My year started at Co-op bank with a re-organisation and being told my job no longer existed. I left, and after some time reflecting and thinking what next, I started job hunting, updating LinkedIn and launching this blog and website. To cut a long story short I got added to a short list for an IT service delivery role at The Open University. Got the job, and am loving it.
It’s been a really enjoyable start. With a new team to lead, in need of some direction and focus, it’s been great to see progress. They are great to work with, very similar in many ways from the early days at Britannia, with a major transformation underway and plenty to do. I am adopting the same fundamental approach that worked so well at Britannia – confidence and belief in the team that can rise to the challenge with a bit of good leadership. Its worked before – I believe it will work again. They have made me so welcome, a bit thank you to any that get to read this.
It’s a very different world to before, but in its way just as demanding and stretching as any industry I have worked in. Imagine having a whole academic faculty focused on computing and technology to help and advise as you try to offer great service to 6000 staff and 250,000 students. Mind you a good colleague is working at a law firm – imagine the fun he has getting a bunch of lawyers to sign off a requirements document for a project! One of my main projects is a big desktop upgrade programme. I’m also trying to get the university to realise what good tools it has and my focus for 2014 will be to help them make best use of tools such as Lync.
The job is interesting in so many other ways; the variety and quality of subjects the OU researches and teaches means I learn something new every day. I’ve also met many new and interesting colleagues in both Milton Keynes and around the country.
Best wishes to everyone for Christmas and I hope you have a great New Year.
Mark Jacot 