Tarik Bekka Always Gives 100%

Tarik Bekka started out as a Community Assistant, worked his way up to Resident Director, and now brings his passion toward real estate and student housing to the corporate office. As Front Desk Coordinator, Tarik is often the first person vendors, residents, and employees speak to at Campus Advantage, and he wants to make sure they feel valued and heard immediately. Read more about how Tarik is looking to bring his unique on-site perspective to Campus Advantage’s Austin headquarters.

Tell us a little bit about your current role and how long you’ve been with the company.

I’ve been with Campus Advantage for three years now and am currently the Front Desk Coordinator. I’m the main point of contact when it comes to anything needing immediate assistance — this could be residents or vendors coming in, assisting with a variety of different projects around the home office, joining our MOJO committee to help support our company’s culture, or helping with the leasing and marketing team. I’m excited to see how the position continuously changes based on what is needed on any given day.

What first attracted you to work for Campus Advantage?

I started out on campus at the University of North Texas. I was looking for apartments, and when I toured the Forum at Denton Station, I was impressed by how very welcoming and inviting everyone on the staff was. They took the time to highlight a lot of resident events, and I was really interested in being a part of that. A bit later, they sent out a message about a job opening and I applied because I already had an interest in the real estate industry, and I loved a lot of aspects that were included in the job description for a Community Assistant.

What is your professional background?

Recently, I graduated from UNT with a degree in marketing. I’ve been at Campus Advantage since starting out as a Community Assistant and then promoted up to Resident Director, where I ended up working full time. For that position, I really focused on the resident events, managing the property’s social media presence, and coordinating projects around the property alongside my Property Manager. I really enjoyed a lot about that role and was able to express my passion for marketing by helping outside of the normal day-to-day expectations with leasing campaigns.

What does a typical day look like in your role?

Everything tends to vary day to day! I never 100% know what I’m going to walk in to in the morning, which is exciting. Overall, I try to spend the morning getting the office organized and making sure everything is fully stocked, whether that’s making sure supplies are in order and the break room is tidy, then I get into catching up on any requests that may have come through via email. I’ll spend the day planning out the week for larger projects and getting any deadlines in place so that afternoons can be spent helping with larger projects as needed for different departments.

What three words best describe you (inside or outside of work)?

Passionate – I always work hard at anything I do and always give it my 100%.

Innovative – I love trying to figure out ways to make the day-to-day easier with new processes or approaches. Just because something has always been done one way doesn’t mean we can’t improve!

Loyal – I am very passionate about helping others and giving back to those who have made me who I am today. I’m so thankful for the people who have had an impact on my life as mentors or bosses; any way I can lend the same back, I want to be there for them.

How would you describe the Campus Advantage culture?

My immediate thought is that it’s very family oriented. Even though it’s a big company, the bond that you have with those directly around you is so strong because, in the moment, you feel like you are all in it together. Everyone I’ve worked with in the company puts forward 100% every day and works so hard to get what’s needed done. It’s really inspiring to see how people start out in one role and can evolve into new areas or roles throughout the company. I’ve always liked the motto of “CA to CEO.”

What is one of your favorite moments with Campus Advantage so far?

Honestly, the times I had with my on-site team at Forum at Denton Station were incredible. There were times we would be going through turn, and it could be the hardest and most challenging weeks, but it was also the most rewarding. We were so connected as a team, and everyone was really there for each other.

Also, our resident events stood out from the rest of the market — they were always unique and different, so that made them very special.

Thinking about your most successful peers and teammates, what characteristics do they share?

I would say many of them are very hard working and very ambitious. Everyone always puts their best foot forward regardless of the size or importance of the task at hand.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

Outside of work I’m very social. I love finding new activities around Austin because there are always so many events going on in the city. I also love traveling to new cities and going out to explore somewhere new with friends or family. On the weekends, I like exploring different coffee shops and going on hikes or trails; it’s a nice way to recenter and get my mind off things.

If your life had a soundtrack, name some songs that would be on it?

This is such a hard question for me because I’m a huge music lover. I prefer music over movies and love it so much, but if I had to narrow it down, I would pick “I’m Like a Bird” by Nelly Furtado. I’m very nostalgic and love the music that was impactful on my life when I was younger. I also am a big fan of Ariana Grande — she’s one of my favorite artists and has those songs I can both jam out to or cry over at the same time.