We caught up with Queenda, who studied Business and International Relations at Aston University before starting her role as a Marketing Coordinator at CFC. She tells us about why she applied to CFC and what her experience at the firm has been like so far.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?
My name is Queenda, I grew up in South London before going to Birmingham to study Business and International Relations at Aston University. During my studies, I completed a placement year in my third year working as a Media and Marketing Intern. This solidified my passion for marketing. After graduating, I secured a job as a Marketing Coordinator at CFC and have been here for six months now.
What stood out to you about CFC when applying for opportunities?
I discovered the role through receiving a Bright Network email promoting the opportunity and was intrigued by the job description. I loved that the Marketing Coordinator role would expose me to many different sides of marketing, from client relationships and events to social media and merchandising. Plus, having done a placement in a similar role I knew that, with the skills I’d developed, I could add value to the team.
Not only was I drawn to the role through the description but, after exploring CFC’s profile and browsing their website I was attracted to the company for its fun, yet sophisticated, brand image and strong reputation as an insurance company.
How did you find the application process for CFC?
The application process stood out to me, it was quick, simple, and easy. I firstly submitted a CV and cover letter and by the following week had received an invitation to attend an interview. I enjoyed the interview with the Marketing Manager as it was a fairly informal meeting, this took the pressure off and eased my nerves. Being successful at this stage, I was invited to attend another interview the following week, this time with the Marketing Director. Again, this was a relaxed meeting where not only did CFC get to find out if I was the right fit for the role, but it gave me a chance to get to know the company better.
Throughout the process, there was a high level of interaction involved, and I really felt like CFC wanted to get to know me as a person which I appreciated.
What is a ‘normal day’ like in your role?
There’s never a dull day in my role, this was something I read on the job description before joining but didn’t quite understand until I started. Working in insurance, broker relationships are important so, from a marketing perspective, I must deal with requests from underwriters quickly and efficiently to ensure that we maintain these.
Besides this, each day is packed with interesting tasks, I could be doing anything from managing merchandise to helping plan events. My role is so varied, and I get to collaborate with different teams to deliver projects, this is something that I really enjoy. For example, recently I’ve been working with the Digital Content Manager to plan what social media campaigns we will push out this year and get these out to our audience. And, since Covid restrictions began easing, I’ve been more involved in coordinating events such as awards evenings.
How would you describe the culture at CFC?
We have a work hard, play hard culture. This works well for my personality as I can effectively get my work done but, in a place where I’m able to have fun. This attitude is evident in the regular socials we hold including birthday meals, team events, Christmas parties and strategy days.
Before joining, I didn’t know what to expect from a corporate culture but have not been disappointed. CFC is a friendly, welcoming, and supportive place to work. Even in the induction process, I’d developed this view on the company as I was given the opportunity to meet with each team from across the business, helping me to get to know people and establish a key point of contact for any queries.
What piece of advice would you give to someone who is thinking of applying to CFC?
Without sounding too cheesy I would say, just do it – you won’t regret it!
If you’re interested in discovering where a career at CFC could take you, check out their profile here.