What does a typical day in the life of an AAE look like?
Every day is completely different: by working on a number of accounts, you never know what your day is going to look like: nor can it be predicted! For that reason, there is no such thing as a typical day 😉Lots of variety means lots of learning on the job. On a day-to-day basis, I would say that the social aspect of our job is always present. Besides being in client meetings, we have a lot of contact with Edelman colleagues, in the Amsterdam office or overseas – which makes you feel surrounded and included in the Edelman network.
What three skills do you think are essential to fulfil your role?
Perseverance, communication skills and project management.
What do you like best about working at Edelman?
Getting the chance to learn a lot about so many organizations. In the past 14 months, I’ve worked on beer brands, health organizations, tech companies and non-profits. Besides that, I feel privileged to be surrounded by so many professionals who act as role models. The constant variety means I’m continuously learning – increasing my confidence to perform and participate in increasingly challenging projects.
What are some of the challenges you face in your day-to-day role?
Jumping from one task to another, without forgetting to finish the first task 😉 Time management when you can’t predict how long a task will actually take (or when you’ll get interrupted 😉),but I’m still optimistic when it comes to planning in my tasks at the start of the day 😊
Describe your working week using 3 emojis
😱 ⏳ 🙌
What’s been your most memorable moment at Edelman so far?
Interestingly enough - it isn’t work related: it was our last day at the office in February, watching the Dutch Government press conference together. Our CEO Steven Heywood said that it was probably going to be the last time we’d be in the office all together for a while. I still remember thinking how that couldn’t be the case! Oh how wrong I was! I miss all of our amazing Edelman Borrels because these after work drinks were the perfect place to chat about challenges, inspire others with the amazing work you’d seen in the week. Quite often we’d also just stop talking and start dancing!
What’s your favourite part of a working day?
I actually love my mornings: I like to start early because I have the time to organize, start my to-do lists for the day and prepare for the busy times that might follow. Just me, a cup of coffee and some catching up of what happened overnight in the industries that I am supporting, my favourite moment of calm. And don’t get me wrong, I DO like the hectic aspect of our days, I just prefer to be prepared😊
How do you stay motivated?
Positive feedback from clients or from team members is a giant boost. Accomplishing great coverage in top tier outlets or presenting an idea which wows a client are all the things that make me want to run extra fast for a client or for a team member. Within Edelman I feel like we focus on helping each other out where possible – which is a great feeling and keeps me motivated because I know that I am never on my own.
What’s your top tip for working from home?
I’m the worst person to ask because I’m terrible at it (I like to be surrounded by people), but I would say movement: getting up early and walking a round before “going to work, aka sitting behind the screen in your living room”. I do the same after work and schedule in “coffees” online during the day to make sure that I create the feeling of talking to colleagues during the day about “ditjes en datjes”.
Did anything surprise you when you joined Edelman?
The diverse aspects of our jobs in the agency for sure! One day you could be attending an event with influencers, the next and you’re assisting on a shoot for tech devices. Sometimes you could be preparing a briefing book for a CEO regarding a hostile takeover and the next day you’re acting like a designer creating amazing looking client facing PowerPoints!
Finally, how do you see your career path developing in the future?
Most difficult question of course.. As I still have a lot to learn, my story at Edelman isn’t finished! One day, I would love to move abroad to challenge myself to step outside of my comfort zone and pursue my learning goals – Africa is high on my wish list 😊
