Meet our team making things happen at CodeControl and our new freelancer platform 9am!
This time we’ve talked to Antonia. As an Account Manager, she makes sure our clients always get the best tech talent in no time.
What’s your story? Where are you from and where are you living now?
I’m from Germany, close to Munich and I now live on the island of Mallorca in Spain. I started working in recruitment with my mom on and off as she had a recruitment agency in the automotive industry. Then I moved to Frankfurt to start a business with a friend (a healthy takeaway concept), then went into permanent recruitment for finance and accounting, then internal recruitment in an IT recruitment company.
How long have you been here and what do you do here?
I’ve been here for 1.5 years as an Account Manager and I love it! When the pandemic hit, I was seeing what I could do next and got into sales, but missed the recruitment aspect. Then I found CodeControl and it was perfect as it was a combination of the two and I could work from anywhere with flexibility. I never did tech or freelance recruitment before this but I loved connecting with people and recruitment is all very similar in that way. I learned all about developers on the job, picked it up quickly, and also did a lot of research about tech stacks and the different types of roles. I need to ask the right questions and get as much info as possible to find the right match, rather than being a tech expert. Freelance recruitment is such a game changer as it’s easier to get in touch with the talent and things move quickly so I really like it. We focus on finding that talent in our community and we know their availability and experience. We have a community management team who develop initiatives for them such as events, webinars, ongoing education and discussion forums and they also keep growing our community of freelancers.
The day to day varies a lot. On Mondays I organize myself and review what happened the last week. We have weekly standup and wrapup meetings, client calls and new project requirements, interviewing candidates for the projects, presenting them to clients and arranging interviews between the two, then making sure the freelancer has everything they need to start and I organize the contracts. Then it’s ongoing account management and checking on upcoming projects the client might have. I love that there is no cold calling in this job. They come to us or have worked with us before. New business is constantly coming in and most clients do come back.
How do you describe working at CodeControl?
Relaxed overall and welcoming. It was great meeting the team in Barcelona after I worked here for 6 months and had already built connections with them remotely. I’m mostly in touch with the sales team and we get together once a month to have a social event on a call, build relationships, chat about non-work things. We have two team offsites per year normally where everyone gets together. It’s great working remotely but nice to meet people in person. I feel very supported in general.
What do you like best about remote work?
Flexibility. Living in Spain and being from Germany makes it easy. I can go back for visits without taking days off work which is different from the jobs I had before. Recently I went to England and decided to extend my stay as my laptop was with me anyway. I sometimes work from my balcony in the sun. I’ve also met up with teammates in different places. You can create a life around work and not just have your life depend on work.
What is a day in your life like outside of work?
A few months ago I established a morning routine to wake up earlier and start with five minutes of meditation. Then warm water with lemon or a tea, a morning walk or a workout, then get ready for work. I recently started tennis classes and in summer, I go to the beach and like to be outside in the sun as much as possible.
Book or podcast you recommend?
Atomic Habits by James Clear I love. A good new one I just started is called Breath, the Science of Breathing by James Nestor. As for podcasts, Be Well by Kelly, about wellness and health, Goop, and The Diary of a CEO.
Favorite productivity or other app?
An app called Done is great. I used to use the Pomodoro method for productivity and short sprints of work followed by a break.
Favorite place you’ve traveled?
Beirut, Lebanon - it was so special and I was there with locals for 5 days.
Where do you want to travel or live for a while that you haven’t been to yet?
South Africa and Buenos Aires would be great to travel to. Living wise, maybe in Portugal 50/50 with Spain. I love Lisbon.
Do you have a blog, side hustle or anything else you want to share?
During the pandemic I got certified as a Health Coach as I’ve always been super interested in topics like overall health, wellbeing and cooking. I’m not doing anything with it yet but will soon.
Feel free to connect with Antonia on LinkedIn or message her to ask about working with CodeControl!
Are you also interested in helping to shape the future of work? Check out opportunities to join our team!