Sasha Bondar: How I Became A SUSOnian

Author: Sasha Bondar, Account Manager

Tell Us A Bit About Yourself?

Hi, my name is Oleksandra (Sasha) Bondar, and I am an Account Manager at SUSO Digital. I started my journey as an intern, and I have been working here for almost a year now. In my role, I am responsible for building and maintaining positive relationships with our clients, managing their campaigns, monitoring performance, and addressing any concerns they may have.

What First Attracted You to Joining SUSO?

I had heard about SUSO Digital from a friend who said that they foster a people-first culture. 

However, I wanted to see for myself, so I went to my first interview.I was pleasantly surprised with the experience – there were no intimidating questions or negative vibes. 

Instead, my interviewer (who ended up being my Team Leader) was genuinely interested in getting to know me, and the conversation focused more on my interests and goals rather than just the company’s successes. 

I definitely felt a difference in the atmosphere, and it left a good impression on me.

What Does A Typical Day at SUSO Look Like For You?

To start my workday, I check my calendar to see if there are any upcoming meetings scheduled. If I have any meetings with clients, I set aside time beforehand to prepare, ensuring that the meeting is productive and valuable for them.

At 10 am, our team typically has a meeting where we talk about our goals as a team and share new information. During these meetings, we also discuss how to improve our internal processes. By the way, this is one of the advantages of working at SUSO Digital – everyone has the right to vote on how they want to do their work.

Next, I check my email inbox, responding to any pending messages and creating a plan for the day ahead. Afterward, I review the work progress of ongoing projects and help my team to resolve any issues that may arise.

Finally, I check the performance of each of my projects, including metrics such as sessions, users, traffic, and keyword rankings. We make it a priority to check these regularly to stay informed and to identify potential campaign threats before they become significant issues.

I also have a number of ad hoc tasks that are not part of a regular routine and are typically associated with a specific campaign I am working on. 

What Made You Want to Work in SEO?

Prior to joining SUSO Digital, I had the opportunity to work in various roles, such as sales, event management, PR, and business administration. While these were all great positions to have, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing in my professional life. It wasn’t until later that I realised what I was missing was a challenge and the opportunity to learn and grow constantly.

In the field of SEO, I found the perfect combination of challenge and novelty. With SEO, it’s not enough to just have knowledge – you need to continuously learn and adapt to new trends and updates. In addition, you must be able to think creatively and come up with new and innovative strategies. 

This is what truly excites me about SEO and why I am thrilled to be working in this field.

What’s Your Favourite Part About Your Role?

Happy clients, they are the best! It’s wonderful to see someone truly appreciate the work we put into their campaign. I especially love sending a report to a client that shows their constant growth, knowing that we played a part in that achievement.

How Would You Describe The Culture at SUSO?

I would say that the work culture at SUSO Digital is based on friendliness.  This friendliness isn’t just limited to employee relations but is present throughout the company. 

The management fosters an environment where everyone feels comfortable and listened to. Compared to my previous workplaces, the relationships between team members and managers at SUSO Digital are healthy and genuine. There is a sense of companionship and mutual respect that contributes to a positive work atmosphere.

What’s One SEO Tool That You Can’t Live Without?

We have access to various tools, but one stands out as a clear choice – Ahrefs. 

This tool offers numerous opportunities for analysing websites and their backlinks, which helps us gain a deeper understanding of our clients’ websites and develop customised SEO strategies.

What’s Been Your Proudest Moment at SUSO to Date?

My first three months at SUSO Digital were intense, I put in a lot of hard work to showcase my capabilities and learn new things. I was on the same team with one of the best specialists I had ever met, and I wanted to show them all the support and work that they put into me is worth it. So I had to work at the top of my capacity and fight my impostor syndrome at the same time. Then, during the company’s Christmas party, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a special award for my efforts! It was a heartwarming gesture that demonstrated that my team not only recognised my work but also appreciated it.

I have this award at my desk to this day. It reminds me that in this place, hard work is not left unnoticed.