What do you do at Aware, and what led you to your career?

I’m a Salesforce Consultant at Aware Services. I work collaboratively with clients to understand their business challenges and help them achieve the ideal outcome.

My desire to work in a role where I could solve complex problems, provide real value to clients, work across multiple industries and get hands on with designing innovative IT solutions is what led me to a career as a Salesforce Consultant.

What is the most important thing you have learned in the last five years?

Over the last few years I have learned that life can be very unpredictable and that you never really know what’s waiting for you around the corner. For example, my introduction to consulting five years ago was based on a roll of the dice when I decided to give up my career in electrical engineering in Auckland and move to Sydney to start working as a technology consultant. I never thought I would enjoy consulting as much as I did and at the time, I would never have guessed this move would catapult me into a career as a Salesforce Consultant.

How do you define success?

Personally for me the definition of success isn’t just about earning a high salary or reaching the top position in my company but rather being able to prioritise what’s important to me and living a deeply meaningful life.

If I were to introspect and ask myself if I felt successful at this current stage of my life, I would need to answer the following questions:

• Am I financially stable and able to fund the lifestyle that I want for myself?

• Am I happy with the type of work I’m doing, and do I have the creative freedom to express myself without judgement?

Do I have the work-life balance that I desire and am I able to prioritise my family, health, and personal interests?

What technology is exciting you at the moment and why?

Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence!

AI is rapidly evolving day-by-day and the fact that the likes of Alexa and Google Home can interpret your verbal questions to provide a list of appropriate results and continue to learn and personalise your search experience is amazing! Having information at your fingertips has never been so easy.

 I also love the idea of using AI assistants/smart plugs to create a smart home experience and this is currently something I’m working on in my own apartment.

What’s your go-to productivity trick?

I use a couple of key productivity tricks which help me stay focused and efficient through the day:

•  To-Do List – I create a list of prioritized items at the start of each day and as I complete a task, I cross it off my list. This ensures I don’t forget anything important through the day and stay focussed on a clear agenda.

• Frequent Breaks – I find that taking a break from my laptop screen every couple of hours and either going for a short walk, stretching, or working out helps me to stay relaxed and achieve mental clarity.