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If you’re a project manager, account executive or manage any client services-related job in an agency, you are often tasked with making sure your clients are “happy.” Of course, customer service and satisfaction are an important part of this role, but this begs the question, what exactly does making your client happy mean? 

At Nebo, I tell our project management team that our clients must have a positive experience working with us. This means that we keep our word. We are responsive and communicate, and most importantly, we care — A LOT. This also means we should be honest, creating a partnership built from mutual respect and transparency, even when it means you need to have difficult conversations with your clients. 

As I’ve gotten older, how I view Black History Month has changed. As a child, it was that time every year that we talked about the same 4 or 5 key figures in the Civil Rights movement in school. Occasionally, a special essay or project was assigned to create a poster highlighting one of those people and their role in advancing Black people towards equality in America. It was a very similar experience shared by many of us who went to grade school in the ’80s and ‘90s.

At Nebo, we often say that attention is one of our scarcest resources. As a human-centered marketing agency, we understand that people are inundated with messaging and ads everywhere they turn. We have to think about the person behind the click or view and make sure we are creating marketing campaigns and digital experiences that genuinely add value to their lives.

In addition to attention, there is another resource we fight against, both in our professional and personal lives.

That scarce resource is time.

So, you want to work at Nebo? Getting your foot in the door at most agencies is known for being notoriously difficult. Competition is typically fierce, and with the job market still rebounding from the 2008 economic meltdown, it’s even more brutal.

There are millions of articles about how to find a job, how to prepare for an interview and so on. Throughout my career I’ve interviewed many, many applicants. When we say Nebo is a human-centered agency, we mean it in all aspects of how we run our business — especially how we bring on new team members.

If you’re interested in getting a position at Nebo, here are a few suggestions to help start you off on the right foot.

It’s no secret that, like many moms who work outside the home, there are times when my roles blur. How often have we made a quick call to the pediatrician’s office in between meetings? Or answered a work email while feeding dinner to our children? Living in a digital world has given us tremendous flexibility to multi-task and to be plugged in more often then ever.

But what has surprised me as I’ve learned to juggle these two demanding roles – digital marketing project manager and mom – is how many correlations exist between them. I’ve started to realize that it takes a specific set of core skills to be great at both.

Being a mother has been the most rewarding and difficult job I’ve ever had. Before my son was born, I felt so many emotions. Nearly six years later, I’m enjoying this wild ride, with so much still to learn.

So, in honor of this coming Mother’s Day, here are a few things I’ve learned about project management from building a relationship with my absolute neediest client… my five year old.