LevLane Account Manager, Eric Spector began as a Public Relations Intern and has feverishly worked his way up in the company. His dream job at to be a Disney Imagineer, but for the time being, he spends his days in Philadelphia serving as a link between LevLane and its clients to make sure all projects are completed on time, are on budget and exceed the client’s goals. When he isn’t at work, he can be found biking, running or exploring the city through OpenTable. Read below for my Q&A with Eric.
What attracted you to a career in advertising and communication?
The pace of the work, the variety of clients, and the industry where design intersects business – there are a ton of smart people solving problems that ultimately help others achieve their goals.
While there is never a “typical day” in any communications job, what are some routine tasks you do weekly?
As you said, every day is different. But each week, I’m guaranteed to have several client calls to review project status, production and finance meetings with our internal team, creative brainstorms and ideation sessions all in addition to initiating project requests and reviewing each creative execution throughout the creative development process.
What attracted you to apply to LevLane’s internship program?
The work/life balance, family-like culture, long-tenured relationship with their clients, and professional development opportunities all stood out in my initial informational interviews at LevLane. I looked for internships with the long-term in mind. Fulltime employment was the ultimate goal. I wanted to find somewhere that challenged me, but also somewhere I knew I would be happy starting my career.
What’s the culture like at work?
The culture at LevLane is exactly what attracted me to an internship +3 years ago; a family-centric environment with a reasonable work-life balance and client-centric work ethic makes going to work enjoyable. There is a new challenge every day, with endless opportunities to learn. The fast-pace environment and great people sum it up.
What is one of your biggest challenges in your role, and how have you or are you working to overcome it?
Managing internal and external expectations is something learned through experience. Ensuring all parties are on the same page requires timely and efficient communication and the method and frequency of communication varies by colleague, client and vendor.
How was the transition from working in public relations to account management been? What has been the biggest learning curve?
The biggest transition for me was a welcomed one – it was the need and ability to think more broadly in terms of marketing and advertising tactics when problem solving. While working in PR, I became very specialized in the tools and tactics I had at my disposal. Being able to work more strategically across platforms, channels and departments to satisfy a client request certainly took some learning. The unpredictability of what the day may bring was also a bit of a change that still keeps me on my toes.
What is one thing you wish you knew when you were looking for jobs?
Interview wherever you can as often as you can because when the right opportunity comes around you want to be practiced. Also, establishing connections, even if the opportunity isn’t right, will serve you well in the future.
What is your favorite form of social media personally and why?
Instagram. The range from friend’s photos to sports highlights and recipes to quality design gives the platform variety of content that is both valuable and entertaining
This blog post was written by PRowl Secretary Shaun Luberski. You can connect with her on LinkedIn here and follow her on Twitter here.
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