We asked Beth, our new client support hire, what it was like to start a new job in a new city during lockdown.
It was an easy decision to move to Edinburgh. Each time that I’ve visited I’ve had the best time. There are so many interesting cafés, bars and walks and it’s great how you can live in the city and still be so close to the coast and the countryside.
I moved here just before lockdown and so didn’t have wifi for a couple of weeks. That was pretty tough given the circumstances, but now I’m able to connect with family and friends on social media again and I’m getting into yoga.
“You shouldn’t put too much pressure on yourself,” says Beth
Initially, I had come across the position at Amiqus on a job website. To be honest I hadn’t heard of Amiqus before, but the role seemed exactly what I was looking for — managing relationships and problem solving while learning about other areas of the business.
As soon as I visited the Amiqus careers page, I could tell that the company culture was one based on collaboration, personal development and flexibility. This was really refreshing and very different to what I had experienced previously.
My interview wasn’t tense at all, the team were all so friendly and welcoming.
My interview wasn’t tense at all, the team were all so friendly and welcoming. I’m always intrigued when an interviewer seems genuinely passionate about the company they’re working for and Richie dedicated a lot of time to talking about what Amiqus could offer me. I also really liked that the main office is dog friendly. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by dogs every day?
Since being hired and starting my new role in a new city during lockdown, I’ve been surprised at how welcoming everyone has been. On my first day, so many colleagues messaged me to say hello and told me to reach out to them if I had any questions. People were genuinely interested to get to know me and I already feel like a valued member of the team.
I was also shocked at the lack of office politics. While not everyone has the same personality, everyone seems to get on so well, no one’s got an agenda, which I think is great and really important.
…everyone is in the same position. Everyone’s experiencing similar emotions, facing similar difficulties and everyone’s looking out for each other.
Surprisingly, there are up-sides to working remotely from the start. Obviously it’s great that you don’t have to commute to the office and you can have an extra 20 minutes in bed, but I think what really helps is that everyone is in the same position. Everyone’s experiencing similar emotions, facing similar difficulties and everyone’s looking out for each other. I haven’t felt left out or isolated though isolation has become the norm.
I thought at first that I’d find video calls a bit awkward, as I’ve never really had to have any work related video calls before, but then I realised how fun and informal they can be. Now I think it’s maybe less intimidating to meet people over a video call. Everyone’s in their own homes and you get a clearer sense of their personalities. Seeing other people being themselves, in their own space, definitely makes it easier for you to be yourself too.
My advice is, if you’re starting a new job during lockdown, you shouldn’t put too much pressure on yourself. It isn’t the easiest thing to do and you’re going to have a lot of questions for your colleagues. Don’t be afraid to ask — everyone understands that the situation isn’t ideal and will be more than happy to help.
A message from our Head of People Richie
We’re always keen to speak to talented people and have a number of live roles across Customer Success, DevOps, Engineering, Product Design, Sales and Security. Click here to get in touch with Richie.
