Meet Reuben, Account Manager

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Job Title:
Account Manager

How long have you been with Instant On IT (IOIT)?
Nearly 3 years

What brought you to IOIT?
I actually knew about Instant On IT as Matthew Short and I have been friends since university. Matthew heads up the 3rd line department and has been with Instant On IT for over 11 years. When my previous job in Surrey came to an end, I was looking for a change and wanted to work in London again. I gave Matthew my CV in case there were any job availabilities and it just so happened that they were looking for another member of the business team. A few short weeks later, I was starting work at Instant On IT!

What was your first impression of IOIT:
Having already met some of the members of the team, I already knew that Instant On IT were a friendly bunch. And it’s more than that, Instant On IT is a genuinely rewarding and inspiring place to work. People don’t take themselves too seriously but the primary focus is always on delivering the best support and service to clients.

Describe a typical working day for you:
I usually start around 8am. If Matt or Beckie haven’t put the coffee on already, then the pot has to go on before anything else is done. First cup of coffee down, it’s usually responding to any urgent emails and checking my diary for the day. I usually have 2 or 3 client meetings in a week and it’s great to go see the clients to understand how things are going from their perspective. In the office, I juggle my time between ensuring projects are running on track, day to day support issues that may need further investigation and telephone briefings with my clients. Speaking and liaising with the wider tech team with regards to my clients is also an important part of my job as it means I can be made aware of any issues. Some days are more crazy than others but they are always fun with the team around. Come 5pm on Fridays, we have the radio blasting some tunes and a cold beer in hand to welcome in the weekend. It’s a tough life but someone’s got to do it!

What is your favourite thing about the work you do?
Delivering successful projects for my clients is one of my favourite aspects of the job. Planning, agreeing, implementing and closing a project is always satisfying and means that the whole client team works together to get work delivered to a deadline. An improved experience for the client is always the end goal.

On a typical day, what do you have for lunch?
When I first joined, the lure of Leather Lane street food market meant that I spent the first year having something different every day. Lunch still always starts off with the obligatory stroll down Leather Lane to get some free samples of falafel and chicken schnitzel! Trying to watch what I eat (now that the advancing years have left me the wrong side of 35!) I now bring food from home freshly prepared each night by me (by me, I obviously mean my wife!)

What are you most famous for at IOIT?
Microsoft licensing guru, facilities manager AND beer monitor!

What makes a dream client?
Dream clients are the ones whom you have an excellent and trustworthy relationship with. It’s about tapping into what is important for them and ensuring you deliver on the promises made.

What’s your favourite business/life quote?
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony” – Gandhi

What area of IT interests you most?
My background isn’t in IT. Since joining, I have been learning and discovering the ever expansive world of Microsoft 365. Seeing the features and benefits develop over time has been fascinating; deploying these to clients to see them work in the real world has been fantastic.

What has been your best memory during your time at IOIT so far (at work or at one of our social events)?
If you have been reading some of the other posts from my colleagues, you will already know that Instafest was a highlight for most people, where we were whisked away to the Herefordshire countryside for a weekend retreat with lots of fun games and a little bit too much red wine in the evenings! While this was undoubtedly a highlight, my personal favourite moments have come from some of our regular socials where the competitive spirit is out in force no matter how many times people say “it’s just a bit of fun”, the trophies attached to these “tournaments” are defended with a passion that equals any World Cup Tournament!

Who really makes the best cup of tea in the office?
Being a coffee drinker, I don’t get involved with the tea making but tea tastes vary in the office from treacle like builders brew to hot milk with a splash of tea. Heated discussion on what constitutes the perfect cuppa is a regular hot topic in quieter moments.