Without account managers, many businesses would fail

On the outside, account management jobs may seem rigid and uncreative. However, while it is important to focus on budgets and pleasing clients, many high-level account managers also have to guide sales and creative teams in the right direction. In order to effectively steer a project down the right path, account managers often have to balance both a creative and a technical outlook on projects.

Many qualified individuals have obtained educational degrees in Business Administration with an emphasis on Marketing, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). In many ways, marketing supplies the needed creative knowledge, while the business aspect is meant for technicalities.

As an account manager, an individual would be responsible for working with sales, customer service and account executives to ensure that operations were running smoothly and that projects will be completed on deadline. They are able to complete their duties by creating budgets, forecasts and schedules for employees to adhere to throughout the weeks ahead.

Employers view account management as vital in the development of new business and retention of current clients. For this reason, many people who take these positions started their careers in lower levels of sales or marketing. While account management may be a higher-level executive position, it still requires an extensive amount of commitment to effectively perform job responsibilities. For example, the BLS reported that in 2008, over 80 percent of managers worked 40 hours or more per week, plus travel time to regional and international clients.

Due to the nature of the job market, account managers are an integral role in many businesses. Employers will continue to seek out the best candidates, and overall employment is expected to increase by 13 percent through 2018, according to the BLS.

Employers seek individuals who are used to working under pressure and can still remain persuasive under large amounts of stress. Account managers are responsible for handling client concerns, making them a determining factor for success or failure for a business. Employers who want to sift through copious amounts of applications in order to uncover the top talent don't have to look far, as creative staffing services have replaced many outdated job collection and employment websites.

The demand for account managers continues to rise due to the stability of this career path. When consolidation occurs and businesses are forced to downsize, typically the last to be eliminated are those that directly handle client thoughts and concerns. For that reason, account management jobs are stable and are heavily sought after by both unemployed and employed individuals.