Why did you join the FT? Tell me a bit about your journey to get here.
I remember completing my degree the same week I applied for a position at the FT. I wasn’t necessarily looking for a position here - it was all about finding the right first job straight out of university. However, given my personal experience with the Financial Times, which helped me through most of my Politics degree, especially Jim Pickard’s journalism, I knew I had to apply for a position once I saw a vacancy. Not only the reputation of the FT but also its scope of influence, drew me to the position. Being involved in ensuring that such an agenda-setting publication caters to its readers in the most sincere and, frankly, best possible way, made it a very exciting opportunity that I couldn’t pass on.
Describe a typical day in your role/department.
My department assists customers with any queries they may have - from starting a subscription, learning how to use our apps, and raising delivery complaints, to assisting with payment issues, and finding archive copies of the Financial Times. Very often we are the middlemen between another department and the customer, such as the technical team, marketing, or editorial. We liaise with them internally, to then help resolve any issues our readers may have.
What project have you been most proud of? Or are most excited about?
We have recently upgraded our CRM system, and it is very exciting to see how it has already changed the way we assist our readers. Ever since joining the FT, this is the first big change I have experienced first-hand, and that process itself is a great learning opportunity for us to see the amount of planning, training, and testing that goes into launching a new system. Apart from having their queries resolved more efficiently, which was the main point of the change, there isn’t much that customers will notice about this update, but it was quite an event internally. Although very challenging at first, which in itself is great, emphasising the significance of the upgrade, the whole process was very exciting, and I cannot wait to see what the next improvements to the system will be.
What has surprised you most about working at the FT?
I never expected the FT to have the workplace culture that it has - from activities, panels, and workshops that happen daily to regular department outings, it makes work that much more enjoyable, while also emphasising self-development and building relationships with colleagues from other teams. I was also very pleasantly surprised, and frankly quite impressed, to see how much of a well-oiled machine the FT is, and how many different groups of people cooperate daily, overcoming time zone differences and any other obstacles to ensure the smooth running of the business globally.
How has the FT helped you develop or progress in your role or in your career?
Given that FT journalism reaches a broad and diverse audience, naturally, the types of queries we get, or issues that we solve for our customers, vary greatly.
From resolving paper delivery complaints, processing refunds, and troubleshooting technical issues to helping customers interpret stock exchange data, our daily tasks cover many areas. Not only does it make for a great customer experience, but also provides great opportunities for self-development for us. Before joining the FT, I had no interest in the analysis of all sorts of financial charts or stock screeners, which I am now more than comfortable assisting customers with.
It is mostly those daily tasks that help us improve as individuals, but we also have opportunities to self-develop by participating in sessions that go beyond the scope of our responsibilities. The countless panel discussions, workshops, and after-work sessions give us a chance to grow as professionals and explore, and improve, skills that will be useful as our careers progress.
The FT's values are Ambition, Inclusion, Integrity, Curiosity, Trust and Subscriber Focused. In relation to your role at the FT which of these values speaks to you most and why?
Although all those values are core to each position at the FT, it is being “Subscriber Focused” that determines my approach to my daily tasks. Apart from great journalism, it is the loyal reader base that helps the business grow and uphold its reputation, so it is key that the service we provide matches the quality of writing. Listening to, understanding, and supporting customers helps ensure that they have access to news on the go, without any disruption to their service, and if any issues ever arise, we do our best to rectify them as quickly as possible. Being subscriber-focused also helps to keep me alert to the variety of readers we get - as the FT doesn’t solely cover the financial sector, but also arts, lifestyle content, reads for travellers, and several podcasts. Each query will be unique to the customer, their expectations, and interests.