How did Danie Ferrusi go from intern to Head of Customer Success at Stakester?
Making the most of any opportunity
A year ago, Danie Ferrusi was working as an IT manager at a boarding school. Determined to forge a career in the tech industry, she was pursuing freelance UX work and had assembled a solid client base before the pandemic struck.
She was furloughed, and the pandemic hit the freelance market hard. At somewhat of a loose end (even the combination of whisky and Animal Crossing loses its charm after a while), she saw a job posting for a eight-week stint as an intern with a gaming startup called Stakester.
It seemed like the perfect opportunity to gain some more experience during lockdown. She was undeterred by the title, or the temporary nature of the role. In fact, she took confidence from knowing that she was going to be one of the best candidates. So, she took the plunge and applied.
Owning the interview
The first thing she did after reading the ad was to download the Stakester app and make a grievance list of everything that she wanted to change. By the time the Zoom interview came around, she had settled on a bold strategy: “I told them all the things I hated during the interview. I’m going to tell you exactly what you don’t want to hear, but it’s what you need to hear.”
It paid off. Danie’s forensic approach and level of insight was clear from the start, and crucially — she made a real impact at the interview. If the old adage about having 7 seconds to make a first impression is true, then spending those 7 seconds telling your prospective employer what’s wrong with their product or service is sure to stick in the memory.
When the time came to finish, she heard the immortal words “We’ve got another interview to do right now, but can we call you back afterwards?”
Make yourself indispensable
Over the next eight weeks, Danie made herself a crucial part of the team. Or in her own words, “It was just me complaining for two months.” Working with the Product Team, she helped with design issues and solutions at first, before teaming up with lead Product Designer Dan Monaghan to shape future generations of the app.
She showed great versatility, also excelling in the area of customer experience — showing a great understanding of the company’s existing customers and their needs. In the long term, the business model really relies on the customer base really enjoying the experience on Stakester — and Danie will be instrumental in making that happen.
Crucial to her success is a real student’s mentality. “No amount of learning is beneath you. Go after the industry that you love, no matter where you start. Just gravitate towards what you know and what you love because you’ll have the best work experience if you do.”
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