Following our successful graduate recruitment day, we’ve recently made a new addition the SEO team here at ClickThrough Marketing. We sat down for a quick chat with Kyri Koni to find out how he’s settled in, how he ended up living in Gran Canaria, and his favourite public speaker.
Who are you? - Kyri Koni, graduate trainee at ClickThrough Marketing.
When did you start at ClickThrough? - Monday, December 10
What does your role at ClickThrough involve? - On the whole my role involves providing support to the account executives in the SEO team on client work – helping to ensure they have a good SEO presence – and research tasks, to provide insights into how certain processes within the business could be improved.
I also spend a lot of time swotting up on Internet marketing.
What’s your background? - I graduated from the University of Liverpool back in 2010, with a degree in Business Studies and Spanish. I then worked in a bank for a short amount of time, before bagging a job at SCC (Specialist Computer Centres), Europe’s largest independent IT re-seller.
What made you jump into the world of SEO? - My role at SCC not only enabled me to learn about the physical side of IT, but also fostered an interest in the technical, online-focussed side of things. This, coupled with the knowledge of marketing I gained through my degree, led me towards Internet marketing.
How have you found ClickThrough so far? - It’s been really good. I got invited to the staff Christmas party at Alton Towers the weekend before I started, which allowed me to get to know everyone in a relaxed, social environment. Everyone’s been really accommodating and the SEO team, in particular, have helped me settle nicely into my role.
What’s your proudest moment? - I have two. The first and main one would have to be going to live in Gran Canaria for eight months as part of my university course. I taught English to secondary school kids which was incredibly rewarding. It opened my eyes to a new country, allowed me to develop my Spanish and experience a fantastic but completely unfamiliar culture.
The second was completing the Black Country Half Marathon last year (2012), running from Wolverhampton to Birmingham – which I can safely say is much further than it sounds!
If you were stuck on a desert island and were only allowed to take three luxury items, what would you choose? -
- My iPad: I know it’s not the most practical thing to take to a desert island, but I know it would keep me occupied for hours, allowing me to browse the web and maintain contact with friends and family. Well, at least until the battery ran out.
- The Lord of the Rings: It’s one of those widely-praised classics I’ve never got round to reading, plus it’s really long – the perfect time-killer.
- Michael Jackson’s Greatest Hits: Being stranded on the desert island, I’d obviously have to load this onto my iPad. The lack of a proper sound system wouldn’t bother me though – MJ’s music is timeless. He’s responsible for so many great songs (Beat It’s my personal favourite) and it’d take me a while to become bored of hearing them.
How would you spend your perfect weekend? - I’m a keen explorer – I’m definitely not really one to sit and be reclusive. So I’d probably jet off to a random destination in search of adventure and better weather. I wouldn’t mind too much where. As long as there was plenty of sun, a tropical climate and a great beach, I’d be happy. Then during the evening I’d enjoy a night out with my friends – doing everything a normal 24-year-old would do.
Who do you admire most and why? - Eric Thomas. He’s not widely known but he’s a brilliant public speaker. His quote: “You can’t shine a diamond until you are ready to be cut like a diamond. Get comfortable being uncomfortable” really gets me going.
Finally, where do you see yourself in seven years? - I think primarily I’d like to be a position where I’d have broadened my SEO knowledge and become a valued member of the team at ClickThrough, with more responsibility.
