Client vs. Agency Side Marketing: Understanding the Different Career Paths

Marketers graduating from college often ask me whether they should pursue client- or agency-side opportunities for their initial job out of college. I tell them that in the long term, it is always best to get experience with both, but initially, a stint on the agency-side provides more opportunities to learn about different marketing roles, industries, and experiences than the client-side.

Joe Koufman, Founder and CEO of Setup, the matchmakers bridging the gap between agencies and brands, and Andrea Striebel, the VP of Marketing for Floor & Decor, share their thoughts on agency- vs client-side careers.

My Journey in Navigating the World of Agency Growth: It's Not Just Business, It's Personal

After over 20 years in the agency marketing world, Rhonda Beckmann, the SVP, Growth of Setup, shares her advice about what it takes to work in sales. In my career, I have discovered what separates the everyday salesperson from top-tier growth talent. It's not always a strategy that can be articulated, as most are just being their authentic selves. However, these inherent qualities are what make them stand out:

5 Takeaways from Conversations with Marketing Leaders

Over the past couple of months, I’ve been on a journey to connect with as many marketers as I can and chat with them about their personal experiences working in the industry. I have walked away from every conversation with new insights and perspectives on ways that I can tackle my own career, and I want to share some of the overarching themes with you here. Here are my 5 takeaways from conversations I've had with some top marketing leaders.

Marketing Career AdviceSetup - marketing matchmakersSeptember 5, 2023career developmentComment

Top 5 #MotivationalMonday Tweets to Brighten Your Day

Setup’s Business Development and Marketing Associate, Alexis Quarcoo, has an ongoing series on her Twitter account, @Alexisfromsetup, called #MotivationalMonday where she highlights her favorite motivational quotes from previous guests featured in the CMO Spotlight Series. Check out this list of some of her favorite quotes (in no particular order) from marketing leaders in the CMO Spotlights that will give you a burst of motivation for the week and brighten your day:

Marketing Career AdviceSetup - marketing matchmakersJune 5, 2023Comment

6 Benefits of Mentoring Young Marketers

Setup CEO and Founder, Joe Koufman, recently won the Jana Ferguson Mentorship Award at the 66th AMY Awards, which is the American Marketing Association - Atlanta Chapter annual celebration of the finest marketers in Atlanta and the Southeast. This award led to Koufman reflecting and sharing the reasons why mentorship is so beneficial.

Marketing Career AdviceSetup - marketing matchmakersApril 11, 2023mentorshipComment

The Guides to New Marketing Roles

Stepping into a new marketing role can be challenging. Luckily, we’ve researched and collected information from interviews with marketing leaders who were once in your shoes to give you a step-by-step outline of what to expect and how to achieve your goals. Check out our free guide on New Marketing Roles, starting with Guide to a New Role | Director of Marketing!

The Marketing Career Path | Advice for the Marketing Professional #3

In this Marketer Musings segment, the following mashup presents marketing leaders sharing advice that they wish they had known as a younger marketer, as well as advice they would give to current marketing executives in executive, CMO, or VP roles similar to their own.

This Advice column features marketers from Danone, Del Taco, RE/MAX, and more.

Marketing Career AdviceSetup - marketing matchmakersJuly 19, 2022marketing career pathComment

10 Leadership Values from CMOs

In this Marketer Musings segment, the following mashup presents marketing leaders sharing the values that they demonstrate to their team and look for in team members.

Which values do you exemplify as a leader? Which do you prioritize in your organization?

The Marketing Career Path | Advice for the Marketing Professional #2

In the Setup CMO Spotlight series, marketing leaders share their journeys, leadership styles, and advice.

In this Marketer Musings segment, the following mashup presents marketing leaders sharing advice that they wish they had known as a younger marketer, as well as advice they would give to current marketing executives in executive, CMO, or VP roles similar to their own.

Marketing Career AdviceSetup - marketing matchmakersJuly 5, 2022marketing career pathComment

37 Inspiring Lessons for your Career, 5 at a Time (Part 3):

For the past year, Setup CEO and Founder, Joe Koufman, has highlighted some of the lessons he has learned from people in his network.

One of the recurring themes/lessons we have taken away from his admirable network is: Attitude Matters. The following people positively impacted everyone around them, leading to successful and meaningful careers.

Marketing Career AdviceSetup - marketing matchmakersSeptember 7, 2021#MarketerInsightsComment

A Marketing Matchmaker’s Guide to Networking Conversation Starters

In the spirit of our Marketer Matchups relaunch, Setup’s marketing matchmaker service for 1:1 networking connections, we wanted to give you ways to start networking conversations for when you return to events.

Marketing Career Advice, Marketing Industry/TrendsSetup - marketing matchmakersAugust 30, 2021Comment

The Marketing Career Path | Advice for the Marketing Professional

In the Setup CMO Spotlight series, we interview an array of marketing leaders who have done it all. In these recent interviews, marketing professionals shared advice that they wish they had known as a younger marketer, as well as advice they would give to current marketing executives in Chief Marketing Officer and other roles similar to their own.

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