The employment of individuals in marketing is expected to grow by 12 percent by the year 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is due to the ever-increasing competition of businesses on a global and domestic scale. As the link between business and customer, marketing account executives play an important role in this growth. Several skills and qualifications make a marketing account executive able to perform her duties effectively.
Skills
A marketing account executive must have outstanding communication skills and be good at building relationships. They need the ability to think quickly and analytical skills to identify a business's appropriate market. Such individuals must be well organized. Although marketing is a business sector, much creativity and competition is required of a marketing account executive.
Education
A marketing account executive is usually required to have a bachelor's degree in marketing from an accredited university. However, some companies allow a business degree with a concentration in marketing or another related degree, such as advertising, with a minor is marketing. Depending upon the company, a master's degree may even be required. Also, having done an internship while in school will be advantageous to a recent college graduate.
Qualifications
Although some form of degree is required, companies are more likely to hone in on personal qualifications of a potential marketing account executive. At a minimum, a marketing account executive should have experience with productivity software, such as Microsoft Word and Excel; have a proven track record of sales and an ability to build business relationships; and demonstrated communication skills, both written and oral.
Duties
A marketing account executive is in charge of building relationships with other people and businesses that best fit the company. In turn, they make sales with these contacts, developing accounts with them. They also analyze the entire market, based on whichever services and products their company offers, and makes recommendations to management. If the company does advertising, the marketing account executive will likely have a role in the campaign. They may even aid a marketing manager in the development of products, prices and types of services offered.
Working Conditions
A marketing account executive's work will be done both indoors and outdoors. Office work and collaborations with other members of the team are done at the job site, while new contacts are made outside of the workplace. Although some contacts are made by phone, new accounts are more effectively developed in person. In some cases, more extensive travel may be required to conferences and promotional events.
Marketing account executives tend to work long hours every week, which sometimes extend into the weekends and evenings. The average marketing professional works over 40 hours a week, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Being a marketing account executive can also be stressful and competitive work.
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