From bar to Digital PR

London had always been a pipe dream for me, with the soaring cost of renting a property and everyday amenities becoming a looming financial boogieman that made relocating more than a little terrifying. Nonetheless, in what is a very uncharacteristic move for me, I decided to fly by the seat of my pants and give it a bash anyway. And let me tell you, I absolutely feel like I’ve landed on my feet.

I’d had my eye on atom42 for some time, having read a blog post on their website after doing a search for digital marketing agencies in London- so the noise I made when I got the call to offer me a job was barely human, and akin to something that only the office dog could hear.

I was SO convinced that I messed up my interview- having worked as the General Manager of a cocktail bar in teeny tiny Lincoln for the past 6 years, it was so far removed from any of my experiences up until that point. I found myself forgetting everything I had tried to teach myself about SEO, digital PR and PPC via copious amounts of YouTube videos and Moz blog posts, and instead spurting out unintelligible babble like the water fountains in Leicester Square.

The atom42 welcome

On my first day, Toni, my new manager and digital content specialist, ceremoniously paraded me around the office to meet everyone.

Everyone was super nice (a far cry from these unfriendly London dwellers I’d heard so much about!) and the many offers of “give me a shout if you need anything” quickly made me feel at home. My anxiety surrounding starting an entirely new career in online marketing was quickly washed away. That, of course, was aided by my highly anticipated meeting with the office dachshund Arla, who received an honourable mention in my cover letter when I initially applied.

At lunch, I was treated to Byron Burger. But it came with a price. Though the meal was free, my time wasn’t and I spent the entire lunch being initiated into atom42 with a series of questions that were anything but standard “getting-to-know-you” fare, including which of my new atom family I would push out of a hot air balloon if I had to.

While on the surface you would think that this might have been a very awkward lunch for me, it was anything but. I was able to see how all of the atoms have a brilliant sense of humour, and how close everyone really is- which was backed up by the welcome drinks I had with my new team the following evening, and the leaving drinks that were thrown for one of the squad at the end of the week.

The vibe of a digital marketing agency

Working here is full of perks, such as:

• A monthly sports massage
• Fresh pastries every friday for a very much appreciated continental breakfast
• A free pizza/burrito lunch every month
• Free weekly yoga classes

Now, while these things are amazing, it really is the people that make it.

Coming into this industry as a techy newbie was vaguely intimidating, with complex and not so complex terms (penguin or panda anyone?) and metrics and tools being thrown my way; but the constant reassurances of “don’t worry, when I first started I didn’t know either” made them a challenge I was looking forward to, rather than something I wanted to run and hide from.

Why choose atom?

One thing that will really stick with me is the fact that in my first week, every one of the directors made a point of coming over to say hello to me and to check how my first few days had been. This small gesture made me feel so welcome, and that I really could talk to absolutely any of the team whenever I needed help, including the “big bosses”

I knew before I started my job that atom was a company with a different mindset.

Even though I’m on the precipice of a very steep learning curve, I’m very excited to be sinking my teeth into the somewhat daunting and ever-changing world of SEO; but all of that feels okay, due largely to the support that I have received so far (and the copious amounts of tea that have graced my desk, of course!).

If you’re considering applying here- DO IT.

Take it from me, I’ve been here just a few weeks now and there hasn’t been a single day that I haven’t woken up excited to get to work.

Whether you’re relocating from a different city, diving into a total career change or even if you’re already in the marketing industry at another company, definitely put atom42 on your radar.