In this blog, our digital marketing and social media executive, Matt talks about his experience of joining Xpand and passing his probation period.
The big moment
At the beginning of February 2023, I sat down with Danni, Xpand’s Head of Digital Marketing, for my monthly review. However, this was no ordinary review. I’d been at Xpand for six months, which meant my probation period was over.
Danni quickly calmed my nerves by telling me the exciting news that I’d passed my probation and was staying at Xpand. I was over the moon! Six months of learning, new experiences and, of course, hard work had paid off.
I joined Xpand after six years at my previous job, where I’d started as an apprentice, so moving on was a big step. I’d come across the role at Xpand on Indeed and after reading the job description and a look at Xpand’s website and Instagram, I clicked apply.
I got a message from Danni on Indeed, and after a brief phone call, I got an interview. I was very keen on the job and determined to do my best and get it. The determination paid off. The interview went really well, and I met with Danni and Jag, Xpand’s Director and was briefly introduced to other Xpand team members. Later that day, I received a call from Jag offering me the job. I accepted, and after the call, there was an explosion of joy and celebration from me and my family.
One month later, I was setting off for my first day.
Learning from the start
I arrived at Xpand, with a mixture of nerves and excitement about my journey ahead. Most of my nerves soon faded as I was greeted at my desk with a welcoming card and gifts.
I received an induction document outlining my first month at Xpand. It was well-detailed, and I found it beneficial to see my daily focus and weekly objectives. It was also helpful as I worried that if I got too much information thrown at me at once, I would struggle.
Looking at the schedule for my first day, I saw that there was a welcome team lunch, which was a lovely surprise, and it helped me get to know my teammates better and feel more settled.
For the rest of the first week, I shadowed and received training from individual team members. I learnt a lot about clients, content, systems and Xpand. By Friday, I was pretty worn out but eager to get the next week going and start using what I learnt. I’d also begun the first of many Hubspot certifications (I’d become a bit of an addict to these and completed them all within my first two months).
Going from strength to strength
At Xpand, one of our four values is ‘In it together’, and that was very evident as my training continued with each team member dedicated to showing and teaching me what I needed to learn. As I was able to learn one to one, I got to know my colleagues better which helped me integrate into the team. I know from my previous experience of working in a larger company, that you get a brief introduction to everyone but don’t get time to develop proper working relationships. From the start, I was also included in team meetings, and it was clear that everyone’s input was valued whether you’ve been at Xpand a day or a year.
I also began to start creating content for clients and emails for Xpand. It was exciting to put my new-found knowledge and skills to the test quickly and early in my career.
It wasn’t long before it came to my first month’s review. The nerves came back as I sat down with Danni I knew deep down that it was going well, but the imposter syndrome kicked in. Danni explained the process of the review to me, where I would first explain what I thought went well in the month, and where I could improve. I really liked this approach to a review – being able to analyse and explain my progress before finding out how she thought I was getting on.
That was that, one month down. From month two onwards, I continued to expand my knowledge and skills, and my confidence grew exponentially. Since I started at Xpand, I improved in so many areas, from my content and other job roles to my personal fitness and health.
Experiencing the outside world
Joining Xpand has allowed me to attend and be a part of different events. The events included a marketing showcase, Leeds digital festival, an awards evening and even a music quiz (which allowed me to show off my music knowledge). All of these events were new experiences for me, and it meant that I could get myself out there and meet new people in a networking environment. These were great learning experiences, and I was able to take what I learned and use it in my job role.
We also started hosting our own events at Xpand HQ. These have been a great success and helped to improve our team working skills as we all participate and have our own roles in the events.
Another new experience for me has been travelling out to provide LinkedIn training for clients with Danni. Being able to visit clients and also provide them with the knowledge and strategy that they need to be successful on LinkedIn has been great, and the feedback and results that clients have given to us have been brilliant. Knowing that you’ve provided help to a company and they’ve used your knowledge to succeed is a great feeling.
I’ve really enjoyed the progress and growth I’ve made at Xpand from my induction right through my probation period. I know there’s much more to learn and do, so I’m excited to see what the future holds.
Interested in building a career at Xpand? Keep an eye on our careers page.
