Johanna, CRM Manager – Getsafe People

Johanna found our career advertisement via LinkedIn. Half an hour later, she was invited to a phone interview for the position as Customer Relationship Manager (CRM)

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•4 minute read•2021-07-01

Hi Johanna! We are speaking to you while you’re working from home – how is that going for you?

I’m a big fan of working from home in general. The switch probably wasn’t as rough for me as for others, because I had already sometimes worked from home in my previous jobs. In fact, tasks that require extreme concentration are actually easier for me to do at home. Nevertheless, I miss the daily exchange and shared work atmosphere with my colleagues a lot.

Do you have specific strategies in place to make working remotely more comfortable?

I’ve been doing a lot of weight training for three years now. I used to go to the gym about 3-4 times a week, because I’m not the type of person who can just sit for around eight hours a day. Fortunately, even though the gyms were closed, I have been motivated enough to continue with my workouts at home. I bought some dumbbells, I do a lot of yoga, and I always try to vary my routine. A few weeks ago, I also got a dog and we go outside multiple times a day, which I’ve enjoyed a lot. It definitely helps me to relax.

Continuing your workouts during lockdown is an absolute achievement! Would you describe yourself as an ambitious person?

I have always held myself to high standards. This was difficult as a kid – I got upset easily when I couldn’t do something perfectly on the first try and tended to give up way too soon. Working out helped with this a lot as well, because I learned to keep up with something without expecting supernatural results instantly. And it’s so worth it! So I would say that I have a healthy amount of ambition.

Do you have any role models in your life that guide you?

I would say I have many different role models – my grandpa, for example. He was a very determined person, and he always stood up for what he believed in. He was a prisoner of war, but afterwards he still worked his way up from being a casual labourer to an engineer and eventually he became the principal of an engineering school. This was always very impressive to me. From an entrepreneurial perspective, Bill Gates inspires me a lot as well. But I also think, as a woman, it’s important to look towards other women for inspiration – cue female empowerment.

Who is particularly inspiring to you?

The founder of Global Digital Women, Tijen Onaran, inspires me a lot. She has built a platform for supporting other women and is a strong advocate for topics related to female empowerment. And there are so many more women I really like who have done incredible things. Michelle Obama, Miriam Meckel, Ada Lovelace, Margaret Hamilton, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, my mother as well… the list goes on.

You work as a CRM Manager at Getsafe. Is it what you always wanted to do?

Not exactly (laughing). During my childhood, my first serious career ambition was to become a pilot. Then I wanted to be a fashion designer for a while, but the job prospects did not offer me enough security. Then, all of a sudden, I wanted to work in forensic medicine, but my grades weren’t good enough for me to go to medical school. There are just so many things that interest me.

Marketing isn’t even on the list! How did you get there eventually?

I discovered my passion for writing at the age of 17 and decided to become a journalist. I got my Bachelor’s Degree in German philology and art history and went through many internships, for example at ZDF and SWR. I also co-founded MAWAYOFLIFE, a digital city magazine about Mannheim – where I still work as chief editor. So I learned a lot about marketing on the job. Through my employment at a digital agency I eventually turned to marketing more directly, and I am very happy with how it all turned out.

And how did you end up at Getsafe?

I stumbled across the job ad via LinkedIn and half an hour later I was invited to a telephone interview. However, my current focus is not so much on conventional email campaigns, but rather lies with Facebook and Google. Customer communications via the app is also a part of my job and we are always testing new approaches. It’s my responsibility to build these channels from the ground up and design them in a way that our established customers will appreciate. In addition, I’m always brainstorming new and improved communication strategies as well.

What do you like most about your current job at Getsafe?

It’s extremely exciting for me to be in contact with customers so much. I don’t work in customer service, but the CRM team is always working closely with the Customer Happiness Team when we launch campaigns. This means I really get to experience the impact of my work out in the world. I also think it’s amazing that what we do is heavily based on data. We don’t make decisions due to personal preferences. Instead, we really look at the information and learn from it. My area, which is centred around mobile marketing, is extremely technical and data-driven, and I like this a lot.

Last question – What’s something that’s never missing from your daily work routine?

I don’t have a particular ritual, but I start all of my days with an overview of the tasks ahead by checking Slack, my emails, and my calendar. In addition, I always try to participate in random coffees, where you randomly get paired with someone from another team to have a virtual coffee date that week. I think that’s extremely cool, and I always enjoy the conversations with my colleagues a lot.

You're into marketing and want to have random coffees with your colleagues? Take a look at our career page and become a part of Getsafe!

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