In my wife’s work world, she knows several people who have gone from the client side to the advertising account or sales side. In theory, these jobs look interchangeable—in practice, they’re not. The skills needed to succeed in one are not the same as in the other.
My wife explained:
A good client is less concerned about the details and more about the big picture.
A bad client, on the other hand, gets lost in the details and can’t see the big picture.
Once people go over to the account or vendor side, though, these personalities flip in terms of what makes them successful in their roles: the good is bad, the bad is good.
A good vendor or account person is more concerned about the details and less about the big picture. (Though they still care about that, too.)
A bad vendor or account person forgets or overlooks the details and is more focused on the big picture. (Which is important, but, again, not essential for their success.)
It’s easy to see these oppositions from the outside—but what about my own job? Are there skills suited or unsuited to my role? Is there a better role out there for me?
Taylor Coe 