What is an Account Executive in marketing?

How do you get an entry-mid level account executive/project manager position at a marketing/advertising agency with no prior agency experience?

• For a creative person with about 2 years of work experience in various marketing-y type roles, but no formal training in art or web development, or any kind of portfolio, getting a job in an agency seems really hard.  Client relations / project management type work seems much more plausible, but most places want you to have some kind of agency experience before they let you through the door.  What's the best course of action?

• Answer:

  If you're still in the first few years of your career, getting an internship at an advertising agency is one of your best bets. You'll likely be paid very little and it won't pay the bills, but you'll make a ton of connections and get your foot in the door. If you do a great job, you can generally move into a full time entry level position within 3-6 months. If an internship isn't an option, try starting on the client side. Clients are more likely to hire you within their marketing department, and from there you can make connections to eventually move to the agency side with the valuable experience of knowing how the client works. Good luck!