New milestones of my career

It's been a while since I published my last article about my struggles with career prospects. Fortunately, things have taken a surprising turn that exceeds my expectations. Early this year, I was transferred from the Publisher-side to the Advertiser-side. It's been almost four months, and I am incredibly grateful that my manager assigned my favorite colleague, my work bestie, as my mentor. She is the most capable person on the media side, consistently bringing in the highest revenue. My manager set a clear phased goal for me: to become familiar with the ads dashboard and the logic of technical integration, including GTM and Pixel, and to be able to answer 70%-80% of client questions within two months. I don't usually make daily, weekly, or monthly reflections, so in this article, I'd like to summarize the mistakes I've made, the criticism I've received, the achievements I've accomplished, and the compliments I've heard.

Lessons I've learned:

1. It was perfect timing for me to be transferred to the media side just as we onboarded two key clients: a reputable e-commerce platform and an emerging programmatic network. My manager included me in these significant projects, allowing me to gain a comprehensive understanding of onboarding, managing client expectations, executing account optimizations, and balancing both internal and external communications as a qualified Account Manager. Initially, I was responsible for updating daily account performance reports, helping both external and internal points of contact understand performance delivery, particularly regarding spending and ROI. I still remember how ignorant I felt when I encountered terms like retargeting, prospecting, supply chain, GTM integration, and session ROI. It was inevitable that I made several mistakes with data updates, such as miscalculations, incorrect formulas, and misunderstandings of the underlying logic. The most valuable advice from my mentor was to be more meticulous and detail-oriented with numbers since all points of contact would rely on this sheet as the final reference for optimization strategies. I handled this seemingly simple and basic task for almost two months.

2. The next level of responsibility involved acting as a liaison between the client and our colleagues based overseas, including teams in Product, Optimization, Technology, and Finance. In the beginning, I remember feeling like I was "walking on thin ice," carefully considering every message I needed to deliver. My worries stemmed from a lack of experience, certainty, and confidence. When my mentor asked me to communicate the first message from the client to the internal teams, I meticulously crafted my language, consulting ChatGPT and revising it multiple times, even tweaking punctuation, before sending it to my mentor for final approval. The biggest lesson I learned was that I was being overly "nice and polite." I often used phrases like "please," "could you," "thanks a million," and "I appreciate it," unintentionally positioning myself in a lower or even submissive stance. My mentor advised me, "When talking to these people, we should maintain professionalism and politeness, but unlike in Chinese culture, they prefer more straightforward and concise communication. Don't worry if your language seems a bit tough or cold; that's often the most efficient approach." I also grasped the key concept of "pinpointing the key problem." I typically aimed to be a thorough messenger, delivering every sentence, question, and comment from the internal team to the client. However, this back-and-forth communication significantly slowed the problem-solving process. After identifying this issue, my mentor taught me that while it is our responsibility to keep both sides on the same page, it does not mean you must translate every detail, especially as deadlines approach. you should develop sharper judgment and a sense of what the key problem is in the project, never allow anyone—whether the client or internal teams—to divert your focus. They may have numerous relevant questions to help them understand the background, but you must remain clear-headed and recognize that addressing the key issue is what the whole team should concentrate on. If you have the energy and knowledge to answer additional questions, that's great; if not, it's acceptable to ignore them. This is not unprofessional; rather, it is about cutting efficiency and to the chase.

3. From her, I began to grasp the importance of ownership. What truly differentiates the working abilities of two people at the same level is not merely the amount of knowledge they possess, but rather their working habits. This includes how effectively one detects problems presented by clients and formulates solutions, as well as creating a playbook for future reference. Additionally, adopting a closed-loop mindset—ensuring every problem is resolved with thorough and convincing solutions—builds trust and reliability among colleagues, managers, and clients.

   
   

   For example, I serve in an assistant role within one of my mentor's largest client group chats. Initially, I believed that since I did not fully own this account, my role was simply to observe how my mentor communicated with POCs, solved their problems, upsold new products for incremental revenue, and maintained strong customer relationships. However, she encouraged me to get involved by answering simple questions. As I became more recognized by the POCs, they began to reach out to me directly with their questions. This recognition gave me goosebumps, as it validated my professionalism, reliability, and efficiency, further enhancing my understanding of ownership. I view them as my clients, and every action I take is aimed at creating a win-win situation for both of us.

   
   

   I am so proud of myself so far: I've been truly involved in the advertiser-side business for only five months. As a rookie with no prior experience in digital advertising, I am extremely satisfied with my current status. I have gained enough knowledge about our platform to offer insightful and professional suggestions to my key clients. I have learned how to handle emergencies, including unexpected questions from clients, obscure and complex product features that baffle me, and inefficient internal communications. I have also found a proper pace that balances my working habits with business goals, and I recognize the importance of regularly reflecting on my work to document each representative project, the process of solving similar problems, and how to communicate these solutions to clients in a clear and understandable way.

   
   

   Did I ever experience breakdowns due to work pressure? No. I did shed a few tears when my mentor first criticized my communication style, though. There are no words to express how grateful I am for her immense help and guidance throughout this journey. She is a patient, supportive, motivating, and generous mentor who not only imparts essential industry knowledge but also teaches me how to be a capable professional in the workplace, which is even more crucial!