My First Taste of the Real World
During my sophomore year of college, I was extremely eager to gain relevant experience, so after my first social media internship, I decided to pursue account management roles. I was able to land a sweet position at Common Ground Management, LCC, a boutique business consulting company for local entrepreneurs.
My interview was pretty simple. My former boss simply told me what I'd be doing and asked when I could start, and boom. I was an account manager. Truthfully, I had a vague idea of what it was like being an account manager because that was my role when I participated in Allotrope. However, I wasn't prepared for this ride I was about to enter. Here are some things I learned at my seven months as an account manager.
1. You don't know ANYTHING until you've actually experienced it
So as you've gathered, I had literally no clue what I was doing, but I was super eager to try and learn. I remember one of the most nerve-wracking moments when I first started my position was a face-to-face client meeting with a prospective client interested in our branding and web services. I was so nervous and I just wasn't sure how to even prepare for this meeting. Thankfully, my boss was so helpful and was able to assist me during this meeting, while also letting me take the lead occasionally.
After this moment, I felt such a sigh of relief, because 1. the meeting went AMAZING and 2. the hardest part is over, and it only gets easier from here.
By the time I was finishing up at CGM, I became a master at talking to clients, understanding the do's and don't's and really getting the hang of managing clients in a professional setting.
2. Organization is absolutely KEY
I always considered myself a pretty organized person. BUT, when I became an account manager, this was a skill that was so crucial just to maintain my own sanity. At one point, I was managing 12 clients, all with different needs, all by myself. Thankfully, this was a few months in when I was getting the hang of things, but still. It was not an easy time.
One of my saving grace's was Trello. An excellent project management platform that I still use to this day for Allotrope. Finding little tools that will make your days easier and keep you organized is the ultimate way to finesse at your job and keep your clients and your boss happy.
3. It's not all about work, take time for yourself
I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into entering the actual work-world. Up to this point, I was used to working part-time jobs at home so when I entered the 9 to 5 life, it hit hard. I know I'm not the only person who has gone through this culture shock, but I just did not expect that working 9 to 5, Monday through Friday would drain me physically, emotionally, and mentally.
At times, I would let myself get so stressed out over my work to the point where it was unhealthy. I had a chat with my boss about my stress and how I felt like I couldn't handle the work-load anymore. He gave me great advice and advised me to not let myself drown in my work. Although this sounds super obvious, this was the advice I needed to remind myself that the work will always be there, and I just need to learn to take a break, walk away, and come back.
Being an account manager at CGM is a time in my life that I will never because I learned so many skills that have made me who I am today as a professional. I am so grateful to have been able to experience this while being in college, so I could learn and continue to thrive.
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