Computer science is what I pursued at university. Yet, I somehow never believed I would actually be a developer. During my time at university I was involved with many social groups, which provided my initial exposure to management and leadership roles. It was this group involvement that in turn helped me to recognise my skill of communicating with people and helped to further frame my understanding of the value of teamwork for solving issues. I feel that it was these skills that enabled me to be selected to work for Azure Operate, which works to help connect people, behaviours and ideas - things I am passionate about. However, whilst I was selected to work at Azure Operate, Operate is the place I choose to work. Ultimately, Azure Operate has led to the greatest employee experience for myself.
What we as employees aim for is continuous improvement and a supportive work environment in which to grow. Deloitte Operate within Deloitte Platform Engineering has provided me with all of that. To date, my experience in Azure Operate has been framed by a blend of elements - culture, engagements and meaningful work. Working as a part of this team has been an invaluable experience in every way possible.
I feel that my experience has been positive as Azure Operate strongly believes in fostering a great work culture. Out workplace focuses on fun and what it is to be human. We celebrate birthdays in the kitchen - happy birthday to you, hip hip hurray, hip hip hurray - we go for team lunches and coffee and we take those little breaks while working, which allow us to breathe. These are just some of the cultural elements that have contributed to my increased confidence levels at work. In only a short time I realised that working within and alongside a culture such as that of Azure Operate's is what I will pursue in the long run.
"I want to be part of this culture, moreover, I want to be the future of this culture."
Lunch with the coaches!
Of course, it was not just about the food, the coffee or those little breaks!
I have been challenged and enabled to experience new things. I recall my first client meeting. I was feeling super excited as I was going to be involved with something I was yet to experience; I was going to be challenged by something new. I remember that I could only think about how I should dress, what I should say, instead of actually preparing and going through the monthly reports and contract! But in the end, all went well. So not only did Azure Operate focus on my attitude, personality and general motivation, but the team also took the responsibility to nurture my skills and develop them further.
Azure Operate is guiding and nurturing me so that I may climb to the top of the ladder rather than just allowing me to work perpetually at the bottom. Each step of the ladder has given me a better understanding of agile methodology and taught me that every business is different. These differences mean that each organisation requires a different range of services that support their own objectives. Azure Operate focuses on business value, flexibility and how customers can benefit from managed services in terms of cost, support availability and access to skills. Consequently, I learned that managed services is often the best solution as together we can decide what services are needed. I never knew this at the beginning, but managed services can be customised around time and requirements. Plus, we can adapt as businesses grow!
My first Subaru ride to a client meeting!
Eventually, through these client meetings I really learned to focus on the value of managed services, and how to present these benefits to our clients. During these meetings I was able to truly understanding each client's requirements, therefore, I was able to articulate what cloud solutions our Azure team could provide to increase value for the customer. I discovered and learned the concept of transparency around pricing and our services, which helped build positive relationships between Azure Operate and our customers.
Within a short 4 months, I acquired a vast knowledge of how to deliver quality work as a part of the Azure Operate team. Fundamentally, I learnt that at Azure Operate we aim to increase customer experience. Our mission is not to just fulfil client needs, but to constantly exceed their expectations.
Azure Operate is a good investment for both our customers and for the team members that make up Operate. Being a part of this team can help one learn new technologies and drive more IT value to our customers. As a graduate in this team, I have begun to learn about the benefits of having a happy workforce, a happy culture.
The work culture here has made me feel consistently motivated and taught me the simple equation of 'Happy employees = Happy Customers'
As I said, Azure Operate is the choice I made. If I were asked 'how did you end up choosing Azure Operate'? My reply would be 'It just happened', a common answer I believe. Even if my future does not lie with Azure Operate, it is Operate's culture and support that has set me up for future success. The choice I made has been only positive with Azure Operate, I have learned more than I could ever have imagined and I am so excited for what is to come.