A few weeks ago I went to my cousin’s high school graduation. While she was excited graduation had finally come, she did confide in me that the last few months had been very stressful for her – trying to satisfy her teachers, her parents, her friends, her coaches, herself, all while searching for the right college and preparing to be on her own. While listening to her drone on and on about how hard it was to be a high school senior it suddenly hit me…that’s what my job is like. That’s how I can explain what I do to other people and have them actually understand it.

As a recent college grad I always have friends and family asking me, so what exactly is it that you do? Most of the time I settle for the generic “I work in internet advertising” line, but on the off chance that someone really probes and wants more detail I often find it difficult to explain the complexity of my position.

As an IMSer I don’t just have to worry about the client. I don’t just worry about PlattForm. I have to be concerned for the well-being of all parties involved. My goal is to make money for PlattForm while doing what’s in the client’s best interest and keeping our affiliates happy. I have to consider SEO and PSM. What about our internal sites, how do we get more leads from them? Can we run the call center? Is the copy on our forms good enough? The questions are endless.

If anyone ever told me I’d be asked to act like a teenager again I would have said they were crazy, but that’s exactly what my job requires. I have a multitude of avenues I have to consider and be knowledgeable about and bring together into one cohesive plan. I have a responsibility to so many different parties that it really is like being a teenager again, except without having your parent’s money to pay for everything.

- Amanda Burns