Mandy Goddard – IBMi (AS400/iSeries) Support & Developer
Starting Out…
My ambition was to be a Police Officer and having successfully applied at 17 years of age for the Police Force, they advised me to get some life experience and apply again in a few years.
I was determined to get these skills and find a job that would provide me with this.
Not having a clue what I wanted to do… I just knew I did NOT want to work in an office sitting at a desk all day looking at a computer screen…
…and so here I find myself 35 years later, sitting at a desk, looking at a computer screen, the idea of joining the Police Force a distant memory.
Office Work!
In 1987, I joined the Cooperative Society as an Office Junior, where I was inquisitive about the locked, noisy room at the end of the Office.
The Data Processing Suite was used for running applications on System 36 – a large system, running backups, printing stock reports and updating stock levels.
I became a Data Operator and was known for my incessant questions about how and why the systems worked.
A year later I found myself at a local firm called Sweetheart International as a Computer Operator and then become proficient at CL Programming, I decided to move into programming using RPG. This role, in a small company, meant I could still run applications, loading software and looking after hardware.
Sadly after 31 years, they made me redundant and I thought my time working with the AS400 (IBM i) was over until…
Starting at KFA Connect
In June 2019 KFA Connect came into my life, based in Ringwood – about 45 miles from my home, a place we only visited during the summer holidays.
How did I feel about commuting?
The driving to and from work before going home to the manic mayhem of family life was great and OMG! They even let you take dogs to work.
My interview was a blur – my black trousers were covered in dog hairs from a lovely dog called Jazz who came and sat in on the interview – personally, I think she helped me get the job but she never let me forget it – hounding me daily for treats on her arrival to work. We all work remotely now since Covid – and I do miss the office, well the dogs anyway!
Every day is literally a school day, learning how processes work in other companies and then resolving their issues is both satisfying and rewarding.
I am lucky enough to work on new innovations, recently working with other team members to set up a Customer with IBMi in the Cloud backing up to our server with minimal effort.
Work-Life Balance
Travelling, reading and shopping are three things I like to do.
Want to know more? Get in touch with our team today.