Well, first of all, my name is Qasim! (If it wasn’t obvious from the website’s name of course :D)

And I would say there is quite a bit to know about me! I was originally born in Belgium and spent several years there as well as in Pakistan before little me got settled in England with my family. And then we moved a considerable amount around the country. From Bradford to Crawley and then finally being where I am today, in Reading. I also recall moving around in Belgium and Pakistan, so change is what I am used to, you could say that I yearn for it sometimes! But hey! Who knows, I may move around again, life is a journey and you never know what may happen next! Life is an adventure, from the smallest things to the biggest moments, there is always something to appreciate and remember.

As with the change in environment, you would guess that school life wasn’t the easiest, and you would be right! Transferring from one school to another would mean getting used to the surroundings, meeting new people, making new friends, following a new schedule and getting taught by new teachers. This is where you could assume that it was a learning experience for teenage me to get used to change and embrace it. I also did quite well in my education, I would say that I did great in my GCSEs considering the circumstances but when it came to my A-levels, I unfortunately didn’t do so well. I’ll admit it because it’s something I learned from and I strive now to make sure I do my best in whatever I do!

And then we call know COVID hit in 2020, that year was supposed to have been the year where I made my decision to either go to University, do an Apprenticeship or find a job. I wanted to do an Apprenticeship because I felt more drawn to that. But the route I took was finding a job, and my first ever job was being a delivery rider with Uber Eats and I had that job for nearly two years. Did I enjoy it? Meh, I would be hesitant to say that I did, however, the cycling I constantly did was something that kept me in shape. The money was okay but not great. I would sometimes get up in the morning to get started or go in the afternoons, but I would pretty much collect groceries or food in my delivery bag, hand it off to the customer, complete the delivery and repeat. Sometimes the distance was long, sometimes the distance was short, it was like a surprise! Well, almost… Then Uber Eats did an update where you can see the distance of the delivery before you accepted the job, not sure why they didn’t perform this update before! It would have been extremely helpful! There were a lot of times when I had trouble with my bicycle, and let me tell you, it was like my arch-nemesis. I believe I had to change what I had bicycle at least 3 times! Because of the amount of issues I constantly was experiencing! The first two were manual, and then I got my hands on an electric cycle which was a lifesaver because sometimes the hills that I had to climb, I had to get up by foot, but the electric cycle helped in a lot of that. But even with that, I was experiencing issues… Unfortunately. I even had to perform some deliveries by foot, yes! Those days were usually when the bicycle was not functioning properly but I felt dedicated to getting some deliveries done so that I at least could have some money in my pocket.

Then there was a time I did a security guard course to secure an SIA license so that I could get a better job than what I currently was doing. The class I was in was quite fun! There were 2 parts with two different teachers, both made it so that it was engaging and entertaining to learn. There are memories from that time that I cherish, such as when I and 2 other individuals were outside waiting for something, I can’t remember the exact reason we were outside of the room, but it had to do something with what the lesson was for the day. Anyways, one of the guys repeatedly kept cracking jokes, on top of the other, and I was just laughing until I cried, until my belly had hurt. Or when we were in the room and the teacher was messing around with us or we were messing around with them. Many moments of hilariousness that are joyful to look back on from time to time. But after all this, even after passing the examination, I never got my license, but the course was free so I didn’t complain!

However! I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to be an Apprentice 1st Line Service Desk Engineer at a company called Ultima Business Solutions. I remember getting notified that I was successful by getting a call from one of the QA recruiters and letting me know that I had it, and I was happy! I thought at first that I was not going to get it, that I would fail and the offer would not be presented to me to accept the position. But this is my first, proper job, and that was the step I needed into the IT industry, it allowed me to be here today and create this website to put myself out there!

I found this opportunity when I was home, on the computer looking for other jobs and even Apprenticeships, I was applying to a lot of places in hoping that I would be accepted somewhere. At the time I was also doing a clinical trial, they were testing a new drug for Allergic Rhinitis, more commonly known as Hay Fever, which is a condition I have. Anyways! One of the places I had applied to get back to me wanting to do an interview. I’ll say that this is in thanks to the QA recruiter helping in getting a CV created for me which then they sent off, I heavily appreciate their assistance as that was the reason I believe they were interested in giving me a chance to present myself. The day of the interview came, and I did the best I could. After that was done, I thought I flopped it, that I did or said something wrong, but luckily, no! I vividly remember the day when I received a call, I was in London going back home from the trial, and the recruiter said that I had gotten it! I felt very fortunate at the time, it changed my life, I was so ecstatic, glad & gleeful. That day I yelled “Yes!” over the phone and accepted the offer within a heartbeat. This was the start of a new adventure, a new chapter in my life.

2 years later, I have passed the Level 3 apprenticeship for an Information Communications Technician, I have the certification, and it’s a journey, that looking back on, I have gained a lot of experience and have learned a lot. Currently, I am a senior on the team, helping my colleagues with any issues they may be experiencing or any questions that may have. Performing some managerial duties and getting the opportunities to approach more complicated tickets and requests, having more time to implement more sophisticated solutions, communicating with other teams, dealing with escalations and even having the chance to be with other teams! Such as the onsite and 2nd line shared team. I do not regret it one bit and the colleagues I have in my role allow me to push myself, go beyond what I believe I am capable of and propel myself to be someone outstanding.

So here we are today, creating this website to put myself out there and show people who I am and what I am capable of, despite what my weaknesses may be or how they appear, I can excel in whatever I do. I am a dedicated individual who is highly motivated and adaptable to any circumstance.