Ideagen Ambassadors

Wendy

Sales Manager

How I got here

I joined the tech industry by pure chance, having been made redundant from my previous role. I was experiencing a huge change in my personal life, and I needed a new challenge, something to push me to my limits and out of my comfort zone!

In my first role in tech I was one of the first female leaders in a business and it was my job to manage a team who were all men. I learnt so much, I really proved myself and I achieved some great results too. This role gave me a taste for tech and I knew that tech was where I belonged. I then applied for the role at Ideagen.

The skills I use

Communication skills are really important in my job, along with building strong relationships with people from inside and outside of the business.
My job requires focus, commitment, a willingness to succeed, and a sense of humour (at all times). I am always pushing myself to achieve that extra sale.
I am a good leader; I am fair, consistent and get a real buzz out of supporting individuals in my team to be the best version of themselves.

The exciting stuff

My job challenges me every single day. When one month’s target is achieved, it is straight onto the next month to aim for even better results. When one person in my team delivers, the rest drive themselves to deliver even more! The team I work with are amazing, they are ambitious, confident, and strive to improve month on month. They make this job for me; it is an absolute pleasure to work in this team!

Career tips for young people

Believe in yourself, set goals, and go and exceed them! You can achieve big things if you are focused, confident and ambitious.
Be true to yourself, never be afraid to ask for help as the right support can make a difference. If anyone underestimates you, prove them wrong.

Ask me about

A career in sales. Overcoming fears of insecurity, lack of confidence and believing in yourself.

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Gregg

Senior Product Manager

How I got here

I got here by being myself and being surrounded by amazing people. When I graduated from university I started my working life as a Graduate Quality Engineer in a small company in Nottingham that made aerospace parts. I gained experience in many roles including managing the quality inspection department, leading projects for Rolls-Royce plc, travelling to America, and gaining new professional qualifications.

I built up a good relationship with someone who wanted to set up their own software company and they asked if I would help them, which I did. I became a Director of this business and it was sold to Ideagen in 2016. That’s how I’m here now, helping Ideagen as a Senior Product Manager to develop the products and help the business to grow.

The skills I use

My job relies on me being able to make and keep relationships with people. I use different communication skills, digitally and in person, to come across as professional, friendly and trustworthy.
I use logical thinking, industry knowledge and I involve all departments in the business to help me to manage our products. I like to be a good leader and influence people.
Collaboration is a skill I always use, which is a fancy word for teamwork. I use creativity to come up with new ideas.

The exciting stuff

I love my job because I get to mix with different people from all over the world from the tech industry and I get to build on my previous experience. My job is exciting because I work with amazing positive people and fantastic customers.

Career tips for young people

Be yourself, be polite, smile and take the opportunities you have. Be disciplined and always strive to do your best.
You can do anything you put your mind to. Work hard to keep a positive mindset.

Ask me about

Sport – how I use the skills and mindset I have learnt from swimming and triathlon to be successful at work. My job role and how working in the tech industry is for cool people.

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Ben

Technology Solutions Apprentice

How I got here

When I left year 11 I went to sixth form and did two BTECs, one in art and one in IT. When I finished I knew that I didn’t want to go to university as I didn’t want to start my career with a large amount of debt At this time my Dad worked in apprenticeships and he opened up my mind up to the idea of doing an apprenticeship myself. I saw the apprenticeship opportunity at Ideagen and was fortunate that they offered me a position on the Digital & Technology Solutions course. It’s a degree apprenticeship so I get to complete a degree at Nottingham Trent University that is paid for by Ideagen but I also work, so I earn money and learn too.

The skills I use

Problem solving skills
Communication skills
Software development specific skills such as using software version control (Git), writing code (JavaScript) and project management (Jira).

The exciting stuff

Solving problems is definitely the best part of my job. Everyday there are new problems to solve which positively impact the software Ideagen release or positively impacts the experience of other developers working on the software.

Another exciting aspect of my job is being able to help other people, either by helping to solve existing problems or by giving advice on how to approach something new. It’s very rewarding and builds my social skills and team working skills.

Career tips for young people

Focus on your interpersonal skills just as much, if not more than the technical skills.
Often employers will look for an employee that best fits their team and their values, so having good communication and team working skills will help you a lot.
Never get too comfortable with your knowledge. Keep building side projects to expand your knowledge of a technology or language, to keep up to date with changes in tech.

Ask me about

My career, apprenticeships, software development, interpersonal skills & presentation skills.

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Claire

Global Community Lead

How I got here

I had to work hard to get my career going because I was excluded from secondary school and left with nothing. As a teenager I worked in a chip shop, a shoe shop, and a restaurant. I wasn’t on the right track for a few years, but I’ve created a career I love now.

I have a Sociology degree and a degree level qualification in careers and I’m professionally registered (on a public list of careers professionals). I joined the tech industry in 2021 after working in education for many years.

Ideagen were sponsoring Nottingham Forest to build Think Big, and I had a good reputation for managing projects that link schools and employers, and so I joined the tech industry.

The skills I use

My job relies on making and keeping relationships with people.
I use different communication skills, digitally and in-person, to come across as professional, friendly, and trustworthy.
I have project management skills that allow me to multitask and plan things.
I like to be a good leader and influence people.
Collaboration is a skill I always use, which is a fancy word for teamwork.
I use creativity to come up with new ideas. I am told I am passionate about communities and making changes.

The exciting stuff

I love my job because I get to mix with different people from all over the world from tech, football, education, and many public and community organisations. I’m never bored.

My job is exciting because I work with amazing positive people, and we have an impact on people and the community in the USA, India, Malaysia, the UK and Australia.

Career tips for young people

Be uniquely you.
Choose courses because you like them.
Be brave.
Build up as much of a network as you can to learn from other people and to get support to talk about your hopes for the future.
Make sure you have a good reputation

Ask me about

My career. Overcoming disadvantage, how tech is transforming all careers, how to get your career on track if you get excluded from school, skills for employment, sociology.

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Josh

Commercial Manager

How I got here

Coming out of A-Levels and going to University, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do as a degree. I chose Physics to hopefully keep as many doors open as possible but after discovering how difficult this was I knew I didn’t really want to do anything specific to this area after graduating. However, my degree did give me a solid grounding in logical thinking and problem solving. This allowed me to start a role within the NHS as a Performance Analyst, before working in various roles across Pharmaceuticals and Utilities, working in Commercial focussed teams, which look at pricing and business opportunities. Around a year ago

I was hired by Ideagen as a Commercial Manager, a role which blends all of the skills I have built up over the last decade, and challenges me every day!

The skills I use

My role requires a wide range of skills, from technical knowledge to explaining to the rest of the business what I do in my job.
The findings from the analysis I carry out need to be presented back to important people in the business, so they know what needs to be changed. This means communication, logical thinking and an inquisitive mind are all very important to do the role effectively.

The exciting stuff

Being faced with a problem and approaching this challenge from different angles until you find the right solution. It can be difficult at times, but when you find the thing that ultimately works, it’s a great feeling.

Career tips for young people

Do things that scare you, whether it’s presenting back to someone that is more senior than you or taking on a task that looks difficult, you will truly learn things and improve yourself by trying things outside of your comfort zone.

Ask me about

My career. University, nearly failing at university, working in different industries, what an analyst actually does, building beautiful dashboards, getting over a crippling fear of presenting.

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Luke

Lead Product and Services Manager

How I got here

My route into technology was certainly not a straight path. After having to re-sit exams at 16, I studied Music at University and then started work as Admin Support in a Facilities Management department. This led me into health and safety and risk management where I eventually ended up running websites, databases and all other technology for that department. My current role places me as the interface between clients (technology users) and developers – interpreting the requirements of clients and passing them to developers. I then “translate” the technology and pass back to the client for them to use.

The skills I use

My role is varied as we have clients in all sectors and I need an understanding of their workplace to be able to know what they need from the software.
I need to be flexible and organized and need to be able to communicate well to both the client and the developers.
Other key skills are problem solving and negotiation, to be able to identify the root of the issue and agree the best way forward for all stakeholders.

The exciting stuff

I get to meet lots of people from all sorts of backgrounds, all levels of management, experience and job roles. I get to understand their businesses and work out how our software can improve things for them, and, as importantly, how they can help improve our software. I get my job satisfaction from knowing that I have helped organisations solve complex issues with technology and knowing the software I helped create is being used successfully.

Career tips for young people

Spend time working out what you want from work, where you want to be and how you can get there.
Believe in yourself and accept the advice that is offered to you.
Don’t let your comfort zone stop you from having great experiences and learning every day!

Ask me about

My career. Changing careers, presentation and negotiation skills, skills used in managing projects, my experience of the tech industry, different careers in tech.

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Stanley

Sales Development Manager

How I got here

After finishing a business studies course at university I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my future. I was working for Sainsburys and one day a customer asked me if I had ever considered a career in recruitment. I was interested in finding out more. The next week they set up an interview for me at their friends’ recruitment company. I worked in recruitment for two years and learnt some great skills. However, after the pandemic I reflected on my career and decided it was time to move on. My friend worked at Ideagen and in June 2021 he suggested I look at a job opportunity. One year, 2 promotions and countless coffee’s later and I haven’t looked back!

The skills I use

I have to use a variety of skills in my role.
I manage a Team of 8 people who are the first point of contact for new customers.
Communication is extremely important for my job. I have to communicate well to lead the team well. When managing a team, organisation is always at the forefront of your mind.
I have to be able to not only organise the team but organise my time too.

The exciting stuff

Every day is different at Ideagen! I’m always having new experiences and learning new things. Due to the variety of different organisations we work with there are always new opportunities to speak to some of the most interesting organisations in the world. I remember in my first couple of months I had the opportunity to speak to the United Nations and Amazon.

Career tips for young people

Try to set out career goals as early as possible and aim to achieve them (and not worry if your goals change).
If you can have an idea of what you want to do in your teens, you are already going to be ahead of many people. Even if you have a rough direction in which you want to go in, you can work from that and start organizing a plan of action.

Ask me about

My career. A career in tech, software and development, presentation skills, public speaking, management skills.

Enquire now

Ideagen Ambassadors

Wendy

Gregg

Aimee

Amy

Anna

Ben

Bethany

Chris

Claire

Craig

Emily

Gavin

Gemma

Josh

Kayleigh

Luke

Marie

Sam

Sanjay

Sharianne

Sheetal

Stanley

Tina