Marketing, specifically account management

[W333]

Morning chaps. I hope all is well. Poor rant/plea for help enclosed below.

Due to imminent circumstances in my current employment, the timing for a career change could never be better. I'm a 23yr old Marketing graduate with 18 months account management experience in a sales environment, but I would like to get into account management for marketing firms, ideally with an agency. I'm not a creative but I have proven and referenced account management and business development experience that I think would work well alongside creative teams.

Unfortunately I am not getting much joy. Most of the recruitment firms are pushing me towards IT sales roles (been there, done that), and not helping me with my aims. In fact, so far they appear to have completely ignored what I have asked for. As a result, I am getting a bit demoralised. Asides from the BIG marketing firms I don't really know who to target, how to proceed and where I can get any advice. I'm looking in the SE/home counties area, or London.

Does anyone have any contacts or tips? I have approached a couple of marketing specific recruitment firms, but I'm reaching a bit of a brick wall.

Thanks for anything in advance, it really is much appreciated.

[W333]

Simond S said:

I think you are looking for the holy grail in a very difficult climate. You havent got a great track record behind you nor a client base that you can move with you. In short you are an expensive asset.

I'm not looking for the holy grail, what I want is a starting point - how did anyone who works in a marketing role ever get into a marketing role?

Simond S said:

Also, I read the "IT sales roles (been there, done that)" quote and thought "what a tt". Not a personal thing but you are 23, you havent been there and done that yet. There are sales guys on here who after 20 years selling still havent done it all.

Thanks for your positive thoughts. I started at the bottom, on £16k with OTE in an IT telesales firm (you would probably know them); utterly soul destroying, despite the fact that I met my targets.

I sympathise with the fact that you have spaces unfilled due to graduates not wanting to start at the bottom, but I can guarantee that I have no compunction with that. However, in the IT/telecoms sales sector what makes your company any different from the others? How do you generate business? How realistic is the OTE? What is the drop out rate of employees? There is no point pissing around in a sales firm in your sector trying to mop up the accounts in the database that nobody can crack into or wants to touch, all the decent accounts are usually taken or so tied up with their incumbent supplier that there is no point even ringing.