Include a wide variety of conference reports. Too many AE's limit themselves in this part of their portfolio. Instead, display your ability to take notes in all situations. Include reports from internal reviews, client presentations, even brainstorms. Heck, throw in a status meeting! Show your versatility. Potential employers should know you can type bullet points:
anytime
anywhere
Get creative with creative briefs. Not every brief needs to be left-aligned and written in Cambria. This is a chance to let your personality shine! Push the envelope and write a brief in Helvetica. Play with the margins. Get liberal with exclamation points and bolded words. Once, I even met an AE who wrote her briefs in Navy blue. Navy blue! You can bet she stood out from the rest of the pack.
Flaunt your frugality on expense reports. Did you ever book an economy ticket instead of business class, or rent a compact car instead of a mid-size? How about food? Can you stay under half your per diem? Pinching pennies on the company dime is a valuable skill set. Make sure to highlight trips to terrible cities with a low cost of living like Dayton or Fresno.
Save your most impressive email threads. Your future Account Director wants someone who can placate clients with an endless slew of euphemisms and doublespeak. So dig into that inbox and find your best stuff. Show them how skillfully you wield phrases like “just to clarify” and “our only concern”. And definitely point out client conversations that took place late at night. It’s proof you can answer the most asinine questions at the most ungodly hours.
Include all relevant babysitting experience. Have you ever been paid to look after a temperamental, helpless human being whose only redeeming quality is an overactive imagination? Did you attend to their every physical and emotional need? Did you get them food and escort them to every appointment? Did you tell them their art is better than it is, then post it where everyone could see it? Great, because you’ll be working with creatives.