Welcome to Day 2 of our International Women’s Day Love What You Do Series. This week we are recognising some of the women who are furthering their dreams and goals by taking advantage of the flexible work Sidekicker provides as well as celebrating our 50/50 gender split in HQ. Our Sidekick 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.
Sidekicker’s Co-Founder Jacqui Bull says “International Women’s Day to me is about encouraging the next generation of females to take bold moves by showcasing women doing inspiring things. A huge part of being successful is having confidence in your own ability, and this can come from seeing someone else’s success and being inspired to think ‘If they can do, so can I!’ We hope you enjoy our Love What You Do series this week.”
Helen Lu is Sidekicker’s UX designer, her role is to enhance the satisfaction of our clients and Sidekicks as they navigate their way through the Sidekicker platform and mobile app, creating an engaging and intuitive experience for all users. This is her story.
Where were you working before Sidekicker?
My career started as a grad at an IT consultancy firm. During those years, I worked on a range of roles and projects for various clients.
Eventually, I stumbled upon user experience design, decided to quit my consultancy job to further pursue this field and then worked briefly for a VR/AR startup before joining Sidekicker!
Tell us something unique about yourself…
After finishing uni, I travelled to Budapest, Hungary to teach English for a month. It was my first solo trip abroad to a country where I didn’t know the language so it was terrifying yet exciting at the same time.
How did you land your job at Sidekicker?
I initially applied for a role at SEEK however, I didn’t end up getting that role.
Afterwards, the hiring manager for the role mentioned to me that a startup SEEK had invested in was looking for a Product Designer and asked me if I’d be interested. I said yes, had an interview with Kate (Product Manager) and Tom (CEO) and … here I am!
Coolest thing you’ve done at Sidekicker?
Being able to go out and talk to our customers to get their feedback and ideas. Sometimes we don’t always realise that our customers work and think differently from us when you are in the weeds of a project. Talking to them (whether it be in person or via a phone call) and just learning about them is a constant reminder and driver that we are building technology for real people with their own individual needs, pain points and goals.
What was your first job?
I worked as a sales assistant (aka avid leftover bread eater) at Bakers Delight.
What did you career pathway look like?
Unexpected, unstructured and uncertain. I don’t think I would have gotten to where I am today if I didn’t take leaps of faith and risks.
What did you want to be when you were younger?
Either an archaeologist or an astronaut.
What does International Womens Day mean to you?
I hope that the significance in International Womens’ Day will one day mean we no longer need a dedicated day to acknowledge the successes of women and the importance of gender equality. I feel that this mindset should be ingrained within us so that we strive to create a future where anyone can achieve their goals without having to worry about being discriminated due to their gender.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone who wants to work in a startup?
It’s definitely not for everyone but if you
– Want to be more than just a cog in the system
– Hate wearing corporate attire
– Perhaps most importantly, you want to clearly see the impact of your work
…then I would 100% recommend working in a startup.
Why do you love what you do?
The other day, I read a review from one of our Sidekicks who managed to find a full-time role by doing a casual gig with a business on our platform. I have spoken to customers who were able to easily find great staff for their business. The fact that Sidekicker is so much more than just a ‘jobs board’ and have the power to connect people together to create meaningful (and potentially lasting) relationships, coupled with being able to achieve this vision with a bunch of amazing people is the reason why I enjoy coming to work everyday!