A message from Clare, our brilliant new Account Exec

I’m sure most people would agree the first week at a new job is a daunting prospect, and to be frank, last Monday morning I was more than a little apprehensive. However, I need not have worried, as everyone at TW CAT has welcomed me into the team with open arms. It’s not in every office you are greeted in the morning with a lick to the face and a wag of the tail, but our resident pooches Percy and Bear are an added bonus that makes the third floor in Huntingdon House such a unique and fantastic place to work.

I’ve had a little agency experience, but I’m glad to be starting from the basics. Lots of inductions with staff in different areas of TW CAT have given me a great overview of how the cogs turn. I have been putting together a ‘jargon dictionary’ full of Marketing terms I’ve never heard of, and have been fully assured that within a few months I’ll be picking up the post off of the doormat and poring over the printing and paper quality of the Chinese takeaway menu. That said, although I feel that there is a lot to learn, I have found myself absorbing more information than I had first anticipated. When a friend asked me how it was going, I was able to enthusiastically reel off plenty of information about current projects and clients. I think this is to do with the way Robin and Lily (my Account team) have included me in absolutely everything from the get go. It has been really enlightening to sit in on Creative briefings, pitch meetings, teleconferences, and team catch-ups, and to be honest I think getting your hands dirty so to speak, is the best way to learn.

The tragic earthquake disaster in Haiti has served to prove not only how important fundraising is, but also has reaffirmed (in my mind) the dedication needed to succeed in the charity sector. It is at times like these when the world rallies together in support of one great cause, and the urgency and generosity of donors, aid workers, as well as agencies such as TW CAT striving to get a message across, never ceases to astonish me. To be part of that is a really exciting prospect for me, and I am looking forward to learning and developing within the agency.

If my Monday morning started with a few nerves, Friday evening was the complete antithesis. I was further welcomed to the team with a trip to the pub, a really nice chance for me to get to know everyone a little better. Needless to say, after a gallon of wine the feeling of being the new girl had completely subsided!