Rosalind E.

Account Executive
Happy to mentor
Happy to be contacted

About me

Rosalind E.
History of Art
History of Art
Taught Postgraduate
Wentworth
2016
United Kingdom

My employment

Account Executive
Monkhouse Food & Drink
United Kingdom
Advertising, marketing and PR
2016

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A day in the life of a Account Executive in the United Kingdom

How I looked for work

Linkedin; Guardian Jobs; Indeed and through recruitment agencies.

How I found out about the job

Recruitment agency

The recruitment process

I submitted my CV and was required to write a press release from a brief provide. I was then invited to an initial interview where I was asked about my skills and why I wanted to join the company. I was asked to do three further writing tasks in my own time, and was invited for a second interview where I also did a timed writing task. I was given feedback on these when I was offered the job.

My career goals when I graduated

To join a creative, reputable business - ideally a leader in its' field.

My career history

Marketing and communications internship at the National Trust - six month internship. I did this for four days a week in the final term of my MA.
Digital Marketing Executive - six month internship.

What has helped my career to progress

Being driven and committed to my role - willing to give all the time it takes to complete tasks. Building relationships and trust with clients, media, and colleagues. These were the key reasons for which I was promoted.

How my studies have helped my career

I've maintained the same level of commitment I gave to achieve my Master's. My drive and work ethic has been noted by my colleagues. I developed the ability to research and concisely present my findings - skills I now use everyday.

Where I hope to be in 5 years

At Account Manager level - developing branding and marketing campaigns.

My advice to students considering work

Internships are so useful because they give you an idea of how to work in a team, and what is expected of you within a role - including completing multiple tasks to tight deadlines.
Don't be afraid to communicate your skills. Everything you do at university can be applied to the working world. From joining the netball team - shows teamwork! - to giving presentations and working all hours - shows communication skills, commitment and drive.

What I do

I work at a PR agency specialising in the food and drink sector. I work as part of a team of seven, supporting two Account Directors. We deliver business development focused brand communication, PR, media, events and sponsorship. I work directly with a broad range of clients including SME producers, established brands and major UK and European food and drink trade shows. I am primarily responsible for copywriting - including press releases, publication features and website content - securing consumer and trade coverage. I also manage client social media accounts.

Skills I use and how I developed them

A large part of my role involves researching and writing original, conscience and thought leading content for different platforms and published outlets - skills I developed throughout my studies when planning and writing essays. I have had additional on-the-job training in writing targeted, newsworthy stories for publication.
Proofreading skills are also essential - I work in a small team and we always read through each other's work. Reading through essays certainly taught me how to proofread. Ideally, it's best to go away from a final draft and come back to it once more before submission.
We are regularly required to present and develop original and creative campaign ideas for clients. Developing original, well-informed content was crucial at university, especially for my MA dissertation. While I am now required to do this quickly and more often, I developed these fundamental skills when planning for essays and my dissertation.
Communication: I am often required to present ideas, both internally to the team and to clients, and I speak to journalists everyday, selling in stories and building relationships. Information needs to be conscience, well-informed and clear and you need to be able to answer questions. Presentations at university massively helped my confidence and communication skills.

What I like most

I am constantly provided with opportunities to put across ideas and think creatively.
It's great being able to gain and build relationships with media and clients and I enjoy generating coverage and being a part of the client's development.
I love the variety of the role - from writing about food trends, to speaking to journalists; social media and inputting ideas for pitches.
Being at the forefront of the food and drink industry is very exciting. I love meeting key industry figures - learning from them is an invaluable experience.

Next steps...

If you like the look of Rosalind’s profile, the next steps are down to you! You can send Rosalind a message to find out more about their career journey. If you feel you would benefit from more in-depth conversations, ask Rosalind to be your mentor.

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