Manisha Varu started her new role as a Data Consultant at Cloud Perspective, during the week that the unprecedented lockdown commenced. We catch up with her about the pros and cons of starting this new career without stepping foot in her new workplace or even meeting her new colleagues.
What expectations did you have of your new role at Cloud Perspective?
“I was really excited to be offered the Data Consultant role at Cloud Perspective. I expected that my first few months would involve a lot of independent learning, shadowing my team members and getting involved with client meetings – and so far that has been the case, just virtually!”
What were you most looking forward to in your new role?
“As this was my first full-time job since graduating from university, I was really excited to be learning something new and getting to know the team. Before the crisis, my plan was to relocate closer to the office in Wigan, so I was also looking forward to experiencing a different town and meeting new people!”
How did you ‘meet’ the Cloud Perspective team?
“On my first day, the team organised an informal video call to introduce me to everyone. They each told me a bit about themselves and the projects they were currently working on, and it was also a chance for them to get to know a little bit about me. I had already met some of the team during the interview stages for the role so that made me feel slightly less nervous for my first day.”
Did you visit the Cloud Perspective offices at all, once you started your new role?
“When I joined Cloud Perspective, the team were already working remotely. However, I did get to see the office when I attended the interview and it was a great space in a really nice location – it’s just a shame that I haven’t had the chance to work there yet!”
How did you learn the ropes of your new role, remotely?
“On my first day, I had a video call with my mentor to help me set up my laptop and accounts. We did a screen share which was really useful and avoided a lot of confusion. Luckily, all of the Salesforce training resources I would be using were online, so I was able to get stuck in straight away.”
Do you feel that you understand your new role as well as you may have done if you had been working from the office?
“Through a combination of training and shadowing meetings, I’ve been able to grasp the role well and joining meetings with the team has given me an insight into exactly what the company does. The team communicate on the group chat throughout the day and hold meetings over the phone or online. I think it’s great that we’re able to use technology to our advantage and I feel I’ve still been able to do everything that I would’ve done at the office.”
What kind of support have you received from the Cloud Perspective team, in your new role?
“I have regular meetings with my mentor where I can discuss how I’ve been getting on and any concerns I may have. The team have been getting me involved with their projects and invite me to shadow client meetings. Everyone has been really great at helping me settle in and they even organised a virtual social!
CEO and CTO, Martyn and Miranda are always checking to make sure that everyone has what they need whilst working from home and they recently sent the team a surprise Easter package!”
Can you give us an overview of your working day? For example, does it follow normal working hours or are you working more flexibly?
“Although the working hours are flexible, I’ve been sticking to 9-5 to add some structure to the day at home. I start the morning by checking my e-mails and the calendar for any meetings and typing good morning to the team. Then I get on with my work, whether that’s completing tasks that I’ve been given for a project or getting on with my training.”
What are you looking forward to about returning to a more ‘regular’ way of working?
“I’m looking forward to being able to interact with the team and collaborate on projects in person, as well as getting involved with more social activities!”
What has been the best thing about working from home?
The best thing about working from home is being able to do things in a way that works best for you. For example, I like listening to music whilst I work as it helps me to focus. Also, being able to wear comfy clothes and snack without judgement is an added bonus!
What is the worst thing about working from home?
Surprisingly, the worst part about working from home has been not having to commute to work. I miss having a physical separation between work and home and I think in the future, that is something I will definitely appreciate more.