A day in the life of…Raj – Account Manager at Torpedo.

We’d be nothing without our clients and that’s why it’s so important to have a talented and dedicated Client Services team. Wondering what life’s like for an account manager at Torpedo? Then you’ve landed on the perfect page for answers (what luck, eh?). Here’s what Raj, one of our Adobe Account Managers has to say for herself.

What’s your role at Torpedo, and how long have you been here?

I’m an account manager at Torpedo and I work on the Adobe account. I primarily focus on the B2B Adobe campaigns and I’ve been at Torpedo since October 2018 (although it feels like longer!).

What exactly does your role entail? Can you run us through what you might get up today, for example?

My role has many different aspects where I act as the main point of contact between the client and the Creative team.

I start my days by quickly checking emails to see if there are any urgent requests from the client. Then I’ll go on to brief our copywriters and graphic designers on the jobs I’ve booked in for that particular day. Once they’ve been briefed, I’ll go through my emails properly and start responding to clients and organising current projects. This can be quoting/invoicing, admin, clarifying briefs, organising meetings/calls and seeing how ongoing jobs are progressing. When it comes to lunchtime, I would usually get a first draft of copy or designs to review – typically, I’ll do this during lunch, so the copywriter or graphic designer can make amends when they get back from lunch. I will then brief in the next job and continue liaising with our clients and team.

What tools/resources/people do you depend on to get your job done?

Spreadsheets are essential, especially when I have a larger project I need to manage with many deliverables. I also use this for my to-do list, as well as the classic pen and paper.

Microsoft Teams is great for sending a quick message, or jumping on a quick call with the team.

I depend on the skills and experience of the Creative and Digital teams at Torpedo. I always say they make me look good to the client, because they always deliver.

What do you love most about your job at Torpedo? What’s the highlight of your day?

I love the people at Torpedo. I’ve made so many good friends from different departments. The highlight of my day is working with friends on some amazing projects. I’m also fortunate to work in a very supportive team (the Adobe team) where we will do anything to lend a hand, if someone else’s workload is too much.

And what do you find most challenging?

The most challenging aspect of my job is that there aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything I need to. Working through lunch and late in the evenings isn’t uncommon, but it does also mean it’s difficult switching off. I’ve woken up several times at 3am when I’ve forgotten to do something!

Is there a particular piece of work/project that you’re really proud of?

Last year we were briefed to create a ‘cool office environment’ artwork to be used for a Creative Cloud for Teams campaign. This was for the EMEA SMB audience and was briefed in by our client based in Amsterdam. Our Creative team, in particular Mark B, created this amazing 3D office environment that animated to show a paper plane assigning licences on the screens of the desktops and tablets. It was a nod to the admin console where you can easily assign licences to your team, a key benefit of Creative Cloud for Teams. Adobe Corp was so impressed with it that they used it on the homepage of the adobe.com global site. Since then we’ve been commissioned to create new versions to be used on future campaigns which is also exciting.

What did you see yourself doing when you were a kid?

I had no idea, I just knew I’d want to work with computers. I suppose that thought isn’t that original nowadays…

If you weren’t an Account Manager, what do you think you’d be?

I would probably still be a web developer.

What made you choose this career path? How did you get to where you are today?

I did a computing degree at university and didn’t know what I wanted to do once I graduated. I applied for work experience at a small design agency near home (Cambridgeshire) and they gave me a job as a web developer. I enjoyed designing and building websites on my course so thought it was fitting to do this after university. I worked there for almost four years, but I soon realised that wasn’t what I wanted to do long-term. I enjoyed working in an agency but didn’t want to code anymore. I like talking to people so working in an agency was ideal – just without having to code!

My boyfriend (now husband) had a career change that took him down to West Berkshire, where I followed and found another small agency. This time round, I worked as an account manager. My job took me to Ibiza and Berlin (which I never expected). It was really enjoyable, until I realised I wasn’t learning anymore. I wanted a new challenge so I came to Torpedo and have been so challenged and rewarded since.

When your OOO is on, what are you likely to be doing?

Pilates, spending time with my friends, family and husband. Eating out and travelling as much as possible.

What’s your favourite memory of working at Torpedo to date?

Last summer, a few of us participated in the Jurassic coast challenge where we walked 34km of the beautiful Dorset coastline. It was extremely challenging – emotionally, mentally and physically – but we all managed to get through it as a team. Although I couldn’t walk for three days afterwards, it was worth it and I would do it again with Torpedo.

What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve ever been given?

‘Work hard and have fun.’ I actually told Iain that I wanted to work hard and have fun in my Torpedo interview, think it landed me the job!