Alumna Chelsie French finds her account planning niche

With graduation just around the corner, many of us may be wondering: “What’s next?” Just last year, AdGrad alumna Chelsie French was in the same position. We recently spoke with her about her post-college success and how she secured her job in Account Planning at Barkley Integrated Advertising and Marketing Agency in Kansas City.

How did you end up in the University of Texas Advertising graduate program?

I knew it was one of the best advertising schools in the country, so when I was accepted to UT, it was a no brainer. I was going to be a Longhorn!

Before finishing the graduate program, did you know what you wanted to do next?

When I came to UT, I knew I wanted to be in the crazy world of advertising, but I had no idea where I would end up. I knew I didn’t have the creative eye of an art director, but I was hopeful I would find something that I was passionate about. I was very fortunate to discover my niche in the world of advertising within my first semester at UT.  I took Dr. Mike Mackert’s Account Planning course in the fall of 2010 and realized my passion laid in consumer behavior and creating campaigns driven by consumer insights. I spent the next year and a half focusing on taking classes and interacting with people that would help me become a successful account planner.

When did you begin looking for jobs?

I started to look for jobs five months before graduation. I made sure my resume, website and portfolio book were all completed during winter break. I did a lot of informational phone interviews in the beginning and sent my resume to as many people as I could.  That evolved into applying for internships or jobs that I would find through Career Services or LinkedIn. I was told I started searching too early, but I believe it is never too early to begin networking and pushing your resume, in a polite way of course!

How did you end up at Barkley?

I ended up at Barkley after a series of interviews. It was a multi-month process that began without an open position. They wanted to meet me and see what I was about and keep me in mind for any future roles that might come up. Lucky for me I felt Barkley was a great fit and something opened up in May when the Account Planning team was ready to add a junior member to the team.

Was relocating a stressful process for you or something you were considering beforehand?

I knew relocating was a strong possibility from the time I started my job search. It’s never easy to leave your hometown and family, but it was the right decision for me and I have no regrets

What does a normal day in account planning look like for you?

I used to ask everyone what their typical day looked like and now I understand why it is hard to answer! It’s true that every day is different. You never know when you’ll get pulled into a project or a new business pitch will arise. Typical responsibilities I have include Mintel monthly reporting, writing for Barkley’s Quick Service Restaurants blog, keeping up with consumer trends that could affect any of our clients along with competitor information and assisting with writing creative briefs. Occasionally I’ll help edit surveys or analyze survey results depending on what client projects we have going on.

Do you feel like UT prepared you for the 'real world' of agency life?

UT gave me the foundation I needed to jump into agency life, but nothing can prepare you for the curveballs advertising can throw at you.

Any advice for those of us beginning the job search process?

I have four tips:

1. Start early and let your passion shine through!

2. Prepare for all your interviews. Make sure you can explain every project that appears on your resume or in your portfolio book.

3. Do your homework. Know the company, key players and their clients. Being knowledgeable about their company goes a long way.

4. Keep a notebook of every person you reach out to and every job you apply for. It seems silly, but when you’ve applied for a dozens of jobs, it’s easy to forget things.