Hired! —(CEW) Communication is Key
We hear from Cathy about first time hiring and to keep things balanced we asked Toto about being the first one to work for CEW Communications.
Hello Cathy, founder of CEW Communications. We’d love to know a little about your company, what it does and why you set it up.
Hey! So CEW Communications was a dream I’d had for over five years. I’d been working in PR in the growing London tech scene for a while and caught the entrepreneur bug — I knew I was meant to start something, and I wanted to create a company that challenges the typical agency approach. CEW Communications is a strategic partner for scaling tech-enabled businesses, and the organisations that support them. We work with a lot of different players in the ecosystem, pulling on my own background working with VC’s, government and successful startups. PR is only a part of the services we offer our clients — we can manage everything from your social media strategy to influencer engagement. We’re agile and able to change direction quickly — like our clients do. In the future the ambition is to operate as an add-on CMO for scaling companies.
And this was your first hire? How did that feel?
Super awesome/terrifying.
Thanks for using UH — what persuaded you to publish the job role here and how was the experience?
Unicorn Hunt, and the 3beards that formed it, has a great reputation in the community. With this role, I didn’t want someone from a comms background — a love of tech and startups, with the energy to get cracking was key. Unicorn Hunt was the best place to go looking!
And you found Toto! What was it about her that stood out?
She’s super eager to learn, and has a great energy about her. One of the key things for me when hiring is to judge how this team member will act in the presence of a client — so that energy is key. Toto has that in bucketloads.
As a team of 2 there must be a number of learning curves — can you tell me about your first few weeks as employer?
I totally took for granted the admin side of getting set up with employee number one. HMRC does not make things easy! But once we were past that, all has been great! I just have to remember to delegate and train wherever I can — which when you’re a tad busy can become increasingly difficult. So making the time becomes crucial!
What advice would you give to other first time hirers?
Really think about what your goals are for the first few weeks for that hire and for yourself as a boss. It’s a big learning curve for both, but I’ve found that by being totally open about everything, you remove a lot of pressure and it makes it easier for all.
What lies ahead for the future of CEW Communications?
We’re gearing up to advertise for our next role! I would love to have built us to a team of three within year one, aiming to double growth next year.
Obviously after that there is world domination…or at least, looking into new markets with potential growth in Amsterdam or Berlin.
Anything fun we should know about like you plan to build a culture where every Friday you go out for lunch and Monday mornings are spent at Frame sweating out inspiration for the week :)
We’re still building the framework for what we want our culture to be, but at the moment we have “End of the Month Munch” — where lunch is on CEW.
Exercise is definitely a big thing for me, as it helps with the mental health of your team as well, so if you get in half an hour later because you want to do crossfit, or leave earlier to squeeze in a run, we say hell-yes! Building trust with your team means you know that whether they start late, and leave later, or start early and leave earlier, work is getting done. Work and life are weirdly blurred, so it’s important to reclaim ‘you’ time!
Well thanks you very much Cathy, awesome talking to you. Now let’s hear from Toto about how she’s getting on.
Hi Toto.
We’re super happy you got this role via Unicorn Hunt, that’s very cool.
Yeah, I liked the fact that it was very easy to use and showed how long the job had been posted for. I also liked the fact that I would be dealing with companies directly rather than through other third parties. In comparison, I think that Unicorn Hunt definitely reduces the clutter of typical job boards, it’s also very transparent which I prefer.
And you landed a job with CEW Communications! What did the process involve once you made your application?
After submitting my job application, I got an email from Cathy and we scheduled a skype interview during which she got to know more about me and my experiences, and I also got to know more about her and CEW. She gave me a task to complete which we then went over in a face-to-face meeting, so I could explain my thought process and ideas. After the face-to-face meeting I was offered the position!
Why do you like working at CEW?
I have an awesome boss! Cathy has taught me a lot and I’m still learning as I go, especially about the tech industry. I also enjoy the company culture, although it’s just the two of us for now, there is a very welcoming atmosphere at the office. I also get to work with a lot of great brands.
How did you know it was the right job for you?
I’ve always wanted to work in a startup, and one that was around the tech industry. Although not directly a tech company, there is a lot to learn, especially about scaling a startup and most importantly a job where I can make a substantial contribution to the growth of the company.
Job Hunting is hard work — what is your best bit of advice to others on the hunt for the dream position?
Be proactive, regularly check for updates or sign up for regular emails from job providers. Also make sure you are following up!
Do you have any lifelong ambitions? We’d love to hear about them no matter how wild or wacky!
One day I will have my own startup.
What a fantastic note to end on! Cathy we wish you the best with growth and world domination and please do teach Toto everything you can so she too can go off and start her own thing. Thanks ladies!
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CEW Communications
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