Interview with:Ross Jones [rossj]
PROFESSION
 | What is your profession? What is your title printed on your business card? SharePoint Analyst/ Consultant |
| What did you study and why did you choose to study that field? Randomly, I chose to do Motorsport Technology at University, which I did not complete, due to missing a year because of a car crash and then starting work (in a completely different area).
When I was studying my A levels, I applied to university to do architecture, but did not get the grades to get in to the university I wanted, so that was when I made the decision to change. |
| What is expected of you in your job, and how do you accomplish it? I support the business in Basel and the US for SharePoint issues as well as projects to help them do their work more efficiently etc.
My role is a mixture of BA, Project Manager and supporter. For this, I have to make sure that I listen to my clients and how they work currently as well as how they would like to work. I also make sure that I communicate with my team, who have a wealth of knowledge to draw on as well to help achieve the best solution. |
| What links do you have on the Internet: website, blog, social networks? Of course! I'm on Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ross-jones/2/595/7b0
I have a "blog" site, I suppose you'd call it. www.randomshenans.com or www.facebook.com/randomshenans as well.
The latter parts are mainly about the cooking, experiences and shenanigans we get on with in our lives as a family. |
| Are you satisfied with the education that you received? I wasn't particularly engaged at school, or at university for that matter. I think there are so many different ways that kids learn, it is incredibly difficult to cater to all of those with our education system.
In some classes I could do the work with ease, wasn't stretched at all, but others I just wasn't engaged. I wasn't interested as I, along with many I feel at the school age, do not know what they will get out of it.
I think that there are so many jobs out there, we need to educate kids of this from an early age. Careers guidance is pathetic and I still remember the computer "quiz" I was given to determine the types of jobs that I would enjoy, and one was fence post errector. Excellent. Get with the times!!
With university, it was utterly my doing for not being engaged. I made the decision to go to university, on a course that I was unsure I wanted to do. I do not regret the decision to go to university, I think that it is a key point in someone's life to go out and "learn life lessons" or learning to not live at home. This is something, I think has stood me well in life.
I know that people that did not go away for university, lived at home, or did not go and they are now still living at home, close to home and often, that's not where the opportunities and experiences are. I am not slating the choice to stay near where you grew up at all, but in terms of the chances in life, I think you're more likely to take those chances if you've been away for university. |
| When did you realise that your work was being considered important and that it could possibly take you places? I've worked since I was 15, started in pub kitchens washing up and then preparing veg, worked up to doing some starters and desserts. Then, Safeway and then realised that bar work would be really good when I went to uni for getting a part time job while I studied, so I got a bar job.
At university I also got a job at a bar, every student needs a bit extra beer money...
If you rewind back to my childhood, I've always been keen to earn and knew what I had to do to do so. I remember car washing through the summer to get money together to save for what I wanted. I did car boot sales of old things of mine, carol singing in the winter or anything that I knew could make some extra pocket money. I carried this through beyond my small early years, even when I was at university, I worked out that I could pick up some cheap cars on eBay, or private sales and make some extra money that way, selling the cars or the parts. I've always tried to find a place to make money, but that isn't to say that I considered where my "work" could take me.
When I was at university, retaking the year I missed, I was asked if I was interested in a summer job at a headhunting company doing research. I had no idea what this actually was, and to be honest with you, even after the "interview" I still was unaware really what the job involved. Money was OK though, so obviously I took it.
It was here where I really started to enjoy working and realised that I liked business, the workings of it, what you could do and the power that different aspects of business had. This is when I realised about a career, vs. a job and I liked it. |
| 
204 visits Whohub
Ross Jones
Basel Switzerland
|
99700 interviews created
INVITE YOUR FRIENDS