Job outlook for account directors in the United States

Account director job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

The projected account director job growth rate is 5% from 2018-2028.
About 23,800 new jobs for account directors are projected over the next decade.
Account director salaries have increased 12% for account directors in the last 5 years.
There are over 146,223 account directors currently employed in the United States.
There are 132,260 active account director job openings in the US.
The average account director salary is $114,728.

Are account director jobs in demand?

Yes, account director jobs are in demand. Account director demand is projected to grow 5% from 2018 to 2028.

Account Director job and salary trends over time

Compare the number of account director jobs and the average account director salary over time.

Account Director jobs over time

Account Director job growth rate over time

Year	# Of Jobs	% Of Population
2021	146,223	0.04%
2020	137,170	0.04%
2019	144,939	0.04%
2018	142,822	0.04%
2017	139,055	0.04%

Average account director salary over time

Account Director salary by year

Year	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate	% Change
2025	$114,728	$55.16	+4.5%
2024	$109,828	$52.80	+1.9%
2023	$107,729	$51.79	+2.6%
2022	$104,989	$50.48	+2.6%
2021	$102,300	$49.18	+3.6%

Top account director jobs near you

Account Director jobs by state

The map below shows you the number of account director job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where account directors earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Most common states for account directors

Rank	State	Population	# of Jobs	Employment/ 1000ppl
1	District of Columbia	693,972	396	57%
2	Minnesota	5,576,606	1,267	23%
3	Vermont	623,657	145	23%
4	Massachusetts	6,859,819	1,381	20%
5	Montana	1,050,493	208	20%
6	Alabama	4,874,747	930	19%
7	Oklahoma	3,930,864	749	19%
8	New Hampshire	1,342,795	261	19%
9	North Dakota	755,393	140	19%
10	Georgia	10,429,379	1,916	18%
11	Washington	7,405,743	1,369	18%
12	Louisiana	4,684,333	858	18%
13	Delaware	961,939	169	18%
14	Virginia	8,470,020	1,472	17%
15	Oregon	4,142,776	722	17%
16	Connecticut	3,588,184	625	17%
17	Mississippi	2,984,100	514	17%
18	North Carolina	10,273,419	1,686	16%
19	Arizona	7,016,270	1,097	16%
20	Maryland	6,052,177	971	16%

Most common cities for account directors

Rank	City	# of Jobs	Employment/ 1000ppl	Avg. Salary
1	Annapolis	5	13%	$108,282
2	Lansing	8	7%	$112,996
3	Boston	23	3%	$102,865
4	Atlanta	16	3%	$103,600
5	Little Rock	6	3%	$92,239
6	Tallahassee	6	3%	$86,995
7	San Francisco	17	2%	$126,795
8	Washington	11	2%	$104,354
9	Sacramento	8	2%	$126,170
10	Baton Rouge	5	2%	$89,221
11	Chicago	29	1%	$108,155
12	Denver	10	1%	$91,896
13	Detroit	7	1%	$113,464
14	Indianapolis	7	1%	$90,560
15	Seattle	7	1%	$112,914
16	Austin	6	1%	$107,227
17	New York	39	0%	$117,360
18	Los Angeles	17	0%	$116,582
19	Dallas	6	0%	$107,163

Account Director job outlook: Expert opinions

We spoke to account director professors and experts from several universities and companies to get their opinions on where the account director job market for recent graduates is heading and how young graduates entering the account director industry can be adequately prepared. Here are their thoughts.

Our panel of account director experts

Eric Bostwick Ph.D.

The University of West Florida

Todd Lee Goen

Christopher Newport University

Lucile Sabas

Andrews University

Herbert Fiester Ph.D.

Valdosta State University

Celeste Spier Ph.D.

University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Dr. Mark Owens Ph.D.

Penn State Behrend

Dr. Uric Dufrene

Indiana University Southeast

Giuliana Andreopoulos

William Paterson University

Wooyang Kim Ph.D.

Minnesota State University Moorhead

Geoff Kaufmann

University of Minnesota

Annemarie Franczyk

Buffalo State College

Jerri Lynn Kyle

Missouri State University

Christopher Sippel Ed.D.

The University of Findlay

Anthony DeFrancesco

Fordham University Gabelli School of Business

Laura Sansoni

University of Nebraska at Omaha

Jonathan Byers

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Dr. Tammy Leonard

University of Dallas

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.

Central Connecticut State University

Dr. Vallari Chandna

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Top account director jobs near you

Eric Bostwick Ph.D.

Professor of Accounting

The University of West Florida

Department of Accounting and Finance

What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Account Directors?

Eric Bostwick Ph.D.: Although the use of office productivity software has been important for a number of years, the importance of fluency with these types of programs has been heightened by our increased virtual interactions. In addition, the use of online collaboration tools has grown and will continue to grow. Thus, candidates will stand out when they demonstrate knowledge/skill (e.g., certification) with respect to basic collaborative productivity tools as well as specific technology commonly used in their career fields.

Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Account Directors?

Eric Bostwick Ph.D.: In a word, yes. The adjustments that both individuals and businesses have made during this time have shifted our expectations for life and work. For a generation of students who were already tech-natives, the shift to more technology-enabled interactions has reinforced the "click-to-do" mentality. And for non-tech-natives, the roll-out of intuitive, easy-to-use apps has overcome much of their resistance to these types of interactions. These shifts have affected everything from business meetings to family reunions and from buying lunch to meeting with your doctor. However, graduates will need to grow beyond being technology consumers. They must be able to effectively use technology to deliver a company's value proposition, especially in service-oriented fields such as accounting, finance, law, medicine, and consulting.

What soft skills should all Account Directors possess?

Eric Bostwick Ph.D.: Similar to the answer above, oral and written communication skills have been important for a number of years, but in our current environment, these skills have become much more important. Our ability to pick up on the context surrounding email messages is reduced since we have fewer in-person interactions, and even our virtual meetings eliminate much of the body language that we use--both consciously and unconsciously--to interpret what other people mean by what they say. Thus, candidates will stand out when they can clearly articulate their thoughts in both written form, via email or chat, and in oral form, via the ubiquitous "Brady Bunch" layout on their coworkers' computer screens.

What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Account Directors?

Todd Lee Goen

Instructor & Internship Director

Christopher Newport University

Department of Communication

What technical skills for an Account Director stand out to employers?

Todd Lee Goen: Technical skills are often industry and/or position specific. Applicants should highlight any technical skills related to the position advertisement and those that add value to the position/organization. Most importantly, requirements for technical skills change with time and technological advances. This means employers value workers capable of adapting to change and continually improving and acquiring new technical skills. Thus, it's usually more important to demonstrate you are capable of learning and developing technical skills than it is to have a specific skill set upon hire (although this is not true for some positions/industries).
That said, technical skills related to online presentations, virtual meetings, virtual networking, remote working and the like are hot commodities right now. While most organizations were in the process of adopting many of these technologies and ways of doing business pre-pandemic, the pandemic accelerated the process. Organizations are making it work, but they often don't know best practices or the most efficient means of working in the largely virtual, pandemic environment. Post-pandemic, many of the remote/virtual changes the pandemic brought will stay in some form. Technical skills that support this type of workplace will make applicants stand out to many employers because they need/want to do virtual/remote business better.

What's a good job out of college for Account Directors?

Todd Lee Goen: Pandemic or no pandemic, the best job out of college is one that sets you on the path to achieve your ultimate career goal(s). Reflect on where you want to be in five or ten years or even twenty-five years. Then consider positions that will set you on the path to achieve that goal. Very few people land their dream job upon graduation - dream jobs are typically those we're not qualified to do without some additional work experience and training. A good job is one that will help you achieve your goal(s) - just don't frame it that way in the interview.
Good jobs pay a livable salary for the location, offer benefits (health insurance and retirement at minimum), and provide professional development opportunities (these can take a variety of forms). Too often, college grads overlook professional development. If an employer isn't willing to invest in you, there's no guarantee you will succeed in the job. Good employers understand they need qualified employees who continually develop their skills and abilities, and good employers will make sure employees have the resources they need to succeed.

What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Account Director job market given the pandemic?

Todd Lee Goen: The pandemic is demonstrating that employees can be productive working remotely and with flexible schedules, so we're likely to see more flexible and remote positions emerge in the job market. This will be industry/company/position specific, but these options give employers access to a larger applicant pool (which means a more talented workforce) and allows them to reduce overhead costs of maintaining physical office space.
Relatedly, hiring processes will become more technology-driven. In-person interviews (especially if there are multiple rounds) will be significantly less likely and more organizations will opt for pre-recorded interviews. This started pre-pandemic, but the pandemic will accelerate it. The good news is that as the technology improves the application process should become more efficient and streamlined (e.g., applying with LinkedIn profiles has the potential to become more of a norm).
The job market in recession-proof industries will remain strong, but wages will likely stagnate and may even decrease. Many recession-proof jobs are connected to state and local governments. The pandemic and its associated recession brought decreased tax revenues and increased demands for public expenditures, and state and local governments won't have the funds to support wage growth for the next few years. The job market in recession-intolerant industries will fluctuate for several years and will only stabilize once the economy begins to recover.
One of the key take-aways from the pandemic is that public health systems are inadequate. One possible outcome is that in the next few years there will be a greater number of jobs in the public health sector. Whether or not this happens will largely depend on the length and severity of the current recession as well as funding allocations of governments post-pandemic. Given the US federal government ceded much of the responsibility for responding to the pandemic, expect many of these positions to be with state and local governments. Also, expect many of these will be community/public engagement type positions that focus on communication and relationship building.

What technical skills for an Account Director stand out to employers?

What's a good job out of college for Account Directors?

Lucile Sabas

Associate Professor of Finance & Economics

Andrews University

School of Business Administration

What general advice would you give to an Account Director?

Lucile Sabas: To graduates beginning their career, I would advise to be ready to work hard and make themselves irreplaceable in the workplace, to be flexible and able to adapt to any change in the work environment, to try to develop several skills. They also need to be bold, curious, and read without stopping. Finally, every morning they should think about and apprehend their work and day as an opportunity for helping someone else, somewhere, to solve a problem and to be happy. Actually, this why we are here for. Aren't we?

What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Account Director job market given the pandemic?

Lucile Sabas: Several features will characterize the labor market hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Among them we can underline the five major following ones according to our analysis of the current situation:
1.A decrease in the job creation annual growth rate. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), foresees that over the next decade, this rate will be 0.4%, way below the 1.3% of the past decade 2009-2019. Even though the BLS projections data do not include the pandemic impacts, we assert that the trend mentioned could be maintained due to the changes that we can observe in the economy. It's also important to notice that this is a long run trend, and therefore, the projection remains valid.

2.A decrease in the labor force participation (LFP). The major factors that explain the decrease in the LFP can be mentioned as follows:
- An increase in retirements and early retirements. Many aged workers who had the possibility chose to leave the labor force due to the risks of virus contamination.
- In the category of young workers, some have seized the opportunity of distance learning for further education in the midst of a changing labor market.
- The number of discouraged workers increased because of the shifting skills requirements in the labor market and the fear of the contamination risks.

3.The emergence or reinforcement of some sectors at the expense of others. Yet, the unemployment rate increased significantly between April and June and remained higher than the 5.3% natural unemployment rate of the country; however, many sectors are still hiring and are performing very well. We'll see a conformation of this trend over the next years. For examples, the technology and NTIC sectors, as well as the e-commerce along with the transportation activities that come with it, the health and lifestyle and pharmaceutical sectors, the entertainment sector, and online education are the ones that experienced a revitalization and are expected to continue growing.

4.Due to this sectoral restructuration of our economy, the disparity between the skills requirements of the labor market and the skills currently available is increasingly visible.

5.The new organization of the workplace and the professional relations due to the COVID-19, led to a series of new activities or reinforcement of some exiting ones that still were low or experimental. More and more businesses are moving online and therefore, are moving global through the internet. This will lead to an increase in demand for a series of competencies that international business graduates will be able to find their way in. We can mention for example, foreign and internal market analysts, market trends analysts, bilingualism, e-managers and e-commerce specialists, international marketers, specialists in international finance and payments, specialists in International sales and negotiation (International marketing), approach to foreign markets and commercial communication specialists. Graduates with high competencies and skills in all these domains, will easily find their way in this new environment.

What Account Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Lucile Sabas: Along with the competencies mentioned above related to a restructuration of the labor market, many other competencies would be needed. We can mention some few of them, like, competencies in NTIC, web developers and designer, teleworking software specialists, technician-supports, software developers, drone specialists, cybersecurity specialists, teleworking software specialists. With the pandemic, we saw the intensification of online education. This later has proven to be very efficient in almost all domains. A graduate can take this option to use her gap year acquiring new competencies, if being on campus represents a challenge in the pandemic context. With this said, we assume that as an international business graduate, the student has had an international experience of at least six months (in a foreign country).

Herbert Fiester Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Program Coordinator, Curriculum and Instruction Doctoral Program

Valdosta State University

Department of Curriculum, Leadership, and Technology

Website

What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Account Director job market given the pandemic?

Herbert Fiester Ph.D.: This is an interesting question. On one hand, I expect organizations are treading water right now related to new hires while they weather the current atypical pandemic business conditions and an uncertain future. I know budgets in many industries, including public education, have been frozen. On the other hand, the pandemic has brought new challenges to how people work. New processes have been developed and are being utilized to allow productivity to continue. Many of these changes require employees to be trained to do these new process and use new productivity tools, which provides excellent opportunities for people with the ability to train others especially with technology related skills. I expect individuals with technology training skills will be in high demand even with the tight budgets. If, and when, the effects of the pandemic start to recede, I expect all organizations will look to shore-up human resource gaps where those needs exist.

What skills stand out on Account Director resumes?

Herbert Fiester Ph.D.: Education and certifications complemented with practical experience is what employers like to see. Additionally, demonstrated skills leading, whether it be an implementation process through an entire lifecycle or driving change through innovation, will always impress. A resume should demonstrate a prospective employee's ability to take ownership of the functions of the job and complete those functions competently. Employers want to feel confident that the applicant can perform the job successfully, and any inclusions on the resume to help make that case should be included.

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Account Directors to find work opportunities?

Herbert Fiester Ph.D.: I used to think of "place" as a geographic location, but with the technological changes that have occurred within the past several years, and especially this past year, many doors have opened to allow flexible working conditions. Telecommuting, remote work, working from home, and telework, which were once frowned upon by many employers, have now been embraced. With this new acceptance, "place" becomes much less about geographic location and much more about industry type. I have not observed a lot of activity in higher education and P-12 domains lately due to the pandemic and tight budgets, and industry probably holds the most opportunity. Applicants who are willing to work in flexible work models will have access to many more job opportunities.

Celeste Spier Ph.D.

Associate Director, Career & Professional Development

University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Business Career Center

Website

What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Account Director job market given the pandemic?

Celeste Spier Ph.D.: In terms of recruitment, one of the biggest trends will be a shift toward virtual recruiting, including virtual information sessions held by specific organizations, virtual career fairs, and virtual interviewing. This shift to virtual expands the amount and geographic area that organizations can recruit while reducing cost. In terms of jobs, one of the biggest trends will be increased flexibility in work schedules, including more remote work options and leeway to balance personal and professional demands.

What Account Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Celeste Spier Ph.D.: If a student opts to take a gap year, recommended skills to gain include the Naceweb sought by employers according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), which are critical thinking, communication, teamwork, digital technology, leadership, professionalism/work ethic, and global/intercultural fluency. Technical skills are especially powerful in catching the eye of a recruiter in today's job market. Many free resources like EdX and Coursera exist to boost technical skills at no cost. For students who are taking a gap year because they are uncertain of their future career goals, their gap year should focus on exploration and reflection to ensure they end the year with a better sense of direction and next steps.

What general advice would you give to an Account Director?

Celeste Spier Ph.D.: My advice would focus on three areas. First, adopt a growth/learner mindset. While your college degree has given you a great foundation of knowledge and skills, there is still much to learn. Second, build a community of support. Work (and life) are all about relationships. Put extra focus on building and maintaining strong relationships at work as well as outside of work. Finally, establish healthy work habits. Organizing your work, managing distraction, and getting the important work done (well and on time) are all essential skills for today's employees.

Dr. Mark Owens Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Economics

Penn State Behrend

Black School of Business

Website

What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Account Director job market given the pandemic?

Dr. Mark Owens Ph.D.: It is hard to know for sure, but it seems like there will be a trend toward doing more job related tasks remotely. The pandemic forced many employers to adjust to life without in-person contact and many of these changes are going to persist in some form.

What skills stand out on Account Director resumes?

Dr. Mark Owens Ph.D.: In international business it helps to be bilingual and to have study abroad and/or an international internship on your resume.

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Account Directors to find work opportunities?

Dr. Mark Owens Ph.D.: Historically, the greatest number of jobs in international business have been located in the major trade areas like New York, Los Angeles, and Houston. However, the work from anywhere trend could open more opportunities for international business in areas outside traditional trade centers.

Dr. Uric Dufrene

Professor of Finance, Sanders Chair in Business

Indiana University Southeast

School of Business

Website

What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Account Director job market given the pandemic?

Dr. Uric Dufrene: There will be several trends that will impact graduates. Perhaps the most recognizable is the presence of working remotely. Employees will have more discretion in working remotely or from the office. For recent graduates, this may introduce conveniences and offer more flexibility on where one might choose to live. However, graduates must find ways to maintain some type of presence among co-workers. A new graduate must be cognizant of the old adage, "out of sight, out of mind".

Graduates will need to find creative ways to network. At some point, traditional face to face networking will return. Until then, graduates need to think about ways to network. This means that graduates must be very cognizant of their social network brand. Their online brand will take on a greater level of importance. For many graduates, the impression that colleagues and others in the industry might have will be influenced by their social networking branding.

What Account Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Dr. Uric Dufrene: First, I would not recommend a gap year. One of the skills that is critically important, regardless of the time period, is adaptability. Learning how to adapt to the circumstances around you is a skill that is valued in the workplace, regardless of the year. This is a key part of problem solving. Solving problems with the conditions and resources on hand will prepare you for a lifelong success in any field. As a graduate develops a reputation for problem solving, they emerge as a "go to" employee and will be seen by others as a leader, in their department or company.

What general advice would you give to an Account Director?

Dr. Uric Dufrene: Graduates must make a commitment to life-long learning. This does not have to be in a traditional graduate program, for example. Although, graduate school is highly recommended. Outside of a formal degree program, graduates must find ways to continue to invest in their professional development. This includes hard skills within their profession and soft skills, regardless of the occupation.

Find ways to meet people. This includes both within the organization and the industry. Think about face-to-face networking, when available, but also be very sensitive and intentional with respect to your online brand. Use the social media tools as a way of maintaining a very professional image and 24/7 virtual networking. Graduates need to think of their name as a brand. That brand will be influenced by your digital footprint, and how one might communicate, both in writing and in a virtual sense (video technologies). With working in a remote environment, the impression that one might develop of you will be based on writings co-workers receive from you (emails, memos, etc.) and your video presence. Graduates need to invest time in developing and enhancing these important skills.

Giuliana Andreopoulos

Professor of Economics

William Paterson University

Department of Economics

Website

What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Account Director job market given the pandemic?

Giuliana Andreopoulos: The pandemic has caused massive dislocation, particularly for the small companies already financially fragile. However, while industries like retail, arts and entertainment, personal services, food services, and hospitality experienced substantial layoffs, finance, and professional services experienced less disruption, because there were able to transition to remote work.
It is still not clear if remote work is a short-term response to the pandemic or should be regarded as a long-term phenomenon. If this is the case, we need to recognize that remote work can be associated with problems like lack of engagement and low productivity of the workers, difficulty of managing remote workforce, security considerations, and reconfiguration of office space. In England, some companies are already selling buildings and renting spaces for a short period.
Not surprisingly, some companies gained from the pandemic, increased their production and were able to hire. We refer to those connected with e-commerce, like Amazon and Walmart, and high- tech companies, like Microsoft and Cisco, since they experienced substantial increase in profits.

What skills stand out on Account Director resumes?

Giuliana Andreopoulos: I do not think that the pandemic has been and will be able to reverse the importance of certain skills on students` resumes. There is no doubt in my mind that communication, team working, problem solving, leadership, still come at the top of the list for business students. However, the pandemic has added new skills: ability to work remotely, manage crisis, and deal with data. We hope that Business Colleges and Schools will take into consideration these new developments when they plan new courses, programs, or certificates.

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Account Directors to find work opportunities?

Giuliana Andreopoulos: The job opportunities for business students mainly depend on their personal skills, GPA, field of specialization, practical experience, and networking. Based on my ten-year experience as the Director of Experiential Learning at WPU, global business students need some sort of specialization, otherwise it is not easy to get a job because companies still require specific skills. Thus, a global business degree is most useful when it is taken in conjunction with another more specialized program or degree, like finance, marketing, management, or law and politics. This becomes evident if we look at possible careers such as Marketing Manager, Human Resources Manager, Financial Analyst, and Policy Analyst. The US offers many job opportunities for graduates in international business, especially in cities like NYC, Chicago, Washington, and San Francisco. However, outside the Unites States countries like Singapore, Canada, Switzerland should also be very appealing to international business graduates.

Wooyang Kim Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Minnesota State University Moorhead

Paseka School of Business

What Account Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Wooyang Kim Ph.D.: I believe diverse recommendations exist dependent upon the job positions in the different industry sectors. Generally speaking, even marketing-related jobs encompass numerous functional areas in many business organizations, such as advertising and PR, branding, customer experience and service, digital marketing, new product development, product management, sales and promotions, social media marketing, and more.
Regardless of the diversity above, I commonly recommend two skills to enhance marketing-related competence: 1) communication skills as a soft skill and 2) analytical skills as a hard skill responding to the concurrent marketing environment. These two skills would be fundamental skills to be marketers since marketing job activities always interplay with people (colleagues, consumers, partners, etc.) and products/services, and therefore, job seekers should understand human behavior and are capable of comprehending the marketability of products/services.
To obtain these two skills, I suggest that students need repetitive practices by conducting continuous observations and interacting with others in the college and workplace. In this process, I urge them to keep asking three essential questions - what (it is), why (it occurs), and how (to act) questions, according to the principle of 5W and 1H, when facing the situation needed to react or solve. In my opinion, this continuous training would help to develop the recommended skills: communication and analytical skillsets.

What general advice would you give to an Account Director?

Wooyang Kim Ph.D.: I have frequently observed anxieties about the new job and doubts about their capability toward uncertainties to the new journey and future. This encountered situation is a very different immediate environment beyond their comfort zone, which is rarely experienced in the school-affiliated environment. Accordingly, I have commonly given relatable and motivational advice to encourage my advisees and mentees; but importantly, the advice should be tailored to an individual's interests and circumstances since all individuals are not the same. Although I cannot describe all the individual cases here, I have commonly encouraged my students and mentees who first step into their careers as follows.
'Trust yourself and realize and develop your potentials. Enjoy your job for achieving your happiness.'
I believe having confidence and realizing potentials are critical factors to enter and adapt to new fields. Since humans, as we are, experience repeatedly mistakes and successes during the lifespan, we should recognize the rises and falls. In this premise, we should trust ourselves and develop our potentials as a baseline. Also, I believe we attempt to begin with a career path for achieving happiness by doing where individuals have values. Although some discussion points exist to establish the personal meaning of happiness (e.g., financial status, job security, etc.), pursuing happiness is an innate and ultimate goal to us all the time.

What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Account Director job market given the pandemic?

Wooyang Kim Ph.D.: During this unprecedented context, the biggest trends in the marketing job market would be three parts - 1) Hyper-competition in the shrunk size of the job markets, 2) Emerging virtual (or remote) work environment at the home office, and 3) Salary and/or compensation reduction in the workplaces.
First, on average, the unemployment rate has been drastically increased while the job positions were (temporarily) eliminated in 2020 due primarily to the negative effect of the pandemic across industry sectors. Also, the pandemic situation has accelerated the job positions by replacing humans with AI (artificial intelligence) and machines (e.g., automation and/or touchless system), shrinking the total size of the job market. As a result, the given conditions inevitably entail hyper-competitions by creating a new structural environment in the job market for two or three years from now. This situational tendency would accelerate in the manufacturing and service industry sectors. Second, due to safety reasons by following the CDC regulation, many firms have changed the workplace from firms' office to home office, although several labor-intensive sectors had minimized this change (e.g., retailers and restaurants). This replacement of the workplace has increased the virtual or remote oriented work environment. Third, overall costs for maintaining businesses increase while declining profits - tight budget for business sustainability to survive in the current market. This circumstance tends to reduce overall marketing costs as well as the labor force-related costs (salaries, compensations, and benefits).
Nonetheless, the job positions in analyzing consumer behavior and psychology would be sustainable in the marketing-related job market, such as the job areas related to market and marketing analyses, online consumer analyses, and similar fields across the industry sectors.

Geoff Kaufmann

Professor

University of Minnesota

College of Continuing & Professional Studies

Website

What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Account Director job market given the pandemic?

Geoff Kaufmann: Working remotely and integration of personal and professional lives and in many cases increased productivity of those workers.

What Account Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Geoff Kaufmann: Just get experience working anywhere and with teams. If they can get any leadership role, the better.

What general advice would you give to an Account Director?

Geoff Kaufmann: Do your best in school, volunteer, gain leadership experience and see if you can hitch yourself to professor-based research.

Annemarie Franczyk

Associate Professor

Buffalo State College

Communication Department

What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Account Director job market given the pandemic?

Annemarie Franczyk: Workplaces will be shifting to remote formats as businesses discover how much money is to be saved by not having to pay rent, a mortgage, WiFi, utilities and other expenses of a brick-and-mortar location. Workers will need to continue to prove to bosses that they can work independently and be productive and responsive from their home offices. Today's students and tomorrow's workers will have had that experience in spades for more than a year as the majority of courses and many activities moved online. Therefore, they and will be poised to do quite well the new and evolving remote employment environment.

What Account Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Annemarie Franczyk: Every industry is looking for professionals who can write and communicate visually, so any activity, extra course or private tutor who can help graduates keep up or build these skills will be to their advantage professionally. Additionally, data analysis has application across all disciplines, so a course or two in that area will be of value. And if the graduate can put these two areas of study together and communicate data effectively, he or she will be in demand.

What general advice would you give to an Account Director?

Annemarie Franczyk: Never settle and never settle down. Both notions suggest dropping where you are and staying put and being hopelessly stuck. When you're hopelessly stuck, you're not learning, growing and advancing. Always look for the next opportunity to do something interesting. Take chances. If you do, you will have a lifetime of no regrets.

Jerri Lynn Kyle

Senior Instructor, Internship Coordinator

Missouri State University

Department of Communication

Website

What Account Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Jerri Lynn Kyle: Whatever your career goals are, stay informed! Keep up to date with what's going on in the world, and what's happening in your field. A lot can happen in 24 hours, so imagine what happens in a year. Just because a student takes a year off, doesn't mean learning has to stop. I recommend volunteering or interning to gain experience in your field and stay up to date on trends. It's important to remember that a gap year refers to a gap in time, not a gap in learning or productivity. Continue to live for your purpose!

What general advice would you give to an Account Director?

Jerri Lynn Kyle: 1.Don't be discouraged! Jobs are out there but you might not get your dream job starting out. It's a journey, so try to make the most of every stop.
2.Start building your professional credibility, both with how you perform your job, and how you interact with your coworkers.
3.Finally, be confident, but at the same time be teachable and coachable. Your degree doesn't make you an expert. Sometimes you realize you don't even know what you don't know, and that's okay. You aren't going to know everything and that's why you need to be coachable.

What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Account Director job market given the pandemic?

Jerri Lynn Kyle: There are three major lessons I think we have learned from the pandemic that will affect us moving forward in the job market. First, we learned how much we rely on technology. Second, we learned how capable technology is in allowing us to change our "business as usual" operation, adapt, and continue to move forward. Third, we learned in most cases, that working remotely does not result in lower workplace productivity. We have digitized every industry to some degree, and we are not going back!

What we have gained in innovative ways to reach our stakeholders will continue in some way. Now, how does that translate to the job market? Digital literacy. There will be an increased need for digital communication strategists in every industry. The need for people who can design, develop, and maintain platforms will grow, with an increased emphasis on analysis of performance and results. We are a data driven society, and digital communication provides the data needed for strategists to help organizations accomplish their goals.

Christopher Sippel Ed.D.

Associate Vice President

The University of Findlay

Buford Center for Diversity and Service

Website

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Account Directors to find work opportunities?

Christopher Sippel Ed.D.: A silver lining to the pandemic may be that the location of an individual in many industries no longer dictates which company or organization someone can work for. When travel restrictions begin to ease, successful candidates will be willing to go wherever they are asked to go. In these challenging times, organizations will need people that are open to working where they are needed.

Anthony DeFrancesco

Assistant Lecturer

Fordham University Gabelli School of Business

Department Marketing

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What experience really stands out on Account Director resumes?

Anthony DeFrancesco: Knowledge and experience with sales technology tools and effectively navigating Omnichannel hybrid sales environments. Social selling and analytical skills are also highly important. Product and industry knowledge for the targeted verticals also stands out. Experience with specific industry vertical prospecting tools can be a major differentiator. Finally, important to complement the aforementioned ATS keywords are leadership and team collaboration.

Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Account Directors?

Anthony DeFrancesco: Yes, there will. Many businesses are changing their headquarters, operational infrastructure and buying communications protocols. Effective vertical prospecting, networking and selling skills will still be as important as ever as sales engagements will continue to become more complex. According to McKinsey sales engagements of course have moved mostly to digital and remote which is a trend that started before the pandemic. A McKinsey survey of B2B companies finds that, "Almost 90 percent of sales have moved to a videoconferencing(VC)/phone/web sales model, and while some skepticism remains, more than half believe this is equally or more effective than sales models used before COVID-19." (The B2B digital inflection point: How sales have changed during COVID-19) April 30, 2020 McKinsey Article)

What experience really stands out on Account Director resumes?

Laura Sansoni

Director, Career Development, CBA Career Center

University of Nebraska at Omaha

College of Business Administration

Website

What Account Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Laura Sansoni: I think taking a year between high school and college or between a bachelor's and master's degree can be incredibly beneficial if the individual approaches this time with intentional purpose. If they want to gain work experience and/or save up money for school, seeking a position with ties to a career that interests them is going to help them narrow down their academic path once they begin their higher education.

If they want to use this time to travel, they should consider documenting their experiences to reflect on their personal growth and any new skills they gain such as learning a new language. If they simply wish to take a break from their studies, take the year to explore their personal interests and hobbies by trying new things and meeting with people doing work that interests them. Lifelong, fulfilling careers stem from your passions and interests. Discovering both early will help guide them in educational pursuits as well as fulfilling work throughout their life.

What general advice would you give to an Account Director?

Laura Sansoni: Whenever I work with a new graduate, I see them experiencing many emotions ranging from excitement from completing their education to anxiety about starting their careers.

For the graduates that have a job, I highly encourage them to take advantage of any opportunity presented to them. Participate in workplace events, take advantage of professional development opportunities like attending conferences or trainings, and volunteer to work on projects when asked to. Taking advantage of these opportunities in your workplace will increase your skills and experiences while deepening your connections to your colleagues and growing your personal network.

For graduates that are still looking for jobs, I remind them that the worst things that can happen in the job search are an employer saying "no", "we went with another candidate", or not responding to your application at all. While that can be scary and defeating at times, think about the positives of the situation. You didn't get the interview or the job, but you didn't lose anything either. Instead, you gained more experience in the job search process that you can improve upon for the next time. I also remind new grads to let the employers decide if they are the right fit for the job instead of counting yourself out too early. If you meet 75 percent of the qualifications in the job description, apply for the job and let the recruiter decide whether to set up an interview. Don't be so afraid of the next "no" that it prevents you from finding the next possible "yes".

Jonathan Byers

Assistant Director

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Career and Professional Development

What skills stand out on Account Director resumes?

Jonathan Byers:
- Professional skills related to career development competencies such as strong oral & written communication, teamwork & collaboration, leadership, problem-solving ability & creativity, and professional integrity, but we recommend that applicants do not just list these skills. They should provide evidence of how they have used them in their work experience, volunteer experience, academic experience, etc.
-The ability to use technology effectively to solve problems or improve collaboration; this could relate to social media management, computer hardware or software skills, proficiency with general programs like Microsoft Office Suite (also being able to demonstrate the use of these skills in various experiences).
-With diversity, equity, and inclusion becoming more important in 2020, the ability to appreciate different points of view, accept and appreciate different cultural backgrounds & types of identities, and increased awareness of one's own cultural biases and assumptions can also be important to market on a resume.

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Account Directors to find work opportunities?

Jonathan Byers: Like most Liberal Arts graduates, people with History degrees will most likely develop a number of the professional skills mentioned above that can be applicable in many different industry areas. In today's job market, college graduates are not bound to one type of job opportunity. History majors from Virginia Tech have found employment in Higher Education, Law, Politics, Public Policy, Business, Marketing, Information Technology, Information Management, International Affairs, Local & State Government, and the Federal Government. They have found opportunities in many different locations across the United Students. A person who finds a job depends on how much they are willing to network with other professionals and be strategic and intentional with their job search strategies.

Dr. Tammy Leonard

Chair & Associate Professor, Co-Director Community Assistance Research

University of Dallas

Economics Department

What experience really stands out on Account Director resumes?

Dr. Tammy Leonard: I always tell my students that the experience that stands out is the one they own. It's been tough for students to get the same "traditional" internship experience during the pandemic. However, there are still plenty of opportunities to contribute to those willing to own those responsibilities. At UD, my Community Assistance Research (CARE) group leads an academic-community partnership with local nonprofits. We have had students creating internships out of volunteer opportunities with these organizations serving the many households adversely affected by the pandemic. Even if it's a tiny part of a project or an unpaid role, students who take ownership of something ultimately exemplify leadership, responsibility, and impact. When students go off for internships, I often encourage them to check in a month or so into the engagement, and we talk about what they can own and what they are going to do with it.

Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Account Directors?

Dr. Tammy Leonard: "Some students have flourished in the online learning environment, and others have not. I fear employers may interpret these differences as indicators of something more than they are. Indeed, some students are more capable of managing their time than others, which is one factor that employers care about. Still, students also really learn in many different ways -and the sudden change in learning formats affected some learners more than others.

Also, Covid impacted the external situation of some students much more than others. The pandemic could further amplify disparities between different types of learners and students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. One way to remedy this is for employers to be very forthright in asking students how they adjusted to the changing learning environment. It's unlikely the learning environment will ever go 100% back to what it used to be, so this change (and asking about this change) is here for the next several years. Employers need to be aware of the vast heterogeneity in pandemic impacts; those differences are large and likely will endure for some time.

Employers that care about equal opportunity and diversity need to be even more aware that the landscape has changed and disparities are potentially more extensive than ever before. For example, I have one student who has moved from a solid A student to an A/B student during the pandemic. That same student is managing more than one job and relying on an old computer. Another student has moved from an A/B student to more of an A student. That student is still good, but they benefit from the fact that many exams are an open book because of the online format, and there are fewer social distractions. Employers need to seek out this information when making comparisons-now more than ever."

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.

Associate Dean

Central Connecticut State University

School of Business

What Account Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Kaustav Misra Ph.D.: This pandemic taught us many things and one important thing that we have an efficiency gap.

The way of doing business will be much more technology orientated. Hence graduates should be ready to unskill and upskill their credentials. This time it is necessary to forget the old way of doing business and learn new skills to get a job or stay in a current job. Soft skills have become much more important than before, but a different soft skill set would be essential to interact with future market participants. Thus, a gap year should be utilized to unskill-upskill and enhance relevant credentials by getting into short-long term programs, training, and workshops would be highly recommended.

Dr. Vallari Chandna

Chair and Associate Professor

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Marketing and Management Department

What type of skills will young Account Directors need?

Dr. Vallari Chandna: Critically, for all graduates, expertise or interests, in sustainability will be important. The reason behind this is the shift in looking at sustainability holistically and not just as something one-person does. This would also give an edge to those with degrees, specifically in sustainability. Graduates with degrees related to sustainability will often be asked to oversee or manage these across-the-board sustainability endeavors. Also, soft skills are highly desired. The ability to be better at time management, work in teams, and have a strong work ethic, will be more desirable. These are all interconnected with remote work as well. Employees who "thrived" in the pandemic were those able to manage their work-life balance, work remotely in teams, all the while performing well. The skills are thus "transferable" to both modalities of work in this way.

What experience really stands out on Account Director resumes?

Dr. Vallari Chandna: For all job seekers, certifications are an important way to indicate your interests and show your desire and propensity to "upskill." Additionally, sustainability graduates' experience with grant writing and any major endeavors or projects that are communication-related is a plus. Also very noticeable would be any sustainability expertise in the specific industry being applied to, e.g., eco-friendly purchasing if one is applying to a buyer position or expertise in green supply chains for anyone applying to a logistics position. It's important to customize your resume to the job responsibilities and the company's sustainability plans.

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Updated January 30, 2021

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