Aurore Mondah works as the Head of Content at Pulse Côte d’Ivoire. In this edition of Pulse People, she shares her strongest passions and interests, and her journey into Pulse.
Tell me about your background
For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to do an editorial job. When I was younger, my parents would give me and my sister magazines every month. While they often came with toys, I was more interested in the stories in those magazines. And I remember thinking that I would love to work for a publishing company. When I was in college, I started my first blog. I already had heard about blogs on the Disney Channel. But in college, I really discovered how much I could do with the Internet. I learned about digital jobs and how I could combine my passions for writing, communication and these online tools. Thanks to this blog, I had my first job in a digital marketing agency where I learned a bit more and then I joined a media company where I worked for three years before joining Pulse.
Tell me about how you got into Pulse
A friend told me about it and put me in touch with the general manager. He had contacted her because he had already seen my LinkedIn profile and thought I was a good fit for the role. Nice advice by the way: be careful with your LinkedIn presence. I admit that I myself am not very active on this social network but it can help.
I sent my resume. The first interview was with the general managers of Pulse CI and Pulse Africa. I already knew the media but I knew very little about the company itself. Beyond my research before the interview, this first contact really helped me understand what Pulse is and made me want to join the team. So the second interview with the HR Manager and Marketing Director of Pulse CI was more stressful. There was a lot at stake: making my way in. But I guess if I am now Head Of Content for the Côte d’Ivoire, it’s because it went well. I’m really grateful because they gave me a chance and I’m learning every day by their side and my team’s.
Tell me about your current role at Pulse Côte d’Ivoire
To put it simply, I’m mainly responsible for coordinating our various publications, whether it’s the website, social networks or our videos. I make sure that the messages coming from all these platforms are consistent with Pulse’s strategy. I also make sure that all our content is optimized for maximum impact. But I like to say that my main role is to serve the Ivorian people so that they have a platform that looks like them, that tells their stories and teaches them new things about their culture. That’s the main mission we are trying to achieve with the team.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I usually wake up at 4 am. I have taken the habit of waking up early to better prepare for my day. And I honour my first name Aurore (dawn). I do a quick press review to know the news at the beginning of the day. I scan my social media feeds to know what the Ivorians are talking about. It also inspires me in terms of content. Afterwards, if I don’t have a thousand and one things to do, I write two articles before I get on with the day’s tasks. For someone who hates monotony like me, this job is perfect. No two days are exactly alike.
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How do you draw inspiration when things get heavy?
It’s funny because my job requires me to be on screen all day long. But I also get most of my inspiration from screens. I really like creative souls. Besides books where I can meet them, social networks are a good place for conversation. The movies and series I watch are imbued with their minds and genius. The podcasts I listen to inspire me a lot. But it’s when I’m not doing anything when I’m done absorbing all these energies that I really create and have new ideas.
How do you have fun? How do you spend your time when you’re not on the job?
So for me, it is important to have moments when we do nothing. The performance dikta supported by capitalism forces us to live anxiously whenever we do nothing. I catch myself many times flogging myself because I should be doing something “productive”. But I try to enjoy my free time as much as possible. And if not, I know that I can always spend quality time with family and friends whenever I want to have fun. When I’m not working, for instance, you’ll find me reading – I wish I could say I have a favourite genre, but I read Ao3 fanfics as well as philosophical books – or watching K dramas most of the time. I’m more of a homebody, but some of my friends can get me out of the house for trips, parties or concerts, which I always enjoy.