Happy work anniversary to me! Even with the woes of a global pandemic looming over our heads like the sword of Damocles, my first year at capSpire has been a great experience:
Becoming a consultant. Coming from a largely functional background with some technical knowledge, I was keen on expanding my technical skills. My aspiration at capSpire was to develop into a Techno-Functional Consultant and learning to code in C# was step one. This past year, I have been grateful to learn from colleagues with many years of development experience under their belts. What I was not prepared for was the change in going from an Application Support role to a Consultant role, Consultants wear so many hats! It has been a steep learning curve, but I have been fortunate to have guidance and support all along the way.
Learning. This blog would be pages long if I started to articulate everything that I had learnt and took part in this past year at capSpire! So instead, here are some of the highlights; I am now ITIL4 Foundation certified, I have successfully delivered customer training (something I had never done before), and together with a colleague, co-ordinated the capSpire Graduate Training Bootcamp for the stellar graduate intake for 2020. capSpire is proud of delivering quality. From training courses, code reviews with knowledgeable colleagues, and adhering to coding standards, I have been learning how to code in C# with high standards from the outset. The company culture facilitates us to learn, and I have found that in a consultant role you can adapt, and you can push yourself to achieve more than you could have imagined.
Staying connected. I miss coffee breaks with actual people. We have been fortunate to have regular virtual coffee break-mixers. It has been a great way to meet new joiners throughout the year and also keep in touch with colleagues. However, I am looking forward to catching up with colleagues and customers in person this coming year.
Sharing knowledge. Working remotely can be difficult, but what has always resonated from day one at capSpire is to “just call or message if you need anything”, and I have! What I love about capSpire is that everyone is always so willing to help and share knowledge. With Lunch and Learn sessions, forums, and knowledge bases – sharing is key. So, whether it is a simple question or an extended discussion about an approach to a problem, the global capSpire community is always available to help. Knowledge is wealth and collectively at capSpire, we have an abundance.
Work-life balance. Come rain or shine, many of my colleagues run daily, have partaken in ultramarathons, are hurling champions, and even braved going for swims in the sea during the Winter. Yes, Swim. Sea. Winter. This is truly inspiring to hear, and their example has demonstrated to me the importance of having a good work-life balance. It has encouraged me to start running to maintain this balance, although I have not braved running during these Winter months!
capSpire cares. capSpire had figured out early on in the pandemic how to allow us to continue to work efficiently and seamlessly from home, whilst also constantly paying careful attention to our well-being. We were fortunate to have a brilliant virtual Christmas party with cocktail making (and of course drinking!), team building activity, and a company quiz. During the year, we have had multiple activities that brought us together; a coffee-making webinar, a virtual retreat, well-being sessions at lunchtime, and family quizzes to name a few. Monthly rallies have kept us up to date with plans on continuing with ‘business as usual’ throughout the year. I have genuinely felt like our needs are continually considered and cared for.
It has been an unpredictable year, but I feel like I have lucked out working at capSpire. This coming year, I look forward to continuing to work towards becoming a hybrid consultant, learning more, and of course, running more!
Questions or comments? Reach out to Reena by emailing info@capspire.com.
