Katherine, Account Supervisor at VaynerMedia: Advize Career Interview

Dive into the world of account management with insights from Katherine, an Account Supervisor at VaynerMedia!

From a multifaceted academic background at Chapman University, enriched with strategic communication, entrepreneurship, and extracurriculars, to leading major accounts like Visa and Old Navy, a career path demonstrates the value of diverse experiences.

The role involves being a crucial liaison between the agency and clients, managing internal teams, and proactively optimizing client businesses.

A typical day is packed with meetings, reviewing deliverables, and strategic email communication.

Soft skills like strategic thinking, interpersonal communication, and emotional intelligence are deemed essential, allowing one to navigate the dynamic balance between high-level strategy and detailed execution.

The industry's blend of creativity and strategy, coupled with the opportunity to shape culture through impactful campaigns, makes this career exciting.

Proactive curiosity and adaptability are vital for thriving in the fast-paced advertising landscape. The work involves more than just deliverables; reading the room, managing personalities, and building genuine relationships are critical.

Entry-level positions such as assistant account executive or account coordinator can be a great start, with a key lesson learned emphasizing the lasting impact of positive interactions.

Exploring various opportunities in college, rather than specializing too early, can pave the way for success in this multifaceted role.

Advizer Information

Name

Job Title

Company

Undergrad

Grad Programs

Majors

Industries

Job Functions

Traits

Katherine Khaloo

Account Supervisor

VaynerMedia

Chapman University

M.S. Health and Strategic Communication at Chapman University

Communications, Political Science, American Studies

Advertising, Communications & Marketing

Sales and Client Management

Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Greek Life Member, First Generation College Student

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Career Path Of An Account Executive At VaynerMedia

Katherine, now an Account Supervisor at VaynerMedia, pursued a multifaceted academic path at Chapman University, initially as a first-generation political science major before adding strategic and corporate communication and entrepreneurship, complementing their studies with extracurriculars like Greek life and I Am That Girl and various internships and freelance experiences, "primarily with small businesses and startups." After earning an MS in health and strategic communication at Chapman, teaching undergraduate courses, and interning at Edelman, Katherine worked briefly at Belkin before joining VaynerMedia as an account executive and working on accounts like Visa and Old Navy.

Career Path Of An Account Executive At VaynerMedia

Main Responsibilities of an Account Supervisor at VaynerMedia

As an Account Supervisor at VaynerMedia, Katherine primarily acts as a "liaison between [the] agency and [their] clients," managing communication and leading internal teams across various functions such as media analytics and creative production to satisfy client needs. A key responsibility is also proactively seeking opportunities to optimize client businesses and goals within the scope of their work.

Main Responsibilities of an Account Supervisor at VaynerMedia

A Day In The Life Of An Account Supervisor At VaynerMedia

As an Account Supervisor at VaynerMedia, a day is full of meetings engaging with both internal teams and external clients; Katherine emphasized seeing "lots of meetings" while reviewing deliverables such as social media assets and reports. A typical day also includes writing and sending a high volume of emails.

A Day In The Life Of An Account Supervisor At VaynerMedia

Most Important Skills For An Account Supervisor At VaynerMedia

Katherine, an Account Supervisor at VaynerMedia, believes that while both hard and soft skills are needed, soft skills are "especially, especially crucial" for success in this role, particularly skills like business writing, strategic thinking, interpersonal communication, problem-solving, public speaking, and being detail-oriented, all of which are skills that ideally should be developed before starting in the position. Account Supervisors interact with both internal and external stakeholders daily, and that's why those skills are considered important.

Most Important Skills For An Account Supervisor At VaynerMedia

Favorite Parts of Being an Account Supervisor at VaynerMedia

Katherine enjoys being an Account Supervisor at VaynerMedia because the role allows involvement in "every part of the process," from analytics to creative, fulfilling an initial curiosity about strategy while working with impressive Fortune 500 companies. Ultimately, the role provides Katherine a sense of privilege to have a hand in many pies.

Favorite Parts of Being an Account Supervisor at VaynerMedia

Biggest Challenges Faced By An Account Supervisor At VaynerMedia

Katherine, an Account Supervisor at VaynerMedia, finds the biggest challenge to be balancing "the high level strategic thinking" with the day-to-day management and execution required of the role, as Account Supervisors must guide the overall direction of campaigns while also being "really deep in the details" reviewing decks and managing client feedback. Ultimately, the role demands the ability to "zoom in when needed and zoom out when needed as well."

Biggest Challenges Faced By An Account Supervisor At VaynerMedia

Favorite Parts Of Working In The Advertising Industry As An Account Supervisor

Katherine enjoys the blend of "creativity and strategy" in advertising, proactively engaging in it daily. The most rewarding aspect is being part of the process where "big culture shaping ideas are built from...real human insights" and then seeing how a campaign resonates with people in the real world.

Favorite Parts Of Working In The Advertising Industry As An Account Supervisor

What Type Of Person Thrives In The Advertising Industry According To An Account Supervisor At VaynerMedia

Katherine believes that individuals who thrive in the fast-paced advertising industry, particularly with its focus on social media, are "proactively curious" and able to keep up with the constant changes in social trends and culture, while also employing strategic thinking. It's almost "like a game" to discover what resonates with audiences amidst the saturation of brands and social content.

What Type Of Person Thrives In The Advertising Industry According To An Account Supervisor At VaynerMedia

What An Account Supervisor At VaynerMedia Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Advertising Industry

Katherine, an Account Supervisor at VaynerMedia, wishes someone had told them how "emotional the work would be," highlighting that the role requires much more than just hard skills and deliverables, but also "reading the room, managing personalities, staying calm under pressure." In client services, emotional intelligence is critical to being a "relationship builder" and "translating between teams" in the fast-paced environment.

What An Account Supervisor At VaynerMedia Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Advertising Industry

Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Account Supervisors At VaynerMedia

For entry-level positions in the account management field, Katherine suggests looking for titles such as "assistant account executive," "account executive," or "account coordinator," while emphasizing the importance of carefully reading job descriptions due to varying nomenclature across companies; roles within the "account department" or "client services" are also relevant for those interested in a similar career path.

Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Account Supervisors At VaynerMedia

Significant Career Lesson from an Account Supervisor at VaynerMedia

As an Account Supervisor at VaynerMedia, Katherine learned that people may not remember specific deliverables, but "they always kind of remember how you made them feel;" therefore, making it a point to ensure everyone feels heard and supported has shaped how Katherine approaches every interaction with team members and clients alike because "emotional connections matter just as much, if not more than deliverables."

Significant Career Lesson from an Account Supervisor at VaynerMedia

College Experiences That Helped an Account Supervisor at VaynerMedia Succeed

Katherine believes that keeping busy in college by exploring various extracurriculars, internships, and freelance opportunities was crucial for career success, because it allowed for exposure to different aspects of marketing and network building. As a result, they are glad that they "tried different things" instead of specializing too early, which ultimately helped them land in their current role as an Account Supervisor.

College Experiences That Helped an Account Supervisor at VaynerMedia Succeed

Advizer Personal Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinekhaloo/