Christian - Pay-per-click advertising

Our team produces the company's pay-per-click adverts which appear at the top of the list when you do a Google search for terms like Holiday Extras and airport parking. My job ranges from writing text for the adverts and ensuring the offers are up-to-date to redesigning web pages and monitoring advertising trends.

I first joined the company in 1998, and after a break, came back two years ago. My previous jobs have ranged from working in a hairdresser's to being assistant managing director of a company in Mexico.

Holiday Extras has a different vibe from other companies I have worked for. The no-blame culture and emphasis on fun combined with genuinely pleasant and good-natured people has helped create a comfortable work environment. This does not mean employees have an easy (or boring) work day - we are still challenged and given the opportunity to challenge ourselves, but this is done in a no pressure environment. Sometimes it's a great day, sometimes it's a not so great day, but it's never a bad day, and there are more good days than not so good days.

On my very first day, many moons ago when I was 16, I was faxing for the call centre. I remember being surprised at how much people seemed to enjoy their jobs, and I also remember really wanting to join the call centre. My first day after graduating from uni (after four years away) was very different, not only because I already knew many of the people I was to work with but also because the company had grown so much since.

The role I have now requires a blend of creativity, numeracy and attention to detail. You need to be able to grab and hold the customer's attention, for example by creating interesting and relevant copy or designing good web pages. Possibly the most important skill is the ability to spot trends so the company can take advantage of opportunities (or equally avoid negative outcomes). Attention to detail is a must as small changes can have a big impact on our performance. We sell hundreds of products and we need to ensure that offers in ads are up-to-date. We also need to keep up to date with new technology so we can stay ahead of our competitors.