Our People – What it’s like to work here

If you haven’t met Sam, that’s because she’s busy keeping things running with the rest of the Data Centre team. Sam has been working in our Data Centres Operations Team since 2015, and handles all things storage-related. As a research and learning institution, the university needs a lot of space for the data we generate, and Sam is here to make sure that we always have enough, it always works and it provides the performance and capabilities our customers need. Sam particularly enjoys the hands-on technical side of her job, making sure that everything works, troubleshooting when something doesn’t, configuration of the platform and improving the service.

Sam tells us “I grew up messing about with computers from a young age. My dad was a lecturer in Computer Science, so we always had computers around the house. Later in life, after doing a BA in Communication Studies, Sam wasn’t sure what her next step would be. “I came back from a gap year in Australia, sat down and thought about what I really enjoyed. I realised I really enjoy messing about with computers and should probably do it as a career”. I saw a job for a Help Desk Analyst at De Montfort University, applied for it and got it and that’s how my career in IT started. My degree did help me out in terms of knowing how to interpret technical information and communicate it to non-technical people. I was told at the time this was a skill that many people struggle with”.

After 16 years of working in technical roles in both university and private sectors, Sam found her way to the University of Nottingham as a Systems Engineer with a storage specialism. Like many women working in IT in a technical role, Sam is accustomed to being the only woman in the room, and has found that a good sense of humour goes a long way when working in a majority-male field.

In the future, Sam hopes to see career progression paths for technical staff that are not limited to moving into managerial roles. Her advice to women interested in an IT career is to be as confident as possible in their ability, get as much hands on experience as possible with as many different technologies as possible and to seek out training opportunities that can further their careers.

Harriet is based in Application Support, working to keep timetabling running smoothly. Her job involves solving problems when they arise, but also working to create early warning systems to ensure that any problems can be nipped in the bud, and services don’t break down.

Harriet joined us as a Student IT Tutor (SITS), after taking her laptop for repair, and impressing our Campus IT colleagues with her suggestions for diagnosing the problem. Harriet was studying Nutritional Biochemistry when she joined SITS, and found that her troubleshooting instincts and logical way of thinking made her the ideal person to help her fellow students with their everyday issues. Harriet then transitioned into Laptop Loan and Repair, and was able to branch out and grow her IT skills from there. At the end of her time with SITS, Harriet had the opportunity to meet our then Director of Service Delivery, who encouraged Harriet to join us in DTS after she graduated. When an opportunity came up in the Campus IT Support team, Harriet was able to use her experience and contacts from her time at Laptop Loan and Repair to get the job, and eventually move into application support.

Harriet feels that a combination of having the right people in her corner, and the motivation to develop new skills has supported her in her career journey. She tells us “It’s hard to find out you’re good at something technical, especially because women aren’t pushed into it. It was down to the people who supported me”. Her interest in branching out and learning new skills also serves her well, as she enjoys finding better ways of working, and making services more efficient through automation. She says “If I don’t feel like I’m doing myself out of a job, I’m not doing it well”.

Harriet’s advice to women thinking about a career in IT is to reach out to people and try not to be afraid of rejection. She tells us “you have to find the right people to work with, and ask for help when you need it. You might not want to inconvenience people or overstep, but you won’t get anywhere by being quiet and going unnoticed. If you want to advance, you need to be willing and able to work outside of your job description”

Rebecca came to the university in 2018, and joined the project management team in 2018, where she works to bridge the gap between internal clients and external suppliers. She really enjoys the variety that comes with working with different schools and faculties, as no day is the same. Rebecca says that one of the benefits of her role is that she can learn a lot from how external suppliers do business, and what other universities are doing. She particularly appreciates the work life balance that comes with working for the university, as well as the opportunity to give back to the community by supporting students and researchers.

Rebecca chose to explore flexible working options due to a medical condition that necessitates regular appointments. Rather than attempting to fit appointments around a 9-5 job, Rebecca opted to work four days per week, leaving one day per week for appointments and rest. Prior to Covid, Rebecca also had the option to work from home, and found that the hybrid working style of the project management team made this a very easy process.

Rebecca was initially hesitant to request flexible working, because she felt there was a stigma around it. She was pleasantly surprised to learn that the university is very open to different styles of working. With support from line management and Occupational Health, Rebecca has had a very positive experience. She feels more valued because of the willingness of the university to work with her in an open and non-judgemental manner to find the right working pattern for her.

Rebecca’s advice to anyone considering flexible working is to be open about wanting to try it, and to be optimistic about how your request will be handled

Matthew joined UoN as a senior business analyst in 2008, and has really enjoyed the variety that his job brings. With lots of new projects coming up, he gets to work with all sorts of people in different areas, so work never gets boring. Matthew came to the university with flexible working in mind. With a six month old daughter, Matthew wanted to make sure he could be there for her and his wife, and joining the university made that possible. Already benefitting from the university’s on-site nursery, Matthew opted to work from 8am to 4pm so that he could drop his daughter off in the morning, and collect her in the evening.

Once his daughter started school, Matthew changed his working pattern to work from 7:30am to 2:45pm so that he and his wife could each take half of the school run. Having gotten into coaching football at the primary school, Matthew chose to change his working pattern again to work an extra hour on most days so he could finish early on Wednesdays. This allowed him to continue coaching, even after his daughter moved to senior school

Matthew has really loved being able to fit his hours around his family, especially having father-daughter time after school each day. In his previous job, his working hours and commute meant family time during the working week was non-existent, so Matthew has really felt the difference, and cherishes the time it gives him with his family. Working flexibly has also had professional benefits, as starting early gives him undisturbed quiet time to get things done.

Matthew found it quite easy to start working flexibly, as he made his desire to do so clear when he joined the university. He had positive conversations with his line managers about how to manage his workload and ensure that his working pattern fit in with the rest of the team. His advice to anyone considering flexible working is to think it through, to discuss it with the people in your life, and have an honest conversation with your line manager about how you want to work, and why. Matthew feels very lucky that the university was willing to work with him to find solutions that offered him a great work life balance.