Q&A with Natasha Carter, Communications Executive
Tell us a bit about yourself
I studied Public Relations, Media and Marketing at Canterbury Christ Church University in Kent - somehow achieving a first! I did this while living at home and volunteering as a content writer for a charity called JobAid, which helped those that were made redundant because of the pandemic. When able, I also wrote the odd political article for a website called PolitiMax.
In my spare time I knit, go to gigs, and force myself to ‘gym’.
What attracted you to work at Hard Numbers?
I finished university in June 2021. Like many other graduates, I was worried about finding a role as the pandemic had drastically changed the job market. A lot of my friends were struggling, so I assumed this would be the case for me too. After applying, the interview process with Paul, Darryl and the wider team was definitely a deciding factor in joining Hard Numbers. It gave me a good insight into what the company culture was like. I remember speaking to my mum afterwards saying how friendly and nice everyone was (and that there was a cat employee who made an appearance!).
What clients do you work with and what are you most excited about?
I work with mainly fintech clients at the moment. I’ve learnt so much in such a short period of time. I’m excited to learn more about client relations and how accounts are managed. In the future, I want to learn more about SEO too, as this has always been of interest to me since studying at university.
What’s been your favourite thing about working at HN so far?
Getting to experience PR in action! I’ve been learning about PR for three years and it’s nothing like the ‘real thing’. There’s so much more to it than on paper and agency life is definitely more interesting than just reading about it in a textbook.
How have you found the last 18 months and finding your first job during a global pandemic?
Completing half of my degree during a pandemic wasn’t in my five-year plan, but it happened. I had no idea what life would be like when I finished university. I was considering staying in education, getting a masters, becoming a teacher… But I knew I would be happiest getting my career started and being able to apply what I learned from my degree. Overall, I think I had it easier than most, as I don’t believe the pandemic really affected me finding my first job. At least nowhere near as much as those who graduated in 2020.
If you were a superhero, who would you be and why?
Deadpool! He’s able to be super care-free and reckless with minimal consequences - what a life.
What would your alternative career be?
I’d be a professional Taylor Swift fangirl. Emphasis on the professional (6-year-old me would say a vet but what does she know?).
What advice would you give to aspiring PRs and new grads looking for a job in the industry?
Volunteer! It’s easy to fit around your university assignments and is a great way to gain real-life experience in the sector you want to go into. It’s also a really good way to develop your skills in a work environment and find out what you like and don’t like about a particular industry.
Want to join Natasha on our fast-growing team? You can view our currency vacancies here and, if you’d like to apply, please contact paul@hardnumbers.co.uk
Want to join the team but can’t see an open position? We’re always happy to have a speculative chat, so get in touch and tell us why you’re Hard Numbers material!
