My journey to Oxjam

I’m a music lover who never played an instrument past the early years of high school. I must choose art or music, not both, this was not allowed. I wanted to go to The Glasgow School of Art, art then? I didn’t get in. Alright, a temp Christmas job and then office junior before realising my potential for serving food fast, 7 months later, running the store.

See live DJs and dance.

Ok, 19 now, University? Computer Science, I was in to the whole programming thing since my first console at 8. And what’s this halls of residence the talk about? I’m in! This lecturer works for NASA, he is a legend. I would like to be a lecturer…

Listen to some good music in nightclubs and dance.

3 years later, gained a lot of experience, friends and have now worked in a toy store, gadget type place, a club and then pub chain… no degree. That Computer Science was a lot harder than expected. I may not work for NASA and The University of Glasgow after all.

Work in a nightclub and listen to some deafening music.

My full time job is now a bar associate.

Work in a bar with no music. Go listen to good music.

“Here, this call centre place gives you a quid more an hour…” SOLD!

So you get this thing called Induction Training when you go into a fairly large size of call centre, and they have this job called a Trainer, so this is like miniature lecturing but more fun…?

Inbound sales, 3 months later, include outbound sales and debt collection, 1 month on, the new system has some teething problems, ‘Tell the I.T. that’s a coding error message. It’s not a computer hardware problem.’ SUCCESS! This Computer Science knowledge gets me off the phones, into a yellow t-shirt and the title Systems Super User, yaaaassss.

Next, supervise the new staff as they come into call centre out of training, become Training Assistant and then Operational Trainer…GOAL!

See hundreds of live music, huge names, wee names, local, friends bands, friends of friends bands, so and so’s band, stadiums, pubs, shops… I want to play an instrument, pick up an instrument, long time to match the standard I see, put down instrument. Know about music, know about PR, know about management, and know a lot more…Manage a band?

Host T in the Garden and next year arrange Parkness for friends…  If only I could run my own festival in Glasgow…

Later at work, redundancy avoided through counter proposal, WIN! Then promotion to Lead Trainer, SCORE! 2 years later and I took voluntary redundancy equalling a new job, new challenge. 2 years later, further skilled and with freer time and more energy!

New year, new project. Oxjam We’re Skint, They’re Skinter. Sorted.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Oxjam-Were-Skint-Theyre-Skinter/351349488233181

Mused Lindsey