is completed correctly and to the best it can be which then also allows them to display their intelligence and displays how they overly communicate due to organisation being totally down to communication. One final main trait of an account executive is being ambitious, which helps overall with results. The ambition of an account executive keeps the spirit levels up and therefore allows all team members to benefit.

Behavior and attributes
· Motivational and Excellent communication skills – One of the main roles of an account executive is to give efficient advice so they can come up with successful promotional material. Communication skills are therefore extremely important as the account executive usually faces the company when working with clients and must therefore be able to communicate properly as this protects both the company’s reputation and also the professionalism of the company itself. This will also help the message to be passed on to the client properly and will motivate the clients to come up with the best promotional material that they can.
· Having the ability to prioritize tasks as well as multitasking - Account executives are given plenty of tasks they must complete for many different clients. It is highly important for them to know how to prioritize so everything can be completed on time and in the most effective way. This will

also consist of the account executive needing to multi task meaning more then one task will need to be completed at a time giving them a reasonable amount of time to work on the larger tasks.
· Have a good understanding of Business processes - An account executive must have full understanding of business process, as they are the link between the business and their clients, they therefore must be aware of the businesses process in order to give valid advice and information out to individuals requiring it.
· Being organized - Account executives are given an extremely large amount of tasks that need to be completed each day meaning organization is highly important. This usually consists of more then one client is being taken care of so therefore ensuing no work is mixed up is part of being organized.
· Taking on task independently- Account executives handle the day to day conversation and meets with clients regularly, therefore they must be able to handle tasks independently because they would have the most knowledge on the clients and their tasks.
· Working well as a team.
Companies also look for attributes such as:

• ·  Having a keen eye for detail and an understanding of budgets restraints.
  
• ·  The confidence in themselves and give the client trusts in the work.
  
• ·  Having the ability to use digital platforms to create processes with technology.
  
• ·  Be able to work under pressure without showing the workload.
  
  
  
  
  M2 (U24): Explain how personal behaviours and attributes affect career development 
  opportunities with the media industry
  
  How personal behaviours and attributes affect career development opportunities within the media industry - explore current opportunities that exist, and impact on being successful in this role.
  Chosen Career to talk about: Account Executive
  An account executive is the bridge between the agency and the client, and are responsible for the ensuring the smooth running of client accounts. Furthermore, they also have to develop a good working relationship with the client, so that they don’t leave that particular agency. They need to prove to them that they are worthy of managing their accounts. This can be done by them proving to them their attributes as well as their behaviour.
  When becoming an Account Executive, it is important to have some personal attributes that can affect the development within their career in the media industry meaning that they can progress onto bigger things. Employees will look for certain skills such as problem-solving and communication. This is because you need these attributes when single-handedly dealing with customer accounts, as they are relying on you to help them, making it your responsibility.
  Communication is important because clients expect to be satisfied that they trust the word of the account executive when they provide them with information on their funds. For example, say the client is paying £10,000 for an advert to be created for them, they will want proof and confirmation from the account exec that this will be possible or feasible, as well as proof that they only have used that much. Being loyal to the client will help the account exec develop further in their career because they will be able to get promoted to a higher position such as an account manager. Although what you can bring to the table is very important, how you behave is just as important when being an Account Executive. Being on your best behaviour is extremely important because you know represent your company to your clients, this means your behaviour may reflect the overall professionalism of the company. In a job role that requires for etiquette it may be a struggle to develop your career if your representing your company the wrong way with your behaviour, not only may this reduce your chances of being promoted, but it could also cost you your clients, if they do not believe you are trust worthy of managing their accounts due to the behaviour that you display, this will ruin any opportunity of developing your career and relationship with your clients.
  

This opportunity exists to those account executives that have worked well in their role and proven that they can take the step up to obtain more important job in which they need to make sure that the agency as a whole is meeting the needs of the client. The reason that all of this needs to be completed is because you should want to keep your customers happy in that sense otherwise they might decide to switch to a different agency, which could give the one that you work for a bad reputation, and you specifically. This is why all work needs to be completed on time otherwise it will affect your ability to progress in the industry.
When working as an account exec or in any role within this industry your attitude and behaviour can affect your chances of developing your career. For example, if you can show that you are dedicated towards what your job role is, and you complete tasks to the best of your ability then it is more likely that your career will develop a lot quicker due to anyone who is superior to you in the agency being happy with your work.
There are certain roles that being an account executive lead you onto which will help them improve their career. For example, you could go onto become an Account Director before then going on to progress into agency management roles. These promotions can happen as a result of delivering excellent work for the client, managing effective relationships both externally and internally, finding new business, and showing passion for the role.

An account executive is the bridge between the company and the clients, therefor they're behaviour is extremely important as they represent how the rest of the company behaves. The account executive's should present attributes and behaviours such as being a good listener, as the clients are putting their trust in them and their company, it is important for them to know that they are being listed to so nothing is misunderstood. Being polite is another extremly important behaviour to maintain, as these clients are the account executives customers and customers should only be treated with politeness. It can also be useful for the account executive to be in some way entertaining as these clients would be spending a lot of time with them, they don't have to be on their best behaviour and only speak about business, however they should obviously keep it appropriate. Another behaviour that is good to show your clients you have as an account executive is being caring. This is a great behaviour to show your clients as this will reassure them that their accounts are in safe hands and that you are trustworthy which will ensure that they will remain clients of the company.




THEN: Look at current job roles advertised for an account executive. Google this: role for an account executive in advertising.
Screenshot  two different jobs that are on offer and briefly explain how the attributes and behaviours oyu explained up there ^^^ will help with developing in the role. 

 This job role would be a great offer for someone looking to be an account executive with the behaviours and attributes that where spoken of above. Being polite and caring are behaviours that would take an account executive a long way. This is because that these behaviours will create a great relationship between the account executive and clients which will not only allow the account executive to keep their clients, but also to gain new clients and develop their role in the business.

This job role is also fitting to account executives with the behaviours and attributes spoken of above. This company tries to make it easier for advertising brands to reach their target audience, which means they would have very specific demands. Therefor being a good listener is a very important behaviour that would not only help the account executive portray themselves as a good employee, but it would actually take them a long way in developing their career as they will be able to do everything their clients ask them of. Caring is another key behaviour that would help an account executive develop their career with this company, as there are very specific details that the account executives need to take of therefor it is important to show their clients that they care about these details. These behaviours will allow the account executive to be successful with their clients, gain new clients and develop their role as an account executive.