Starting a New Job in a Pandemic
We can all agree that when Covid 19 began to emerge the world watched on wearily waiting to see what would happen. Then when we were all forced into this sudden new experience of lockdown our worlds got turned upside down. For many, life seemed to go on hold, each day merging into another, but not us! Full Circle rose to this challenge and expanded our ever-growing team.
We took the opportunity to speak with one of our new members, Áine McGurk, to find out what her experience was like beginning a new job in the middle of a pandemic.
Hi Áine, what is your role within Full Circle?
‘I’m the Programme Coordination and Marketing Manager here. I look after the Belfast City Council Enterprise Framework, onboarding new clients onto the BEF programme and helping provide them with one-to-one business mentoring support. I also help manage Full Circle’s social media channels. Luckily, I work alongside our talented digital team, so there’s always great graphics and videos to put out’.
What was it like starting this job in lockdown?
‘I’ll be honest, it was strange. I hadn’t left my house in six months, and then suddenly I was still sitting in my house, but instead of binge-watching Netflix and trying to convince myself I would be productive, I was working in this fast paced, exciting role.’
Do you feel that you missed out?
‘When I got the role, I thought I would feel this way. But after my first day this illusion was quickly dispelled. Everyone rang me to say hi and introduce themselves and I immediately felt like I was part of the team! I was worried because it was a new role, that I would miss out on proper training, but that wasn’t the case at all. Everyone was on hand to answer even the stupidest of questions, and trust me, there were many...’
What were the main challenges?
‘I’m quite a social person and I’m sure there are many out there who would tell you that I never stop talking, so the fact that I was working alone at home and there was no socialising, that was a tough one. And don’t worry, I don’t mean to say that I would constantly be chatting and distract everyone, but more that ‘water cooler’ chat. As far as challenges go, thank goodness that’s the only one I can think of. Full Circle was great every step of the way and got me set up with laptop, phone and even offered me a desk chair. There could have been far more challenges if it wasn’t for the team.’
How does it feel to be back in the office?
‘It feels amazing. The night before my first day in the office I felt like a child the night before the first day of school. Even though I had spoken to the team every day, I had never actually met anyone in person. It’s also great to get out of the house. You sometimes find when working from home that you lose track of time and can work into the evening or over lunch. When in the office it gives you that clear work life separation. I can honestly say, joining Full Circle was the best decision I ever made.’
Interested in starting a career in Full Circle? We are recruiting for a Management Consultant with specific expertise in any of the following Areas:
· Export Development,
· Tendering and/or
· Employability and Skills
Send your CV to careers@fullcircle.eu.com and one of the team will be in touch.