We provide you an online guide on how to get an account executive job. Valuable tips and tricks are explained in this article.

How to Get an Account Executive Job: Tips & Tricks

An account executive can be described as a salesperson. They create a link between organizations and their clients and search for new customers while enhancing relationships with existing ones. They possess exceptional communication skills and conduct sale deals on their own.

Account executives mostly work in marketing, advertising, and sales firms to handle customer acquisition and development. Their skillset includes exceptional customer service, in-depth market research, and an effective business strategy.

According to Glassdoor, an account executive’s average annual salary in the United States is $60,260. That establishes the financial viability of choosing an account executive job as a profession.

This article will target how to become an account executive, its prerequisites, and how to find an account executive job in detail. So, sit tight.

What do account executives do?

• Get in touch with potential customers: After salespersons evaluate potential leads, account executives get in touch with potential customers by email, through telephone or video sessions, or by conducting an in-person interview or meeting.
• Devise solutions for customer issues: To support deals, account executives frequently create customized solutions to solve specific client’s needs. For this role, you may need to utilize your business prowess to make arrangements that you can offer to customers while still generating profits and meeting development targets.
• Foster connections: Mostly, account executives give importance to building long-term relations with customers. To build relationships that assist you in meeting your business objectives, you may need to speak with customers consistently and endeavor to surpass their expectations.
• Set objectives and make action strategies: Account executives may set their objectives and create action strategies (set up sales allocations and work on persuasive techniques) with their manager’s assistance.
• Oversee sales groups: account executives in many firms are also required to manage multiple salespersons. In this job, they may meet with colleagues to analyze progress or offer their assistance to enhance performance.
• 

Prerequisites of Account Executive

As a reasonably technical profession, there are some prerequisites to start a career as an account executive.

A bachelor’s degree

Account executive job opportunities mostly necessitate the candidates to have a bachelor’s degree that provides thorough sales, communication, business, and marketing knowledge. The most common degrees for account executive jobs include:

1.      Marketing

 Bachelor of Science in Marketing provides you in-depth knowledge of customer attitudes, sale strategies, market research, and business essentials. Graduates are expected to have mastered skills ranging from brand management and advertising to business development and copywriting upon completing the degree. These skills are crucial for account executive jobs.

2.      Business Administration

A Bachelor of Business Administration degree will equip you with the fundamentals of business management, enabling you to apply those fundamentals to real-life situations. These principles go a long way in ensuring your success as an account executive.

3.      Communications

The most important skill to have to be a successful account executive is to know how to convey your message clearly, professionally, and ethically. A degree in Bachelor of Arts in Communications will teach you these skills with a focus on marketing, media, and advertising.

Training and practical experience

A mere college degree is not enough to get an account executive position, as real knowledge lies in training and practical experience. Before targeting the account executive job, one should learn the fundamentals of customer service and sales from entry-level jobs.

The positions of market research analyst, customer support representative, and sales representative teach you valuable skills like assessing market conditions, forecasting sales trends, looking for new potential customers, building relationships with existing ones, designing customized product packages, catering to customer queries, and giving information about services and products.

All these skills are prerequisites for the account executive job.

Certification

Although getting certifications is not a requirement for an account executive position, these will enhance your skills and make you stand out from the crowd. There are various national and international organizations offering certifications for professional sales leaders.

Important Skills

Not everyone is equipped to do the work of an account executive; it requires individuals to possess a certain skill set to be successful. Those skills include

1.      Communication skills

First and foremost, outstanding communication skills are necessary to thrive as an account executive. Account executives are required to communicate with clients via phone, email, or in-person. They must convey their message clearly and contribute to sales growth and development.

2.      Data organization skills

Like most of the jobs, account executives must know the basics of word processing and spreadsheets software. Their daily job includes dealing with word processing and creating spreadsheets.

3.      Presentation skills

Part of communicating effectively is the skill of presentation. Account executives need to share concepts and outcomes with customers and stakeholders, using their excellent presentation skills. They need to know about creating slideshow presentations.

4.      Sales skills

Account executives are paid big bucks because they know how to sell products and services to customers. If you want to pursue your career as an account executive, you need to have remarkable sales skills.

How to get an account executive job

Now that you know what account executives are, their duties, and the necessary skills required for this role. It’s time to focus on how to get a job as an account executive.

Actively look for job opportunities

Firms in marketing, sales, and advertising businesses require account executives. You need to do online research and make a list of organizations from these sectors in your target area. Continue visiting their websites in case any job opportunity becomes available. Find and bookmark websites that maintain a database of all job opportunities regarding account executives. Brush-up your LinkedIn and start actively looking for job opportunities.

Personalize your resume

If you are looking to apply for an account executive job, it is most likely that you already have your resume. Most people make a general resume, list all their skills and experiences in it, and forward it to every firm looking for account executives.

But every firm is unique and requires account executives to have different backgrounds and skills. You need to personalize your resume according to the requirements of each organization.

Create an engaging cover letter

A cover letter is your chance to communicate to the employer why you are the right person for the job. Act like you are selling yourself and tell the potential employer why they should buy you. Include your passion for working as an account executive and your motivation behind this.

State the mission of the company and connect your passion with the business activities of the company. Write down the benefits of hiring you and how you would add value and boost the company’s sales. Narrate how you are best for each other.

Have a look at an account executive cover letter to clearly understand how to craft a compelling and engaging cover letter.

Prepare for the interview

Most applicants for account executive positions have prior knowledge and experience with interviews. Most of them have been working for years as sales representatives, customer support representatives, or marketing agents.

Interviews are not necessarily overwhelming for them as they showcase their communication and technical skills effectively in their daily routines. In case you lack these skills, you need to start working on them right away.

The account executive is a prestigious career path offering decent financial benefits. It requires excellent communication and interpersonal skills, as the account executive’s primary job is to make sales and build relationships with clients. A relevant college degree, training, and practical experience are prerequisites for this position.

Data organization skills, sales skills, and presentation skills ensure that you will thrive as an account executive. Building a personalized resume, compelling cover letter, and exceptional interview skills will guide your way to find the best job opportunity.