A Day In The Life Of An Account Manager
Not sure what an Account Manager does on a day-to-day basis? Raya from MING in Shanghai took us along a typical day in her life.
Hi, I’m Raya, an Account Manager at MING Labs in Shanghai. If I was to describe a typical day it would be a day of problem solving with my lovely teammates. However, there is probably not one typical day as an Account Manager — I might be on the phone discussing new business development opportunities recommended by MING designers or the design community. Other projects can involve cross-office operation and sales meetings, where I am able to learn about exciting projects going on in Germany and Singapore.
7:30 am: Morning Routine 🐱
I wake up to two furry balls curled up in my bed (I adopted two cats a few months ago). I spend a bit of time taking care of them before I quickly wash up and leave for work.
9:30 am: Commuting To Work 🚆
I am usually on the metro to the office around this time. While listening to my favorite music or watching funny videos on TikTok (yeah I am not the kind of person who makes better use of their commute time reading or learning languages), I’d order my breakfast on my phone so that when I arrive at the office, it’s there waiting for me already. I also start working on my phone if clients message me early.
10:00 am: Breakfast & To-Do’s ☕️
After having my lovely breakfast (there has to be coffee!), I check my to-do list for the day as well as the project statuses. As an Account Manager, my work ranges from taking new business development calls, suggesting the most suitable services to potential clients, handling contracts and performing general administrative tasks for ongoing projects, to supporting projects at a macro-micro level as needed to ensure we are delivering on time and working as effectively as we can. To make all these tasks happen, I consult our amazing team of experts the whole time. It is exciting to have the opportunity to work closely with everyone and learn from them.
11:30 am: Prioritization 📑
It is always important to prioritize tasks, as some projects are time-sensitive and require an immediate response, like contracting. Some are less time-sensitive but should still be done as soon as possible, such as updating project statuses to clients. Others might not be that urgent but still require me to be dedicated and focused based on hours, like documentation.
1 pm: Lunch Break! 🥗
Our office is located in a beautiful area surrounded by top-rated coffee houses that are perfect to spend a pleasant afternoon with your best friends. However, as much as I enjoy the lovely neighborhood, I order lunch most of the time. A light salad has been my favorite as it provides a good balance of carbs and protein.
2 pm: Client Reviews & Internal Alignment 🖥
2 pm is the golden time slot for all kinds of project reviews when the time difference doesn’t have to be considered. We usually have client reviews at 2 pm, followed by an internal alignment at 3 pm. For a typical design project with a team setup of one design lead, two designers and one project manager, we’d sit together in our meeting room (sometimes at the client’s location to strengthen the relationship), review what we have achieved in the last week, collect feedback, and decide on the next steps to see if any adjustments on the timeline are needed. One of the best parts about working at MING are our industry-leading clients from the automotive, chemical, clean energy and electronic devices sectors, just to name a few. Every project is a learning opportunity that allows me to keep my brain sharp and my business knowledge up-to-date.
4 pm: Milk Tea Break 🥤
Time to take a break (in need of a sugar rush)! I like sharing snacks/cakes with my teammates! On the list of snacks there have been: banana cakes with cinnamon (home baked!), grapes, strawberries (seasonal), puff cakes, date cakes, and much more… Fruity milk teas are also on the list of drinks we order frequently together.
4:30 pm: Project Retrospective 🖍
Now back to work! This is a good time to do something that is not too intense, such as the project retrospective. It is a great opportunity for us to openly discuss and learn from each other without pointing fingers. It is also a great time for bonding to make us feel more like a family.
5:30 pm: Catching Up With MINGions 👥
This time is usually good for meetings across time zones, as our colleagues in Europe just begin their day… If COVID can be good for anything, it is that online meetings bring us even closer together across different countries. At MING, we participate in Global MINGling sessions where random pairs of colleagues from our different offices chat half an hour online and get to know each other. That’s a lot of fun!
6 pm: Final Work Duties 👩🏻💻
Around one hour before the end of the day, it can be surprisingly busy, especially if something is due at the end of the day. This time might be filled with intensive work periods on a collaborative deck for a final proposal, or thinking about the wording for an important email!
7 pm: After Work Activities 🎮
Home sweet home — but not too soon. Sometimes I like to attend post-work business events, Zumba dance classes or meet friends somewhere near the office (there are plenty of bars for a good chat). Now that I think of it, one thing that I think I should do more with my teammates is play video games after work (we got a Nintendo Switch at the office)!
MING Labs is a leading digital business builder located in Berlin, Munich, New York City, Shanghai, Suzhou, and Singapore. We guide clients in designing their businesses for the future, ensuring they are leaders in the field of innovation.
Liked this story, and curious to know more? Check our latest updates on LinkedIn or drop us a note at hello@minglabs.com.
Related Reading: A Day In The Life Of A Frontend Architect
