To mark this amazing moment, we sat down with one of our very first hires here in Sofia - Neda. Here’s all about her journey at bunq!
Hey Neda, happy anniversary! Tell us a bit about you and what brought you to bunq. ✨
I can’t believe that it’s already been 1 full year since I started working at bunq! It’s true what they say, time flies when you’re having fun. One of my ex-colleagues sent me the original bunq Customer Guide vacancy in 2019. We used to work together for a FinTech company based in the UK. I already had some experience within the industry, so when I found out that bunq is actually a Dutch startup I got even more excited. I love the people in the Netherlands and working for a startup is just lots of fun.
Tell us about your journey at bunq! 🎢
It’s been an amazing experience so far. I’ve met so many incredible people that helped me grow, not only as a bunqer, but also as a person. bunq is actually the first company I know which gives actual growth opportunities within your career. If you are really getting shit done, it won’t be long before you get promoted or even join a different department based on your interests and skills.
That is what happened in my case. I was doing my best within the support team, then there was an opening for a Customer Guide Trainer position and I got it! I really couldn’t be happier. That was exactly what I wanted to do from day 1, being truly inspired by my own trainer at the time - Ramona.
Biggest lesson you’ve learnt in the past year? 🧘
Guides at bunq have multiple responsibilities - helping users is our main one, but within bunq there is also something called ownership. Ownerships are side projects which you have to manage all by yourself. To be successful, you need significant time management skills. That is something I’ve learned here, as I wasn’t that efficient with my time initially. It helped me improve my work, but also my lifestyle overall.
How are you different today compared to day 1? 🙌
When I started at bunq, I had some issues regarding taking responsibility - that’s something I’ve struggled with not only within my career, but also on a personal level. I was constantly stressing out about additional tasks and overthinking situations when they involved multiple people. I guess it was just general anxiety that I had no idea how to battle. My Team Lead helped a lot with this situation. He taught me that I should believe in myself more, because I was already doing a good job. Slowly, I started listening to him. Today I am responsible for one of the most important parts of building a team: the new hires and their training.
How is bunq different now compared to when you started? 🌈
Today I am happy to be a part of an amazing team and have made so many friends here. We were just about 6 people back in December 2019 when the Sofia office opened. We have rapidly grown in numbers since then up to over 50 bunqers based on Sofia. Honestly that is the best part about bunq: I go to work smiling as I know I will see my friends in the office. We aren’t just a team of co-workers, we are a real family.
What are you most looking forward to in the future? 🎉
As we are growing each week, I would eventually need experienced guides to help me with the training. Having my own team of trainers, each of us with delegated tasks will ensure an even smoother kickoff for our lovely new bunqers. This is just an idea for now, but who knows what the future will bring. It’s bunq, after all - never a dull moment!
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