You joined CNC as an intern before becoming an Associate in our London office. Where did you first hear of CNC and why did you decide to apply for an internship?
I came across CNC through the University of Nottingham careers department. As a recent Politics graduate, my studies were not linked with a particular vocational path but I had a fairly clear vision of the work that I wanted to be involved in. I have always been interested in business and the media and an internship at CNC offered a role where I could actively explore both of these areas.
As I researched the firm and met some of the London team, I was further drawn to CNC because it seemed to combine the best aspects of working at both a large and small company. CNC has an enviable client list and advises some of the world’s leading businesses on all aspects of strategic communications. The firm, however, has a flat internal structure which helps promote entrepreneurial thinking and –perhaps more importantly – a personal approach. This was a very important point for me and it reassured me that my internship would be one where I could really get involved and support the day-to-day business.
Why did you decide to start your career at CNC?
Having completed an internship in the London office, I had gained a real insight into CNC’s consulting services, its culture and the work that I would be involved in on a day-to-day basis.
Since its founding, CNC has provided consultancy services for over 500 clients in all areas of strategic communications. Through my internship, I learnt firsthand that these services can range from communications reorganisation for large, international companies to public affairs support for small and medium enterprises and NGOs. This multidisciplinary approach and the variety of working life that it enables were key reasons behind my decision to start at CNC.
Moreover, at CNC there is a great balance between teamwork and individual responsibility. In practice this means that you are encouraged early on to take ownership of your work and, once you have built the trust of your colleagues, you really have the opportunity to shape the development of projects. It was clear from this that CNC places a huge emphasis on personal development.
You worked in our headquarters in Munich for six weeks. What were your most important experiences/learnings?
At the end of 2010, I was given the opportunity to take part in an “office swap” and work from our Munich office for six weeks. Munich is CNC’s headquarters and the largest of the group’s offices. Given CNC’s focus on cross-border mandates, I had worked with several of the Munich-based consultants already. However, the secondment really gave me a chance to get to know one of CNC’s strategic hubs and to work more closely with the team in Munich.
The key learning that I took away from the experience was centered on the similarities between the London and Munich offices rather than the differences. Being the HQ, the office in Munich is considerably larger than in London. Despite this – and the fact that the offices are over 700 miles apart – both have a very similar atmosphere and a strong team dynamic. This could be due to the fact that, as a privately-held company, CNC has the ability to stay true to its core values and set its own agenda. As a group, CNC therefore has a pretty unique identity and spending time in our headquarters reinforced why it is great to be part of this team.
