Trying To Move On Up

I'm not sure if this is accurate, but I would like to move on from being a Junior Account Planner to being just an Account Planner because I would like more focus.

Well, actually, I don't know what the typical Junior AP does - that's a lot of the reason I started this blog - and I think I've had some pretty spectacular experiences, but I'm ready for some consistency.

My job is a lot of hopping on anything and everything that needs to get done. I have touched all of the brands in my agency at least once (that's a lot of brands!) and also helped on about 4 new business pitches. But I always do a one-off project then leave the brand for a while, come back to do something new then get pulled away again - I never really get to know the consumer on any one brand and it's starting to hurt my work. I know that people think about how I have worked on a brand before so should be able to have some pretty good input, but I just get so disconnected in between times.

So I attended some focus groups about a month ago on one of our brands and then had some more this week. In between that space of time, I didn't continue to work on that one brand and really keep my mind set on it, I worked on probably 7-10 other brands. I wasn't very fresh returning to this brand and it really took some looking back to bring up what we were working on again. The fact that most of the time during the focus group I have my mind on other things because I'm running the show on the back end doesn't help this at all.

I'm supposed to be transitioning to my client but work seems sparse right now. I think it's because we're in a production cycle...this kind of worries me too because it may very well be that I start getting projects but since all of the brands seem to be on the same timeline it will all come in at once - yikes. Also, I'm so busy with all of my running projects that I can't get into learning any of my brands. This is a conundrum - I want to show that I can handle projects but my attention is much too divided.

Well, they've got me working on a few non-profit clients as the lead planner and perhaps that's a good place to get good experience and perhaps even shine.

Maybe if I could get a balanced and healthy plate rather than always visiting the buffet I would be a lean, mean, planner machine. :p

How To Have Fun At Your Job

Well obviously I just wrote a post about some fun things at my job...but it really made me think of more. I mean, I continue to be amazed by this industry!

First I thought about how a lot of Account Planning is telling stories. It's about listening to people, looking into the wide universe of information out there, and boiling it all down into something that is manageable but also interesting. I think that's why blogging fits so well with Account Planning - or at least one of the reasons.

Another reason is to just share information. New ideas and ways of thinking are essential - you can't know what other people are doing and feeling unless you try to experience some of the same things. And no one life is going to expose you to everything that everyone else experiences so you need to go out and try different things. That's why when students and advertising hopefuls come in to talk to us, we talk about picking up magazines that you would never personally read, watching movies that are somewhat out of your realm, doing anything culturally that can give you a different perspective.

But really, this all benefits you as a person as well. I mean, you are looking at a wide range of movies, music, cultures, ways of thinking, ideas - this expands your horizons and even makes you strive for more. You will be limitless, you'll never go stale, and that will help you in your career as well as just make you a very interesting person.

I also like that I will get to travel with my job. Some of it - the long hours, worrying about screwed up flight schedules, and bad food options - is not as desirable but think of the opportunities. You will visit places that you otherwise may never have had the chance. This continues to expand your mind but it's also just fun! Swanky hotels, cool destinations, good food in new places, and all to talk to new people. How exciting does that life sound?

I've tried to show a little of both sides of the industry and then throw in the human element - my life. You don't just do your job, you live your life. It has its ups and downs but again that's real (coming around to the end of the last post, keeping with the theme). I just see how this job will benefit me as a person as well as being pretty darn interesting. What fun!!

"Planners Who Do"

Ahh, blogging. I have so many ideas for my blog during the day when I seriously don't have time to blog and then my hopes and dreams fall short in the evenings when I don't give the time to blog for various excuses.

However, where is the happy medium of blogging and living a life worth blogging about? Another planner and I were recently discussing such a phenomenon among planning bloggers who do a magnificent job of keeping up with other planners' blogs, trends, news, cool stuff, and their own blogs...but at what cost?

At first I was really envious of a few blogs I have seen. My blog is a mesh of real life and planning, as I set it up that way, and I was considering moving it to a pure planning focus. However, after thinking it over for a bit I have decided that I don't need to be a blogger so much as a planner. And if this blog ends up being a form of expression then I think it will serve me more as a planner and a person.

So those "planners who do" are doing a wonderful job and I will just absorb what they say and then move on...

Blog Name

Okay, I really should be getting to bed but I want to get in one last blog post for the night.

I briefly wanted to discuss my blog name. I was trying to pick out something that defined me alone and didn't have to do with things I think are fun but I have attached to someone else. For example, something about loving your face would have been appropriate as I use that as a term of endearment...but only for a few select friends. ;) So I started to think about just me (and really that's what this blog is about - me working through my life) and came up with dancing and my astrological sign. I think these two things define me, and they're pretty fun together too. I have a horoscope thing on my Facebook that is sometimes alarmingly dead-on...I like it! And the picture I was going to put up tonight showcases a little booty shakin' but it didn't work for some reason. I will have to work on that next time.

Well hopefully I will get to do this same thing tomorrow evening - once the first surge of posts comes through I can try to focus on a more day by day approach. I'm liking the experience so far. :)

Times of Excitement

Here we go, my first blog post...

I have been thinking about blogging for a while for multiple reasons - I'm in advertising, I'm in Account Planning, I like to have a place to write down my thoughts, and it's something a lot of people do (keep up with the times kind of thing). But I also am terrible at consistently updating any kind of journal so I have a feeling my blog will be neglected from time to time. It always helps to get your thoughts down on paper, though, so here we go.

I'm at a very exciting time in my life right now and believe that I have a lot that I would like to remember. I'm looking at this blog for writing about my new job, move to a new city, and advertising/Account Planning things that I know I will want to reflect back on. I'm sure some things will be terribly specific and may make no sense to those outside of advertising but could be interesting nonetheless.

I will have to reflect on the past month when this crazy adventure started at another time. I just wanted to put one specific instance down in writing.

The other day I was invited to a high level meeting involving the media people from New York and Canada. I went to see my fellow planner in action presenting the research findings and strategy directions so that media points could be brainstormed. Then I got to see a presentation of creative ideas and ended with being a part of the media brainstorm. It was so awesome to be a part of this meeting as I am just starting out here and you wouldn't normally get to be a part of this type of meeting until you're a senior level.

Anywho, my proudest moment during the meeting was when I was working out in my head if a certain strategic platform would resonate with the target. It was a little off so I thought of how it could be tweaked to better represent the kind of woman we were trying to talk to. A couple of minutes after I got it, the exact same thing that had popped in my head was said out loud by the leader of the meeting.

Now some would say, "you should have said it and gotten credit for it!", but that's not the point. My proud moment was that it had all clicked. That I had reasoned through a situation to come up with a target-driven solution, and one that a higher level person had also deduced, just made me smile inside. It told me that everything that I have learned so far in school is clicking and really working to my advantage in my job.

And it was once again telling about how much I feel this fits and how much I love my job! This is a great feeling. After completing undergrad and grad work in advertising, I'm glad to finally see all that work in action and to get to be a part of it (New York, New York). ;)


So further entries will be in this vein and also talking about my move. I'm kind of excited. I will not try to force myself to constantly update but I'm glad that I have a place to share.


Signing out...