Meet the team: Giulia Zen

Posted on June 10, 2019 by Daniel Farrell

In the first of a new series we speak to the team here at Educate about what their day to day work involves and what makes them tick!

First up it’s one of our newer team members Giulia who is part of the campaign delivery team

Hi Giulia! Let’s start with a bit about your background. What brought you to Educate?

Hello! Working at Educate was the conclusion of a journey that started when (back in 2016!) I decided I wanted to study a Master degree in the UK. After a preparatory course, I was offered a place at Kingston University, and I successfully completed my MSc in Marketing Communications and Advertising. I then started the process of job applications. I wanted to remain in the UK, and more specifically in London, hence I began from there. I interviewed at Educate in February, and I was offered the job of Campaign Delivery Executive after a few stages. I was thrilled about it! I found interesting the change of perspective from being a student to work for a company that specialises in digital marketing in the sector of student recruitment.

Tell us a little about your background before you joined us

Workwise, I came from a different background. I have worked as a freelance photographer, and I did an internship as Industrial photographer and graphic designer in Italy. I liked working in that area, but I was feeling like something was ‘missing’. The process of writing my dissertation had convinced me that I wanted to ‘move’ slightly into another sector, from graphic design to marketing and advertising. I have always considered photography and design as a form of communication, so I perceived the transition to marketing as a natural progression and expansion of my original interest.

Now you’re at Educate, what does your typical day look like?

I would say that not two days are the same! I, of course, have some regular tasks that I need to fulfil, but the days can be extremely different from one another. The role is highly varied – a feature that I appreciate, as it gives me the possibility of exploring and experiencing different areas. As a campaign delivery executive, my main responsibility is to ensure that the various campaigns we operate are optimised, updated and performing properly and according to schedule. I normally oversee a varied range of activities, including emails, display on different platforms, newsletters. My role involves checking regularly on all these activities, to be sure everything is running timely and delivering the best possible result. For this reason, my job also includes producing regular reports on the various campaigns. By time to time, I also take care of Educate’s activities on social media, creating and posting several contents. When necessary, my previous experience as designer comes in handy for finalising the layout of various presentations… As you can see, I am never bored!

Is there a part of your role that you find the most fulfilling?

I particularly appreciate the tasks related to campaign setting and display. There is still much that I can learn about digital marketing, but for the moment I find programmatic advertising mostly interesting. It is quite a long process, but I feel satisfied when all the campaigns are created and ready to go live. And of course, seeing them delivering good results is always rewarding!

Do you have a ‘proudest moment’ in your career to date?

A few weeks ago, we had a team building away day in which the whole office participated. As part of it, every member of the team was charged with the task of delivering a short presentation on how to grow the business. I was quite nervous, as it would have been my first presentation outside of the university environment, delivered to colleagues with solid experience in the sector. I was quite proud and satisfied when, at the end of it, I was told I managed to do a good job with it!

What are you looking forward to achieving at Educate over the next couple of years?

Concerning what I would like to achieve in the future, I would surely say I’d like to grow my professional expertise. Working for a digital marketing agency confirmed to me that there is always the necessity to learn new skills, be up-to-date with the latest marketing and advertising trends, and there is always something that I can learn to do better. I look forward to continuing my training on all the digital marketing platforms, including social media.

What would you say it’s like working for Educate??

I would say that the job is very fast-paced, which can be hard to keep up with, by time to time, but overall, I find it very stimulating. As the team is relatively small in size, there is always the opportunity to actively participate in different projects, which is beneficial for learning something new. The working environment feels very welcoming and supportive, and communication among different members of the team is easy and open. If you have ideas or suggestions, everyone will be ready to listen – does not matter if you are the newbie! It is really good for feeling immediately part of the team.

And finally, if you could describe yourself in three words, what would those words be?

That’s a hard one! I would say creative, serious, thoughtful. I hope people would agree with that!