Leaving University and having to decide where next is a daunting task that faces graduates, having to decide your future is not easy! For myself, I knew that I wanted to be involved in the world of marketing; still not that straight forward, as we all know the roles the marketing industry has to offer are vast and diverse, with a great number of avenues to pursue. I know my poor artistic skills are unlikely to add much to a creative agency; but my drive to be able to understand people and what makes them tick is key to integrated marketing companies such as CACI. 
I started out in a role in a similar company for a year, where I primarily worked hands on with data and IT systems. Decisions were reactive to the environment and the month on month tasks were invariably in a well-established loop. Whilst this offered a reliable process driven environment where I could learn to do the tasks expected of me, it didn’t hold my interest, or excite the passion for people that my new job at CACI envokes.
Starting out, I was in awe of some of the impressive and extremely complex things that Marketing IT solutions are capable of, and even more impressed to hear the creative ideas of a new generation of Customer Insight Managers. It’s for this reason I chose to change my role and pursue a more customer centric and innovative approach at CACI, where customer insights and bringing people to life are key.
Most of my experience so far has been with financial services companies who have focused recent marketing efforts on getting to know their customers better. We both feel that understanding the person behind the name and address is paramount to success. It’s a fascinating world when you begin to look at a company’s customers or potential prospects, see how they spend their lives, what decisions they make and how these change over time.
To liken it to my own life, I take the time to get to know my friends and family and build great relationships. For example, when I was backpacking around the world and I saw a penguin, I knew my best friend back in England (the penguin obsessive), would want me to take a picture for her, however my dad is probably more interested in the fact I’m still alive and he isn’t about to get a phone call asking for money! I tailor my communications in everyday life, and reap the rewards from being able to communicate and build relationships with those around me.
I find it fascinating that companies like CACI are working with their clients to do the same; it’s a constantly evolving process which benefits from fresh ideas and outlooks, which offers people like me the opportunity to be both creative and innovative with the work I do.
