Surface would not be the company it is today without the support of our fantastic team. To give you an insight on to what goes on behind the scenes, we have asked our newly appointed Executive Assistant to Directors Connor Ravey to tell us a little bit about himself, and what he gets up to as part of his role at surface.
I’m an English Literature graduate from Queen’s University in Belfast, and I have a strong passion for reading and writing. I live with my partner Sophie and our puppy Columbo in Newtownabbey. In terms of my work history, I’ve been a little all over the show! I started out in retail at my local corner shop, then I worked at a business travel agency. For the past three years, I’ve primarily been working in transport, which involved corresponding with customers, time keeping and organisation – plus I got to work with colleagues across Europe!
I’m not quite sure yet! I’m still finding my feet, but so far the old cliché of ‘every day is different’ has been ringing very true. For the most part, I’m playing an administrative and secretarial role. I manage time sheets, finances and maintain our paperwork and policies, as well as acting as the minute meeting taker. I also perform other roles as and when Sean or Jenny, the managing directors, need me! My correspondence with our Marketing Agency, Prospect 13, is an example. I imagine that the longer I’m here and the more I get to know the business, the more odd jobs I’ll be able to pick up!
I think the company work ethic did it for me! The construction industry is new for me I have no real experience in the construction industry but my previous work experience matches my current role very well. Surface stood out to me from the get-go. Sean, Jenny, and my predecessor Thomas were extremely welcoming during my interview, very clear about what they would expect from me, and I got a very positive vibe from them. Being involved with such a different industry has been exciting for me, especially as I grow to understand just how significant and innovative our SAM software is. The company is very proud of SAM, and once you get to see what it’s capable of, it’s easy to understand why!
Due to the nature of my previous role, I’m not certain there’s any one instance of accomplishment that I can pinpoint, but the industry did force me to toughen up. Often our clients’ production lines or services would depend heavily upon the safe and punctual arrival of their goods, and if ever something was to go wrong, it would usually be on these more important jobs… there were many occasions on which I received profound thanks from our clients for solving issues and overcoming seemingly insurmountable deadlines. Each issue solved helped prepare for the next one, and this experience is something I hope will be very useful during my time with Surface!
During my time at Surface, I hope to become more independent in my working style and gain more creative control. Instead of following charts and procedures or being told very specific ways to do things. At Surface, I can work on tasks that require research beforehand, and I am required to think outside the box. Sean and Jenny trust me to work on various projects and allow me to take the lead, giving me the chance to develop my own ways of doing things, which I find to be an enriching learning experience. I feel certain already that my time at Surface will help me build confidence, develop an instinct for business, and push me to become generally more capable.