Q&A with Creative Pod

So, Becca, you’ve recently been employed by Creative Pod as a Marketing Assistant. Tell us how this came about?

I contacted CEO, Matt Turner, in June after I finished university to see if he was able to offer me a summer internship. I was fortunate that, despite the difficult situation many businesses were in due to the pandemic, he offered me a two-week placement at Creative Pod. I had a great time working with the company and was asked if I could stay an extra week, which I was very happy to do. A few days before I finished the internship, Sarah Lyons, Head of Marketing, asked if herself and Matt would be able to come to my garden and say thank you for my work in person. Up until this point I had been working from home as I am classed as medically vulnerable so have been isolating, but I meet friends and family outside, so I was more than happy to see them. When they came around early the next week, thanking me for my help with flowers in hand, I was very touched. After some general chit-chat Matt and Sarah asked if I would consider working at Creative Pod on a more permanent basis. I think I looked a bit confused and said something along the lines of ‘that would be good’, at which point Matt laughed and said ‘Becca, we’re offering you a job!’ I very happily accepted, and we went from there.

Did you know during your internship that you’d like to work at Creative Pod?

Definitely, I remember saying to my family after the first day of my internship how truly welcoming and friendly the whole team were. Over the couple of weeks, I found the work to be very diverse, which is something I really enjoyed as everyday was different.

What made you approach Creative Pod for work experience?

Well, that’s a rather long story, and actually starts in 2015. Matt and I met through Chestnut Tree House, as he is a patron for the hospice and I’m a long-standing user of the service. At 16 years old I spoke about my experiences of Chestnut at an event in Ardingly, and unbeknown to me, Matt was in the audience. A year later, at the annual Snowman’s Christmas Ball, I was the Keynote Speaker and was introduced to Matt this time round as I wanted to get into the Journalism and Marketing industry. I had just completed my first semester at university, and Matt told me to get in touch once I had finished my degree and he would see if he could help me out with some experience at Creative Pod. Fast forward three years, and true to his word, Matt offered me a summer internship when I approached him as a newly qualified graduate.

How did Coronavirus affect you finishing your degree?

I had to come home at the end of March with a month’s left of lectures still ahead of us. I studied English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Winchester, and luckily the majority of my assignments were coursework, so could be completed from home, and essential lecturers were carried out via zoom. The hardest part was having to adapt to working in a busy family home, but I got used to it pretty quickly. I was beyond proud of myself when I graduated in June with First Class Honours. Unfortunately, our graduation has been postponed till May 2021, but I’m very much looking forward to celebrating with friends when the time is right.

What were your plans for after university?

I had many personal plans for this summer, including travelling, but obviously these weren’t meant to be. In terms of my career aspirations, my time at university confirmed my ambition to delve into the Marketing and Journalism industry. However, I was very worried about opportunities to launch my career; getting a job becomes increasingly difficult each year for graduates, and Covid-19 made this ten times worse. I applied for many jobs before my internship with Creative Pod, but when there’s an average of 400 people applying for the same position, the odds aren’t in your favour. This was definitely a blessing in disguise though, as so many companies weren’t hiring given the economic climate, my options were few and far between, and I was applying for a lot of jobs that I couldn’t really see myself enjoying just out of necessity. So, I am beyond grateful to have been given the opportunity to work with wonderful colleagues, doing something that I love.

Has it been strange starting a new job during a pandemic?

It definitely has been strange; you kind of get used to the multiple zoom calls a day and working from your living room, and then you remember that you’ve actually never met your colleagues in person. I’ve developed a good routine now, and I’m extremely lucky to have a boss who is very understanding about my need to work from home whilst it is still necessary for me to shield. I can’t thank Matt enough for giving me this opportunity, and I hope that I’ll be able to get together with the team very soon.

Find out more about Creative Pod at www.creativepod.uk.com