Intro

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1.    Tell us a little about yourself – who are you besides the job you do?  What’s most important to you in life?

G’day, I’m not sure what I would consider most important in life, I enjoy a few different hobbies like guitar, ukulele, and very basic knowledge in piano/keyboard and also just generally listening to all different types of music- so I guess music is pretty important to me, besides family and friends.

What do you currently do work-wise?

Technical Assistant at Soho House Farmhouse, this role includes both projection (hosting, managing, organising, and playing films), and IT support (network, troubleshooting), and other general IT tasks. Another key part of the job is working with the events teams here to provide technical requirements for private clients for private events, (AV for bands, Meeting setups, Cinema screenings).

What do you love about it?

The team here are really nice, alongside the site being and looking amazing. The job is a mixture of everything I’ve done before it, which is why I believe I feel so comfortable here. When I started I was chucked pretty heavily into the deep end making me feel uncomfortable, but I think it is this exact reason why myself and others say that I am really strong in this role.

How and when did you decide that this is what you wanted to do?

Rather than it being a specific moment in time, I think it was just a passive interest which grew through honestly just watching YouTube videos, which developed into wanting to understand it myself. I don’t believe when I was doing this it ever really “dawned on me” that this is what I want to do, it’s just something I feel comfortable doing and also enjoy the work, or rather the field.

What have you found the most challenging? 

Initially, the most challenging thing was getting to know the site, alongside 600 colleagues at the same time, but everyone I spoke to was always kind and understanding so the pressure was never too bad in that regard. Being the only person on site for the greatest part of a week can be stressful, as there are so many little things that have to work for the site to be in operation, but with more time, the stress goes away as my confidence grows.

5.    Please could you tell us a little about your career journey, from the beginning, so far?

I first worked as a general helper at the college I studied at (reception/phone calls/emails/applications etc)

I then worked as the first ever junior IT technician at the college I was studying at, this was more of a generic IT support desk job.  I then did a year or so of bar/restaurant work before starting at the Farmhouse in December 2018, and haven’t really ever looked back.  

6.    What advice would you give your younger self when it comes to the world of work?

Don’t be afraid to show interest in something even though you may feel insecure in the sense that you might feel you’re not good enough for the employer.

What advice would you give to someone interested in going into a similar line of work as yourself?  Where would they start and what could they expect?

In this exact role, I would suggest jumping head first into it, as a lot of it is something that it is hard to gain experience prior to working in the field. Speaking more broadly IT is something that you can always work harder to familiarise yourself with as there are so many different faucets or career paths you could pursue from that initial interest or passion.

What hopes do you have for your future?

Hopefully something in management, although nothing is official at the moment, I’ve been the go-to person to train new starters in the department. I can say that I really do enjoy showing them the ropes as I haven’t lost any passion in this position, if anything only gained more appreciation that I have the job.

What, in your opinion, are the key ingredients for overall career/job happiness?

A good work/personal life balance, which admittedly, I sometimes fail to achieve, but I can recall in the past when I was able to properly achieve a good balance and it felt amazing! If you don’t feel happy doing something, leave.

What does success mean to you?

Knowing that I met expectations of what was required for me for the day; if others are happy with my performance, I can’t really see a reason why I should doubt that as an achievement. It’s natural in this line of work to have quieter days, and then extremely busy days. As long as I have focus on the busy ones, that’s what’s important.

I love sharing resources!  Are there any resources such as books, blogs, podcasts, courses etc that you'd recommend for people figuring out what they want to do for work and/or getting started?

Jordan Peterson- 12 Rules For Life

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