Tag: Working at Whiteoaks

What’s your career background, in brief?

I started my career in PR. Though, with life’s strange twists and turns I ended up working in finance for just over a decade before taking the ‘it’s now or never’ plunge back into PR in 2020 and haven’t looked back. I’m currently a junior account manager here at Whiteoaks.

What’s the most challenging job you’ve ever had?

After uni, a friend of mine and I went to live and work in the Netherlands for five months for our first bit of ‘real life’ experience in the big wide world. The job itself was fine but the majority of those working with us (and living with us, in an old army barracks of all places) were Polish. We couldn’t speak Polish and they couldn’t really speak English. So, at first, this inability to communicate was extremely challenging, lonely and frustrating. But, as time went by, it was surprising at just how much could be communicated with a gesture or expression (and a bit of extremely broken Polish/English thrown into the mix). By the time we left, we walked away with some really great memories, good friendships, many life lessons learnt – and knowing a lot more Polish.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

A lawyer

What apps, technology items and gadgets can’t you live without?

I couldn’t live without Spotify on my iPhone and my earphones.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given?

When someone shows you who they really are the first time, believe them.

Name one thing about your job that gives you a sense of satisfaction or makes you leave the office smiling…

Receiving good feedback from a client, whether it’s on a great piece of coverage achieved within a publication they really wanted to appear in or whether it is to do with how well the team is working together while ensuring that the account in a great position, knowing the client is happy and likes what we are doing gives me a great sense of satisfaction.

What are you reading, watching or listening to at the moment?

I have just finished watching Firefly Lane on Netflix and I am currently reading It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover (which is the sequel to It Ends With Us). I would recommend all three.

Cabin in the mountains or house on the beach?

Both! Cabin in the mountains in winter and house on the beach in summer.

What’s your career background, in brief?

I studied PR at university, which included a year’s placement in a London-based agency. Following graduation – I joined Whiteoaks as a JAE about a year and a half ago, as my first post-uni, PR role. And now I’m Account Executive.

What’s the most challenging job you’ve ever had?

I worked in a kitchen showroom when I was about 16-17. Selling kitchens to customers, as a then-teenager with an admitted lack of culinary skills, wasn’t the easiest of tasks – but a great lesson in adaptability!

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I originally wanted to be a member of the S Club Juniors. Once I realised that dream might not be attainable, it remained in the music realm, and I shifted gears to either a music journalist or reviewer.

What apps, technology items and gadgets can’t you live without?

I’m practically joined at the hip to Spotify and my AirPods. Almost every moment of my day is usually accompanied by some form of a soundtrack.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given?

Put yourself first.

Name one thing about your job that gives you a sense of satisfaction or makes you leave the office smiling…

Getting to see a new piece of client coverage go from pen to paper.

What are you reading, watching or listening to at the moment?

The likelihood is I’m usually watching RuPaul’s Drag Race (it’s feelgood TV and my equivalent of any mainstream sports tournament – the queens are absolute masters at what they do!). And I’m always listening to Beyoncé – her Renaissance album has remained in heavy rotation to me ever since it was released.

Cabin in the mountains or house on the beach?

Cabin in the mountains… as long as there’s Wi-Fi.

What’s your career background, in brief?

I started out as a design assistant in 2009 after graduating university earlier that year. Since then I have worked both in-house and agency side and enjoy the versatility of design, where it’s been and where it’s going. And now I’m a senior designer at Whiteoaks.

What’s the most challenging job you’ve ever had?

I worked as a waitress for a well-known pizza chain throughout my college and university years and boy was it a challenge! It was always super busy, I was on my feet all day rushing around and the customer base came from all walks of life. So many stories, so little time! I still stand by the fact it set me up for the future in managing expectations – if only step counts existed back then!

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I always wanted to be a designer, so I worked my whole academic life to achieve this.

What apps, technology items and gadgets can’t you live without?

My phone – I’m lost without it! That and Apple Car Play as my commute can be long when traffic is bad.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given?

‘What’s for you, won’t go by you’. I’m a great believer in fate and that everything happens for a reason.

Name one thing about your job that gives you a sense of satisfaction or makes you leave the office smiling…

Knowing that our team can add our creative flair to our client’s brand, helping them to look and feel better.

What are you reading, watching or listening to at the moment?

I don’t get a lot of time to watch TV at home due to a very busy family life so my commutes to work are spent listening to podcasts such as ‘Diary of a CEO’, ‘How to Fail’ and ‘Time to Talk’.

Cabin in the mountains or house on the beach?

Both sound very appealing, but house on the beach wins!

What’s your career background, in brief?

I’ve had every job under the sun, from retail to selling AV equipment before graduating from university in 2020 – fresh in the midst of the pandemic! I joined Whiteoaks in 2021 and can’t see myself doing anything other than PR now.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

A dancer or singer. Turns out I’m tone deaf and a shameless dad dancer, so there goes that pipe dream…

What apps, technology items and gadgets can’t you live without?

I can’t live without Google Maps or Waze – as I have zero sense of direction and still shamefully use it to get to and from friends’ houses I’ve been going to for years…

What’s the best advice you’ve been given?

Better to have and not need than to need and not have

Name one thing about your job that gives you a sense of satisfaction or makes you leave the office smiling…

The culture! Like the heated debates about pointless things or silly trivial questions. My colleague Harry is particularly good with these, having gone round the entire office assigning a Spice Girl to everyone in sight…

What are you reading, watching or listening to at the moment?

I recently started White Lotus after many recommendations – and it’s good! Music wise, it’s a real mixed bag from house to rock and indie to country, with a few gigs and festivals I cannot wait for lined up for later in the year.

Cabin in the mountains or house on the beach?

If it’s hot, sunny and there’s a beach bar, house on the beach all day every day.                 

What’s your career background, in brief?

Since graduating from Uni I have worked in marketing and project co-ordination roles. This is my first role in the world of PR, and my position at Whiteoaks involves working on our marketing campaigns, from content creation to updates with clients.

What’s the most challenging job you’ve ever had?

When I was 18 I worked as a retail assistant at HMV, and our stock of the X Factor winner’s CD was late to arrive at the store on the day it came out. With X Factor being insanely popular at the time, we had hundreds of customers coming in to buy it when we opened first thing in the morning, and I had to disappoint them all with the bad news. (Online downloads and streaming really hadn’t kicked off at this point).

What apps, technology items and gadgets can’t you live without?

I listen to a lot of music so I can’t live without Spotify. I also play a lot of FIFA so a functioning Playstation 5 is helpful.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given?

Always be yourself, unless you can be Spider-Man, then be Spider-Man.

Name one thing about your job that gives you a sense of satisfaction or makes you leave the office smiling…

Writing good quality copy that doesn’t need much correcting is always satisfying!

What’s the first thing you do in the office in the morning?

As we’ve hit the winter months, hanging up my coat is always the first thing I do. Then it’s time for the morning coffee to get my brain into gear for the day.

What are you reading, watching or listening to at the moment?

The last book I read was called Ready Player One, where in a dystopian future the main character plugs himself into a much nicer virtual world to live out his life (Similar concept to The Matrix). I’m currently watching the last series of a comedy on Netflix called The Good Place, and Liam Gallagher’s new album is my go-to music at the moment.