At LeanSEM, on the other hand, there is no shortage of challenges, even daily, and there is no ‘mould’ for every situation.

Meet Ivana Janevska. She has been part of the LeanSEM team for 3 years, and her job allows her to play with words, concepts, and million-dollar Google Ads budgets!

• Choose three words to describe yourself?

Only three words?

• What’s your current position at the company

Currently, my position is pretty unique *laughs*. I exist between the world of concepts, user personas, and ads as a Senior Copywriter and a part of the Creative Team; and the world of analysis and numbers in the role of an Account Manager. For me, this is the perfect daily mix and it doesn’t exist anywhere else. This job is “custom made” and it combines my acquired passion with my forte. To be honest, I’m lucky to be in a position that allows me to play with words, concepts, and million-dollar Google Ads budgets (scratch that, there’s no playing around with dollars).

• Was your previous work experience marketing related?

Yes, but it wasn’t related to PPC, but rather the SEO part of digital marketing.

• How did you find out about LeanSEM, and what made you apply for your work position?

My interest in PPC marketing came long before my interest in LeanSEM in particular. Then, it was a matter of chance. My friend applied for a position here, and I, as a good friend, wanted to see the company, and I was in for a treat. Their site talked about structure and methodological approach (and it was precisely my newly discovered interest in PPC); they had an enviable client portfolio. Through social media, I could also see that they were predominantly young and ambitious people with a great sense of humor.

It took one click to visit the site where they’ve listed their open positions, and there was the one that had to be mine. Before I officially applied, I also went to a meet-up organized by LeanSEM to see how the company works in an informal setting. That’s when I knew I had to apply.

• What does it mean for you to be part of such an agency and such a team?

LeanSEM has taken over clients from PPC agencies that will pop up in most US “Top 5 PPC agencies” lists when you search on Google. It has also produced up to 10x results in just months. Our clients see us as their internal team, not as a hired agency. Also, LeanSEM does not have a Sales department, but on the contrary, customers apply to be managed by us. And it is the team that makes all this possible.

So, it means a lot to me. It means that I work with top clients and colleagues on a world-class professionals level, which only confirms that Macedonia’s youth has massive potential; only the opportunities are different. LeanSEM is the bridge to those opportunities, precisely for those with a passion for building a digital marketing career.

• What did your career path at LeanSEM look like? What milestones have you reached, and what has changed since the beginning?

Much has changed in almost three years. 🙂

I walked into LeanSEM with minimal PPC knowledge and had to learn almost everything from scratch. I climbed the ladder under Gabi’s mentorship, who is the foundation and backbone of everything I know today.

My professional development gained a new dimension at the beginning of this year when I became the first employee in our Creative team. It was a position for which there was no designated career path at the time, and there were too many questions about how it would work and bring real value to clients that were yet to be answered. And here we are, less than a year later, the Creative Team is growing and already has five members.

• What is your most vital attribute that allowed you to get where you are right now?

Persistence.

The definition of one of our core values says that “deep down, you know that if anyone can find a solution, it’s you.” I am not always confident that I am the one who will find a solution to a problem, but before I face a challenge, I get ready to work on the case.

• What does “success” mean to you? Do you feel like you are on your way to reaching it; have you perhaps already reached it, or is it just an idea that a person strives for for the rest of his life?

I think achieving every next goal is a success. For me personally, the fact that I always have the answer to the question “what’s next?” and that work continually challenges me is a success. Every change in the industry, the competition, the product, or as we have seen this year – the nature of living – requires you to adapt and learn something new. If you stand still even for a moment, you are already three steps behind because the American market competition will never wait for you.

• What made you leave your previous job and join LeanSEM? What didn’t you like about it, and what did you get here in return?

It was the feeling of the status-quo after four years of working there. Over the years, I progressed to more responsible positions, but once I felt comfortable falling into the molud, I knew it was time for a new challenge.

At LeanSEM, on the other hand, there is no shortage of challenges, even daily, and there is no ‘mould’ for every situation.

• Some say the LeanSEM’s employment criteria are frighteningly high and strict. Do you agree?

Considering the fact that previous knowledge and experience in PPC or any marketing is not a prerequisite for employment, I would say – no.

The candidates are evaluated and hired primarily based on whether they fit into the company’s core values. The rest can be learned directly from a mentor, from the rest of the team, or through experience

• What is the mistake you learned the most from?

I’ve made hundreds of mistakes and learned just as many lessons from them. But let’s not go all philosophical here. Here are two errors that will not change someone’s life course but will undoubtedly shorten a few headaches:

From Account Management – check the campaign an hour after launch.
From Copywriting – always do spellcheck.

• What is your biggest fear, and what is your biggest challenge?

My biggest fear is failure. And the biggest challenge for me is building processes. It may seem simple, but for me, it’s a weak point, Achilles heel, Kryptonite, hahaha.

• Which of your achievements within LeanSEM are you most proud of?

It would definitely be my work with the Creative Team so far. But, we are still only at the beginning of the road, and I can not wait for more remarkable achievements to happen to us. I don’t have any modest plans here.

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Want to find out more about our Lean Superstars? Read all interviews.
And, if you have a passion for digital marketing and you see yourself as part of our team – take a look at our open positions 😉