Inside Bamboo Loans: Stuck in the lift with Alexandra

Meet Alexandra, Customer Service Representative at Bamboo.  Read what she has to say on our ongoing “A day in the life” series that highlights popular Bamboo Loans job functions, as seen through the eyes of our employees.

Hi Alexandra, tell us a bit about yourself, what do you do?

I currently work in the Applications team, as a full-time employee for Bamboo Loans. I joined Bamboo in October last year initially as a part time employee as I was still finishing my studies. But as soon as I graduated, I went on to becoming a full-time employee at Bamboo Loans.

What gets you out of bed in the morning?

My alarm, unfortunately! I love sleeping, but the thought of sipping a hot cup of coffee in my garden, in the early morning with birds chirping around me and my annoying cat in my feet, makes waking up just a bit more bearable.

What was your background before you joined Bamboo?

Before Bamboo, I studied – believe it or not – classical singing. I did vocational high school in Romania, specialised in music, and then did one year at the National University of Music in Bucharest. I transferred to UK’s University of Southampton for my third and last year because my family was already living here. During my third year in Southampton, I was lucky enough to spot Bamboo Loan’s job announcement so I went to an interview and started working part time while still studying.

What is your biggest achievement to date – personal or professional? 

I wouldn’t say there is one big achievement, but many small ones – first time I sang in public, passing the International Baccalaureate, getting admission in University, passing IELTS, graduating University (with the unexpected First Class Honors), and finding a good job with such a fantastic bunch of people. The many small things that build on top of each other are my ‘big’ achievements.

What is your favourite part about working with Bamboo?

Getting to work within a young company that listens to their employees and makes constant efforts to ensure we’ve got everything we need to do our job and that we are happy here. Also knowing that the company I work for doesn’t treat customers mechanically, but considers each situation independently and treats people as human beings, not just numbers.

If you could switch jobs with someone, who would it be?

My manager Beth or Saz. 😀

Outside of the office, how do you spend your free time?

I love to read and learn new languages, watch Netflix and just laze around, but my favourite activity by far is singing (here’s my YouTube channel if you’re curious) and listening to operas.

What’s a fun fact about you many people may not know?

If I smile and nod but not say anything, I didn’t understand what you said.

What is your motto or personal mantra?

Sad birds still sing.

What advice would you give to recent new entrants?

If you’re not sure, ask. We were all there once and we all had our teacher who went bald answering all our questions. It’s our turn to be teachers!

A day in the life of Alexandra: Tell us a bit about your daily routine

What does the typical day look like for you?

I wake up between 6 and 7 am, depending on what shift I work that day, and have breakfast and coffee. I occasionally cook something If I wake up early enough, but in general I only help my little brother get ready for school and make sure he arrives there safe and on time. The rest of the morning is spent reading or doing translations.

I leave for work and always arrive too early because I depend on buses with a not-very-reliable timetable and have a home-cooked lunch with me at work to avoid spending a fortune on unhealthy food from Coop. After work I usually go straight home, where I chat with my mom and we watch a movie together with my little brother and dad.

Every now and then the mornings are spent out shopping and the evenings at the theatre, where I see an opera or a musical.