My First 30 Days At Spark!
I joined Spark as a delivery manager this year when Ireland had its hottest summer in nearly two decades. The warmest day in August was almost 30 degrees compared to the summer average of 20, with a mix of breeze and drizzle – typical for the Irish weather forecast.
Me? Well, I originally came from northeast China, where the summer sun heat can easily reach the 40s. I moved to the beautiful "Emerald Isle" over 20 years ago – so I know Ireland can be heaven for escaping the heat. I have many fond memories of the summer months spent in Ireland over the years:
- The beautiful mountains, lakes and beaches
- The fantastic Irish welcome and hospitality
- The warm evenings spent in pubs with friends and family chatting about all manner of things
With the excitement in my heart and the joy of the Summer sun, I embarked on a new career with Spark with the hopes of positively impacting both the company and my own career development.
Since joining Spark, I have felt empowered. The first 30 days of my job have been a huge success, thanks to the trust and autonomy I've been given. I've been learning how to do everything from engaging with customers to working on proposals and contracts, discovery workshops and more. I've been given a chance to develop my role, working with the support and mentorship of the team. With a bit of guidance, I've learned quickly and made an impact within 30 days. Overall, I am trusted to use my experiences and skills to provide customers with the best value.
My project management instincts also inform me to identify and evaluate Spark's value stream, seeking opportunities for improvement in the process. I'm very excited about what we can do, and Spark is a great place to grow. In fact, I've already started thinking about how we can use our process improvement skills to help other teams within the company. I have worked with very supportive colleagues and came up with recommendations to the management team to improve the efficiency of the workflow. I have had the opportunity to work with a knowledgeable and supportive team. I feel valued in my role, which makes me want to contribute even more.
People who work at Spark are called "Sparkies". Sparkies not only excel in their professional fields but are also pilots who fly planes, former Olympic athletes, and top-notch musicians, photographers and filmmakers. Being mediocre at playing piano and violin, I feel pressured to catch up with these Sparkies. Spark is the kind of place where people from all levels embrace different ideas, are supportive, action-driven, and eager to improve and make things better. In the next 30 days, I will work with my colleagues to implement our recommendations, and I'm looking forward to it!