There is increasing demand for staff within the agency sector due to a genuine shortage of experienced staff at all levels in an industry that is constantly growing and expanding.
While a strong and determined graduate, especially those with specific graduate and post graduate qualifications, will eventually find a position as a junior / trainee account executive with one of the agencies, it is at the level of senior account executive and account manager that the first major shortage peak occurs. This is due to a number of factors including employees taking the now almost obligatory world tour, as well as candidates having gained two to three years experience moving to another agency to gain broader experience, or even out of the industry entirely.
Additionally another peak in the shortage graph is with candidates with five or six years experience. These account managers are reaching a critical point in their career and are reassessing their options both within agency land and further afield. Those looking to stay in the industry are attracted by more senior roles in agencies and client side positions and have high salary expectations as this is the point in their lives where they are “settling down†having taken the world tour they are now looking at mortgages, pensions and perhaps even parenthood!
Continued shortages of good people will continue to drive salaries upwards, but candidates are showing a growing awareness of the realities of the market and are prepared to negotiate their salary, and are attracted by other benefits including flexible working hours, telecommuting / working from home, and the attraction of working with people with whom they get on, and being happy.
Tom Mc Walters - Prosperity.ie
Tags: account director, account executive, account manager, agency recruitment, agency sales