Vicky, Public Relations: Connecting teams, messages, and people

I love connecting people, telling stories and ensuring great teams are being created, whether that’s in my home, volunteering, or at work. When I saw the comms role at Qualtrics, it ticked all those boxes and I knew I had to apply.

What attracted you to Qualtrics in the first place?

The culture.

What was the turning point where you knew you 'had to have the job' at Qualtrics?

I loved the sound of the role, but having worked in tech for 17 years with lots of different companies, I knew the culture had to be right for me to take the role. I initially thought the interview process sounded excessive, but by interview three, I was so involved and had met such great people that I knew I REALLY wanted to work at Qualtrics.

What does your day look like?

No day is ever the same. Generally they start with a similar theme. I always have the Today Programme on as I wake up and am getting my children ready for school. I'm not always the biggest fan of their interview style, so I tend to debate with the interviewer a lot. Once my children are out the door I check on any emails that came in overnight, and action those urgent pieces. I will also check in with our PR agencies across Europe on anything on a short deadline.

My day is spent understanding, creating, and selling. Understanding what our prospects are interested in, what the media are writing about, knowing the customers and solutions we have, and aligning that with our business priorities to create and tell those stories to position us best. It's then a case of persuading the media they should write about the topic. Once that is done, I work with our spokespeople to ensure they have the right messages to deliver when they speak to the media. This tends to be in the form of many meetings.

I often have meetings at the end of the day when the US wakes up, as I am one of only two from the PR team not based in the US. If it is a day like that, I may have collected my children from school earlier or spent time with them when they got home.

No day is ever the same and that is why I love it. 

What is your favorite part of your role?

Meeting new people and hearing all the great things we do at Qualtrics.

If you are not originally from London, can you tell us your story of moving there?

I've been a Londoner for nearly twenty years. Prior to that I grew up in rural England on the edge of a water network called the Norfolk Broads. I am never happier than in a boat, and always question why I am still in London - but I also LOVE it here.

Do you have any advice for someone in general?

Really listen.

What has surprised you most about working at Qualtrics?

I had been in my previous company for 15 years; I thought they were great and it was going to be very hard to trump that. I had no idea! Qualtrics has an awesome culture. I love the pace, the culture, the freedom, and the people.

What made you want to get into communications?

I love storytelling.

What is your top #LifeHack?

Create an AMAZING support network. You never know when you'll need it. But you have to give to ensure you get that back.

What's a favorite moment of your time at Qualtrics so far?

At our Christmas virtual meet-up, we were all given mugs which had word clouds describing what your colleagues thought were your strengths - I don't mind admitting I cried. It was so thoughtful.

What 3 words would you use to describe Qualtrics to someone?

Enthusiastic, passionate, determined.

What's a myth about working at Qualtrics that you’d like to bust?

People warned me it was quite a male-dominated organisation; it's definitely not something I have noticed.

Qualtrics is growing, and if you're ready to find your "why" at a place like this, you can explore our open opportunities at any time by visiting our career page or by joining our talent community.

	Vicky is an alumna of Oxford Brookes University & University of Edinburgh and started her career at what was then a PR start-up agency, PR Savvy. She loves sailing and being on the water.

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