Originally part of our incredible Swansea team, Ryan considered moving to Australia a pipe dream. When he was offered a role in our Perth office, it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up!
Ryan recently made the move to Australia and now calls the beautiful city of Perth home. We caught up to chat about his career path, working with the Ever Nimble team, and what he’s loving about Australia so far.
Why did you choose a career in IT?
I was blessed to have family around me like my late grandfather and uncle who were legendary tech gurus. At a young age they would spend time teaching me how computers work and how to fix them. I was always fascinated by technology and initially had the mindset that it would be “too good to be true” to have a career doing something you love.
With that in mind, I went into mechanical and electrical engineering courses, but over time I realised my passion was in the technology space. After 2 years I dropped out of my engineering course and pursued IT in college, Portsmouth University, and then Ever Nimble.
Dropping out of that engineering course was probably the best thing that happened to me!
What has your career path involved so far?
My official career in IT began while on a uni placement in Portsmouth, UK with a local MSP. I was lucky enough to work with a great team, and be exposed to all sorts of systems and services that most IT support companies provide. Working there allowed me to work closely with clients, and helped to build up my confidence and experience in the sector.
Further along in my career at Ever Nimble, I was part of building up the company’s UK presence by providing out of hours support to our customers and building new teams. Now, I’m helping new customers transition to our support services as smoothly as possible in the beautiful city of Perth.
What skills are essential for your current role?
Being able to communicate with new clients and understand their needs in IT is essential for my new role in Onboarding. Most of the time we’re dealing with new IT environments, which may or may not be the standard we expect all systems should be.
It’s also crucial to be able to adapt quickly and implement solutions effectively to minimise the current challenges our new clients face. One of our values, being experts, is a great example. We’re all human, and not always a specialist in every area of IT. It’s always best to know your limits and communicate with our great team to get the best advice and solutions in place. It’s all about being nimble!
What do you enjoy about being part of the Ever Nimble team?
There are countless reasons I find Ever Nimble a great place to work, but there are a few I’d like to highlight. The sense of freedom you get to manage your work and how you work with customers is something I absolutely love. For example, there’s no limitations on factors such as the time and resources we provide to clients. If there’s a product or process you think would benefit their business, the management team are all ears and welcome feedback.
Another one I need to mention is the people. Being able to bounce around different teams and share the same qualities of care and passion really does make an impact to your wellbeing.
What motivated your move to Australia, and what are you most excited about?
After a few spells working in the Perth office, I was able to get a flavour of life of what it’s like working and living in Australia. The social work culture really drew me in, along with the beautiful scenery and wildlife. I’ve always considered myself a rolling stone and decided making the move down under was my next great challenge! Looking ahead, I’m super excited to work closely with the Aussie team and our clients. Working remotely in UK was great, but being in the same room with this team and new clients is a game changer.
How did the team support your move to Australia?
Moving to Australia was something I considered a pipe dream, so I was shocked when the team offered me a role here in Perth. It was something I couldn’t refuse! The team have been sensational in helping with the move. They were able to share their own experience in moving – assisting with visas, and helping with the logistics of getting here. In terms of the new role, it has been seamless and I’m already getting stuck in, making an impact, and supporting the team.
You’ve just moved to Perth, what are you enjoying about life here so far?
So far, the food! I could eat chicken katsu curry and Korean fried chicken burgers all day long if my jeans would let me. But I have to say the relaxed atmosphere of this place is really refreshing. There’s plenty of places to explore including the beaches, to plenty of great breweries and restaurants after an honest day’s work.
A controversial question, but what’s better – Marmite or Vegemite?
This is probably not the answer you’re expecting, but they are both disgusting! After our Vegemite and Marmite showdown in the Ever Nimble UK office last year, it’s safe to say I won’t be spreading that stuff on my toast anytime soon.
On the topic of food – have you discovered any new favourites in Perth?
Good question, I’m not sure if this is an Australian special cuisine but I absolutely love the steak burgers they do in Scarborough. A café I’ve loved since I’ve been here is Atlas Coffee on Hay Street – those Korean fried chicken burgers are simply the best in town.
Have you had the chance to see any Australian wildlife, whether it’s kangaroos, koalas, or the IG famous quokkas on Rottnest?
I haven’t been to Rottnest yet but that’s somewhere I will definitely be visiting after I have settled down at my new place. However, I have seen my fair share of kangaroos already and was surprised to see them in their hordes – sorry UK, but kangaroos are way better than seeing squirrels!
Where are you most excited to hit up the swell here in WA, and where’s the better surf – Perth or Swansea?
I’m hoping to head down to Trigg Beach in the coming weeks and see what it’s like. Chris (our CEO) has done the honours of recommending me the Shark Watch App, so that’s not putting me off at all!
It’s early days yet but it’s going to take a lot for Perth to outshine the Gower beaches in Swansea – I guess time will tell. Better get that sun cream at the ready!
