It was late November in 2019 when I started at Chambury. Prior to that I had been a chef for over 8 years, so it was quite a change for me.
transitioning into a totally new industry was both exciting and nerve wracking. Initially I was worried ...
... but meeting Richard properly, and then the team, immediately put me at ease.
Being a chef taught me how to stay calm and collected in a fast paced environment. But. The hours were long and inconsistent so I changed industries to find a better work life balance, as well as to learn some new skills.
While being a chef had been physically draining, I found working on a computer to be more mentally draining - at least at first. It's a completely different type of working (and learning!) so it took some time to adjust.
the team here is a real family. Everyone is supportive.
They know when to joke around and when to put in the work, so it feels like a healthy balance.
I began learning from Totara academy which gave me a great knowledge base, as I was learning everything from scratch.
Understanding how to manage Helpdesk tickets was a new learning curve, it's more of a hands-on approach, and something that you can only really get to grips with by repeatedly doing yourself. This was where I saw most of my progress.
At first I was nervous, but as I spoke to more and more customers, my confidence grew and I began to adapt and understand the process much better.
I found the more I interacted with customers, the quicker we got to being on first-name terms, which builds a strong rapport. Seeing relations build with customers really motivates me to keep learning and improving, so I can deliver a great service to them.
I even got to go to Learning Technologies and the European Totara Conference in February 2020. I felt a bit thrown in at the deep end, but it was really good for my confidence.
That's me with Karen building the stand ..!
when the Pandemic hit in early 2020, the team moved to remote working
At first this was tricky as I was still completing my training, but I adapted quickly.
We've had regular catch ups and quizzes, which helps massively in keeping team morale up. Every morning we have a Teams call via video, where we can share what we are working on, offer help with other team members, and generally have a 'cuppa' with everyone before we crack on. We virtually meet up some afternoons as well.
Virtual working also involves customers. We can't go and see them at the moment (which I really enjoy), so I make sure I have a video call with each of my customers frequently to keep in touch, help them and generally let them know we are still here to help in this difficult period.
I feel close to everyone in the team, and I'm so grateful for their support during a challenging year.
I'm optimistic about the future and I really enjoy my role here.
