I have worked with FD for just over a year, starting in October 2018, and have already been taken from Newry to Singapore, New Hire to Team Leader and Film Studies Graduate to Technology Sales Executive. Whilst my degree wasn’t as relevant to the role as most would expect, the Tech Sales Team was able to see my potential and provide me with the opportunity to develop skills in research, critical thinking and leadership through the role of Business Development.

I started at the same time as eight other young graduates and we all trained together in Newry. A couple of us were intended to stay in Newry, whilst the other six were sent off to the likes of San Francisco, Hong Kong, Seattle, Texas, Singapore and New York. Seeing other people my age being given such responsibility and opportunity so quickly showed me one of the key benefits of working for First Derivatives – progression at speed. Seeing the places they went and the things they were doing also gave me a personal goal to emulate their trajectory.

During my first year in Newry, my main focus was on the Telecommunications Industry and how our Kx Technology could be utilised within it. My start coincided with the hiring of a new SVP in this area who I ended up working with directly on a day-to-day basis. The technical and industry knowledge that I gained from this was immense and invaluable, and it definitely contributed to my positive development within the team. This highlights another differentiator of working with FD; flat structures accelerate growth. Whilst the company’s revenue, client base and global footprint grow, the mentality of a smaller more agile business remains and allows individuals that demonstrate their abilities to benefit in a major way.

The core Newry Team have also been of great assistance from day one. From the training process to the day to day of the role, my Managers, Team Leads and Peers have been patient, accommodating and a pleasure to work with. Getting to know everyone over the last year has been a privilege and I have developed some true friendships along the way.

As I approached my one year anniversary, my hard work paid off as I was offered the opportunity to help up set up parallel Tech sales function in Singapore. Since relocating I have been involved in so many more aspects of the Tech Sales role. I have attended conferences, hosted clients at our offices, and been invited to massive international headquarters to pitch, develop and evaluate opportunities for future clients. Leading a team has also been something that I have enjoyed immensely, both from a mentorship perspective, as well as the increased interaction with senior management. This has been an amazing experience, both professionally and culturally, as I have been given a lot of responsibility and had the chance to experience a new environment. My growth over this past year shows all that can be achieved with Tech Sales in a short time frame and why I am eager to continue my career here, wherever it may take me.