Love What You Do – Meet Jas Uitermark-Thaung

22nd Jun, 2020 | Sidekicker Updates

Our Sidekicker community is made up of people from all walks of life. Their backgrounds, their passions, and their stories are part of what makes them so good at what they do. Jas is a Sidekick who impressed her way onto the Perth Sidekicker team and now Coordinates new Sidekicks while shes completes her degree and hones her design skills. See why she loves what she does. 

Where were you working before Sidekicker?

I was working as a bartender at Amplifier Capitol in Perth while running a small-time creative arts zine. It covered the goings on of local arts, music and creative ventures. It’s such a close-knit culture it was great to be a part of, especially when it came to attempting to change the scene and showcasing the creative might of my fellow gals.

Tell us something unique about yourself

The one I like to always pull out of the hat is that I used to play the trombone and once had the opportunity to play in the Sydney Opera House!

Nowadays, any of my free time is spent trying to hone and develop my graphic design skills or strength training at the gym. I hit a new personal best for clumsiness the other day by dropping a 12.5kg dumbbell on my face…

How did you land your job at Sidekicker?

I actually came across the Sidekick Coordinator role on Seek and was super stoked as it seemed like my kind of vibe. Next minute, I was pitching myself to the WA State Manager, Sachee for an end of year event for the Sidekick community in Perth and he gave me the job.

It was awesome to get involved since Sidekicker has a great atmosphere and it’s the kind of job you look forward to going to in the morning. A big bonus for me is also being able to provide the opportunity to Sidekicks to change up their work environment, sometimes staying in one place can get stale.

Coolest thing you’ve done at Sidekicker?

I get to do a lot of cool things every day but overall I would probably say the end of year party for the Perth Sidekicks last year. It was great to see everyone out enjoying themselves and getting to know other Sidekicks in their community.

What was your first job?

My first job was as an all-rounder at a cafe in the Swan Valley.  The view was lovely and after a long day, the cooks would make us all fish and chips and we’d all share a bottle of wine. 

What did you career pathway look like?

Originally, my game plan was to finish up my Mass Communications degree in Journalism and Graphic Communication. I wanted to find a job in those fields working at a creative agency. I’ll finish up my degree in a few months and will happily be taking up a full-time position with Sidekicker. It’s crazy because it’s the perfect job for me where I get to utilize all my communications skills, dabble in a little design and learn so much more than any unit could teach me.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

One morning I would want to be a Fire (wo)man and another day I’d decide I was much better as a reporter. Eventually, I settled on becoming a Doctor and Pilot throughout high school before changing my mind again once media took my focus.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone who wants to work in a startup?

Make sure you can multi-task because you’ll be doing a lot of it!

Why do you love what you do?

I love being a Sidekick Coordinator because it’s an enriching, exciting experience. No day is ever dull and no task I do could be defined as mundane. It’s always about making the platform a great experience for everyone.