Being Brave - Rachel's Story

"At ASOS one of our core values is being “Brave” and it's something I’ve subconsciously strived to embody every day during work.

I’ve been at ASOS for just over one and a half years now in the Belfast office after successfully getting a place in the Assured Skills Academy, which is scheme funded in Northern Ireland to help upskill individuals into new career paths so I was really thankful to have got this opportunity! Before this I had a career in live television production in Manchester and London which I absolutely loved. I moved back to NI just as the first lockdown happened and jumped between a few different positions to find something new as production work was at a halt for a few years due to the pandemic.

For me, being “Brave” has really focused on consistently aiming high, challenging myself through taking on new opportunities that push me out of my comfort zone like public speaking, getting involved in our office culture, constantly striving to learn new software outside of my initial job role or tech stack and speaking up when I need to.

Throughout my time in the Academy I consistently told myself that I probably wouldn’t get an opportunity like this again and that if I received a job offer that I was going to constantly challenge myself and take opportunities that I usually wouldn’t. When I first started, one of my biggest challenges I needed to tackle was presenting and speaking in front of groups. Like so many people it’s the last thing I ever want to do, I used to avoid these situations and was content to stay in my comfort zone. But as opportunities to present to different groups came up, I pushed myself to step out of my comfort zone. I'm really glad I did — each time it gets a little less daunting, and I definitely get more confident each time!

Embodying the Brave value also means stepping outside our comfort zone to learn more. Not coming from a tech background, I am so eager to learn as much as I possibly can. It’s really inspiring when your surrounded with so many amazing people who have so much knowledge and are happy to help, answer questions and share what they know. Having to do demos on what you’re working on too really has helped me understand what I’m working on as well as building on speaking in front of my team!

Alongside this I’ve been able to look for opportunities outside my current role and tech stack to gain as much knowledge as possible whether that has been completing the DP900, and taking part in the Docker & Kubernetes internal training courses. Currently learning how to build a website from scratch in my spare time, which has been a lot more of an undertaking than I originally thought!"