Today, we're thrilled to bring you an insider's perspective, straight from the heart of bunq. Get ready to dive into the world of this remarkable employee, Samantha, whose journey with bunq began in 2016, and who's here to share their story of transformation, challenges, and victories. Let's go!
Tell us a little bit about what made you join bunq?
Back in 2016, I decided it was time for a career change. I had already been working for 3 years, but was not feeling very stimulated at my job. I signed up for a Growth Marketing bootcamp and shortly after completing it, I was contacted by this new company called bunq. They had just launched the app in 2015 (the year prior) and were looking for someone who could help them grow the user base. I was excited by bunq’s mission to break free from the status quo and the charisma of Ali, bunq’s CEO. Loved that they thought things can be done differently (and better!), and of course the great challenge that was laid upon me to convince people living in the Netherlands to sign up for this new banking app. No pressure for someone who was new to growth marketing, new to tech, and new to startup life, right? But the pressure is the part I loved most: it was the perfect mix of inspiration and stimulation I was looking for. I accepted the job offer on the spot.
An inspirational start! How did you experience bunq when you started working there?
Upon starting at bunq, I quickly realized that I was surrounded by like-minded people. Everyone was extremely smart, motivated, and always pushed each other to do better. I had never experienced anything like this. Things moved super fast, so you barely had a moment to breathe and yet even though things moved fast, quality was never, ever, compromised. It’s like for the first time in my life, I was pushed to use my brain to its full capacity, and then some. And the best part? It was a genuine team feeling - we’d get dinner and drinks together, brainstorm about new things we could be working on next, help each other solve problems, and most importantly have fun while doing it.
Fast forward to 2023 - how did your career progress at bunq in all those years?
bunq continuously gives me great opportunities to shape my career in the best way possible. From being the first growth marketer at bunq, to building out the digital marketing team, and now laying out the foundation for doing product marketing at bunq, I’m constantly challenged to new heights. I always have the freedom to explore new areas where I can best use my strengths.
Any advice for people that may be looking to join bunq now or in the future?
bunq is a place where you’ll constantly be challenged, where you’ll get real responsibilities from the get go, and where you can truly make a difference. In order for all of that to work, that means we also uphold a certain standard for everyone based on our core values (ownership, effective communication, and data-driven decisions). Some advice I’d give? Be proactive, be precise, think things through, back up your assumptions, don’t be afraid to ask for help when needed (but don’t make other people do your job for you). Oh and lastly - be punctual. The trains always run on time.
