Getting into the IT Industry:
As someone who has been a teammate of Ingentive (formerly known as Akari) since it was founded, I believe I have a unique perspective of the company and it’s growth. I have loved my time here and wanted to share some insight into the highs and lows of the journey.
Picture this: I had just finished my last year at school and had initially applied to University to study Business and was in the process of going through my offers to decide where I was going to attend. It was a last-minute decision for me to start looking at other options but one day I came across an ad around apprenticeships. At that time I was struggling to find a part time job so the more I investigated it, the more I felt like starting my career straight away could be a better option for me – and I’m so glad I went with my gut.
I had a meeting with the apprenticeship agency and they matched me up with a small tech start-up in Glasgow, which later turned into Ingentive! At school, the IT industry was never something I thought too much about getting into, mostly because there was little to no information about it (at least at the school I attended). But when I started looking into Ingentive (known as Akari at the time) and all the work they were doing within the Microsoft ecosystem, I was genuinely excited about being a part of it.
One of the things that stood out for me at the time was the focus that Microsoft had on Digital Inclusion and Accessibility. It was enlightening to me that there were so many tools available that I had no idea about. In reflection, I wish both myself and my school had known more about the accessibility features in applications we used daily. I imagine a lot of students would have found school more accessible, straight-forward and accepting – had there been a better structure in place. It was at this point that I felt inspired to truly commit to the IT industry, and be a part of all the ground-breaking digital transformation that I knew was coming.
What was your role like when you first started and where did you see yourself progressing?
When I first started as an apprentice my role was to support the Leadership Team while we were working to grow and scale the business. I was lucky because I was able to get involved in all aspects of the business early on. I helped with marketing, operations, office administration but then quickly found where my skills lay with Change Management. I started supporting with Change Management projects we had on at the time by developing comms & training materials, helping to build out champion networks, until I was eventually running sessions and interactive training myself. I’m proud to say that pretty soon after, I took over our Change Management practice and began to spearhead the rest of the Change projects myself. I knew that this was something I wanted to progress my skills in, and I honestly loved working with our clients and helping them transform the way they worked.
What are some of your highlights that you are most proud of during your career?
Over the last 4 years I’ve been given so many great opportunities but there are definitely a few things that stand out!
During the pandemic, the shift from everyone working in person to working remotely was huge, and I was lucky enough to be able to support so many businesses during this time. I worked with multiple large NHS bodies across all the UK to support them throughout this change, and deliver tailored training sessions, webinars, on-demand materials, and communications allowing their workforce to adjust as quickly and seamlessly as possible. Beyond this, I got to work with so many other amazing clients, including some large local councils. I was able to deliver well over 100 training sessions. And my favourite part? The feedback I received from these clients truly made me beyond proud of the work I was doing for them.
Aside from just the actual work I have delivered over the years, I have been honoured to be a finalist at the CRN Women in Channel awards for the last 3 years running. I also was invited to speak at one of the Women in Tech events in London last year – which was a massive thing for me, because anyone who knows me knows I dread the thought of public speaking – but it was such an incredible event and I’m so glad I had the chance to go.
What is you role like now?
As of today, I’m still working as our Client Success Manager and I still support with any Change Management work that our clients need, however I have recently started to progress my skills and get more involved with Project Management & Resourcing, as well as learning about Business Analysis and how it all ties together with the work I was already doing. I enjoy getting to spend more time developing my skills and learning things that are not only going to benefit my career, but more importantly benefit the clients I work with. I’m extremely excited about the upcoming months and all the things we have in store at Ingentive!
What do you see for yourself moving forward in the tech space?
In all honesty I’m still figuring out what direction I want to take my career in. I know I will always have a passion for Change Management and the people focused side of things, but I am really enjoying exploring both Business Analysis and Project Management. The support network I have at Ingentive is remarkable and I’m surrounded by people that have been actively encouraging me to explore all my options. But right now, I’m just enjoying getting involved with everything I can.
Why choose Ingentive?
Our team are specialists in implementing Microsoft tools into businesses, yet we understand that each business is different and has different needs and goals. We are uniquely placed as a Microsoft FastTrack Ready Partner that are able to diagnose your organisation’s digital processes, using your use cases. From this understanding, we create tailor-made solutions that suit your business needs. And that’s not all! Not only do we implement these tools, but we use it internally too – ensuring that Ingentive know from experience, the positive effects of utilising these solutions.
Want to learn more about how Ingentive can help you stay ahead of the AI curve? Get in touch to see how we can help your business digitally evolve.
