Do you know who the Mavericks are and what is it that they do? What better way to learn more about these fun and creative individuals through some questions and answers! We are kicking off our “Getting to know Our Mavericks” series with Brenda, our Lead Consultant and Polymath!
What is your role at Mavericks and what does it involve?
Per my job title, I am a Lead Consultant. But day-to-day, I do work that also encompasses that of a business analyst and UXUI Designer.
No 2 days are the same, with my work involving a mixture of any of the following tasks: pre-sales, business development, prepping proposal decks and presenting to clients, consulting with stakeholders on their requirements, doing feature prioritisation, epics, crafting stories and acceptance criteria, backlog grooming, wire-framing and prototyping, website development, copywriting for website content and app store content, video editing, crafting UATs etc.
What is a typical day like for you?
There really is no typical day! Apart from our team’s daily standup where the entire team comes together to do a quick run-through of what we did the day before, identify blockers and what we plan to do the day, nothing else is typical.
How has your experience at Mavericks been thus far?
As the team is small, everyone has to pitch in. This often means learning something from scratch so that you can complete the task at hand. We learn a lot from each other, experimenting along the way if needed. It is safe to fail and we learn from these experiences quickly and get better.
What motivates you at work everyday?
Learning something new and seeing the effort bear fruit quickly!
What’s a fun fact about you many people may not know?
I wear headphones 99% of the time when I work to block out the world and focus.
98% of the time, there is nothing playing on the headphones.
What is the motto you live by?
Don't buy things. Buy experiences.
What were you working as before joining Mavericks?
I was the Head of Creative Services at a global entertainment brand.
What made you decide to make the switch to your current role?
I got bored. It was just more of the same type of work with little new learnings. Plus I love all things tech, especially anything to do with VR, AR or mixed reality. I wanted to learn how to build innovative tech products.
How has the transition been like for you at Mavericks?
The learning curve was steep the first month or so largely because of staff changes. But the transition has been smoother than I anticipated. I like to believe I am a fully contributing member of the team.
As someone that has made your career pivot at a later stage in life, is there any advice that you would like to share with others considering the same?
Go into it with your eyes open. The pivot is not for everyone. Your income will take a major hit and ageism is real.
During the job search, repeated rejection or getting no replies at all will hit your self-confidence. Try not to bring this vibe into your interviews. Stay positive and continue to believe in your abilities. You just need that one person to give you a chance. Once that happens, prove the stereotype is 1000% WRONG!!!
Google and YouTube are my best friends when it comes to learning anything. They can be your best friends too!