by Edward Hughes, Client Service Director, BMF Australia & AdSchool Facilitator.
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Cast your mind back to your first years in your first-ever role.
If like mine, I’d wager there was no real induction or significant training.
Probably no formal qualification to be ‘an effective advertiser’.
“Here’s your laptop, there’s a WIP on Tuesdays, when you brief the studio talk to this person”.
Basically, get on with it, try to keep up.
Learn by osmosis.
You should eventually get it.
Since then, things have probably moved at lightning speed.
And as you’ve levelled up to ‘account manager’ or beyond, you’ll have grasped a lot of new things.
New processes, new lingo, new ways to think, new trends.
But do we ever really hit the pause button and soak it all in?
Or take the chance to zoom out and question what are we doing this in service of?
And most importantly, what do I need to do to reach those lofty personal goals I’ve buried somewhere deep in my head?
In our sprint culture to hit the next deadline, unfortunately the first thing we tend to relegate is the opportunity to learn and connect with our peers.
What this course offers is a chance to bring our heads above the parapet and make learning a real priority.
A brilliant opportunity to listen to new perspectives and broaden our focus.
Whilst importantly, adding some more professional rigour to our skillset.
So together, we can help accelerate your growth and get fired up about your path as a future leader.
Here’s what to expect:
Hearing from the best
The course offers eight valuable modules, each led by an insightful online lecture from a different industry leader.
From leadership and building client relationships, through to strategy, creative and finance, to mastering presentations; you’ll listen to an experienced specialist as they dive deeper into the core fundamentals and impart some amazing nuggets of information.
Don’t worry, it’s not all “do this, try this”. The most empowering part is often their humbling truths of how and where they’ve succeeded and failed.
Connecting with like-minded folk
This was one of my favourite components to witness.
Life as an account manager isn’t all rainbows and sunshine.
Sometimes it can feel like we’re defending missiles from all sides.
So each week offered an open forum for us to share: what are the most prevalent challenges we’re facing at work?
How to crack a tricky debrief, judge ideas, or navigate a tricky client.
It might even be your manager.
Or all the above.
What you find is, most of us are dealing with the same problems.
And that alone can feel very empowering.
Think of it as late Thursday work therapy, with your new best ‘industry friends’.
Some fun, I promise
Eight late, consecutive Thursdays in a row sounds incredibly taxing – and in some way, it is.
However, we keep the content insightful, light and mostly discussion based.
A chance to still kick back, unwind and unload (with a free snack and even a glass of wine, if that picks your fancy).
What you walk away with is more energy, knowledge, and clarity of how to overcome the professional challenges or goals ahead of you.
By the finish line
So, my second wager is (if you take this course):
You’ll feel more empowered to overcome your present challenges at work.
You’ll leave with more insight and tools of how to achieve your future goals, and really raise your game.
You’ll make at least one new industry friend that could benefit you in the future.
Above all, we’ll each have learnt from one another, challenged ourselves, and leave as more rounded and knowledgeable business leaders.
It’s why I love hosting this course and am excited to kick it off again in Sydney this Thursday.
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AdSchool’s eight-week Advanced Account Management course starts in Perth this Wednesday (17 April) and in Sydney, Melbourne and online on Thursday (18 April). It’s not too late to register – learn more and sign up here.
