Onboarding our new starters at home has very quickly become the norm. However, not being able to share a cuppa together in the kitchen, or have a quick chat while you wait for a meeting room (it was booked!) means that getting to know new team members can be tough. So we decided to ask our newest team member Rachael, ten revealing questions that will help us Get to Know her a little better. 

Getting to Know…………Rachael 

1. First of all, how’s Vincent Van Dough doing?
   For those who don’t know (ha!) Vincent Van Dough is my sourdough. He’s doing okay so far, I’ve managed to keep him alive for a couple of weeks now. This is my first attempt with sourdough so fingers crossed it goes okay and we don’t have any sourdough explosions! 
2. Did you go to the pub on Saturday?
   I didn’t but I’m very jealous of those who did! Me and some friends have a whole list of restaurants that we want to visit, now that lockdown is easing it means we can start to get those reservations made. 
3. Two weeks in, what are your first impressions of Ampersand?
   Two weeks has gone super fast. My first impressions are that Ampersand is a really welcoming place, I had so many messages on my first day welcoming me to the team and offering support, it was really lovely. The team really cares about what they do and are passionate in doing the best job possible. It’s just really nice to be a part of. 
4. What did you know about us before you joined? What had you heard?
   I didn’t know too much other than it’s an ecommerce agency and everyone here loves dogs! 
5. Why did you choose us?
   I chose Ampersand because of their attitude towards people, whether that be clients or the people who make up the team. They are truly supportive of helping people get to where they want to be, and for me that spoke volumes. I got on so well with Lissie (Head of QA) during my interview and I knew that I would really enjoy working with her.  
6. Are you an ecommerce “pro” or an ecommerce “newbie”?
   This isn’t my first time working in ecommerce, but I definitely wouldn’t describe myself as a pro just yet. I think I’m somewhere in the middle! 
7. Tell us about your Lockdown Joys
   Last year I rescued two ex-racing greyhounds, my lockdown joy has been getting to spend lots more time with them! 
8. And your Lockdown Lows?
   One of my best friends turned 30 during lockdown and unfortunately it meant we couldn’t see her and celebrate properly. We’ll definitely make up for it when we can,  but it was sad not being able to celebrate at the time. 
9. And do you have any Lockdown Life-Hacks that you can share?
   It sounds strange but keeping to a routine helps a lot. I think at times we could all end up feeling a bit lost without our usual daytime routine, so trying to build a new routine and break the day down definitely helped me. 
10. Where’s the first place you’ll travel abroad to post-lockdown? Are you off to Canada to see a moose in the wild any time soon? (This is an aforementioned bucket list item)
    Going to Canada to see a moose in the wild is still at the top of my bucket list but sadly probably won’t be where I travel abroad first. I haven’t really given much thought to where I’ll go first, I’m open to suggestions! 

Wow. Is that an invitation for a holiday?

If you want to join Rachael as a new starter, working from home at Ampersand this summer, check out all of our available roles here. If there’s nothing that fits the bill right now, email Avery ak@amp.co to find out about our recruitment plans for the rest of 2020.