Finding my fit

Welcome to another instalment of Collabco’s face behind the logo series, where we give you an insight into the people behind the myday Digital Campus. This time we’re talking to Tracy Dabbs, Collabco’s Marketing Manager who gives us some interesting insight into her #FirstSevenJobs and why she can’t eat onions anymore! We’ll let her explain…

Q – How long have you worked here and what attracted you to Collabco?

A – I’m fast approaching my first year anniversary here at Collabco, which seems crazy! Some days it seems like I’ve only been here a few weeks, though at other times it feels like forever. But in a good way! I don’t think I’ve ever felt quite so part of a team before.

Q – What do you most enjoy about what you do?

A – Taking on the role of Marketing Manager for Collabco has given me the opportunity to play a much more ‘hands -on’ role which I have loved. There is an amazing culture here too that empowers everybody to act on any ideas that they have and week to week the job is so varied.  The potential is huge for both me and the company and its really exciting to be driving that forward.

We also have flexible working arrangements which has allowed me to fit in more than I ever would have done in a traditional 9-5 job (as a working mum you get little time to yourself!) I now work from home on a Friday and start the day with a run (instead of commuting) and recently completed a 10k race.  As somebody who hates running and typically has no time, this was a huge achievement!  From both a career and personal perspective Collabco has been perfect for me. I’ve really found my fit, in more than one way!

Q – How have you enjoyed promoting myday?

A – The more I learn about the capabilities of myday and what some of our customers have developed on the platform, the more I am impressed. I don’t think I will ever stop being surprised by what myday can do or stop being amazed at some developer’s imaginations.

It’s such a wanted and fun product and the benefits to colleges and universities are vast. It’s been good fun (although admittedly sometimes stressful) trying new channels and ways to promote the product too.  The most frustrating thing is not being able to do everything at once! Though I’m sure I’m not the only person to think that.

Q – How do you think myday benefits education as a whole?

A – I really don’t know how any academic institution can compete in the sector without it. It’s not something I had available to me as a student but it’s interesting that it seems to now be one of the most expected tools for today’s students.

It won’t be long before schools fully embrace the digital world too and introduce the digital campus.  There are a lot who are already seeing the benefits in doing so  but I also understand the nervousness surrounding the risks.

I’ve had a varied but interesting career path which has given me lots of insight into the pros and cons of technology in the classroom and it’s not a debate that’s going away.

I’m a huge advocate for technology in education and truly believe that tech will help prepare students for their future careers. myday helps connect people and makes sure that the right message is received at the right time. Whether this is students and staff or visitors and alumni, this can only be of benefit to everybody.

Q – So you mention a varied career path. Tell us, what were your #FirstSevenJobs?

A – OK here goes…

1. Babysitting (Didn’t everyone? This kept me out of trouble I suppose)
2. Food and beverage server (This is just a fancy title for a waitress. I worked in a local hotel and loved chatting to the residents.  Really unsociable hours)
3. Production Operative (Summer temp job in a factory putting bottles on a line and caps in a hopper. This consisted of long shifts and hard work.)
4. Seasonal production worker (I was placed on a production line in a farm and cut the tops and tails off onions for beer money while at University. This was awful.  It was cold and there was always dirt up my nose and the smell of onions on my hands.  I still can’t eat onions.  Do I win the worst job award??)
5. Sales Associate at GAP (The discounts were amazing. I still have hoodies that I wear from my time at GAP)
6. Telemarketing Representative (a 12-9pm job selling payment protection insurance. Don’t judge me for this, we all start somewhere! ?)
7. Marketing Operations Executive (This is where the career shaping experience really started! I got to work on some really interesting implementation projects and then moved around the marketing department from there)

The rest is history as they say!

Would you like to find out more about how you can find your fit with myday?