Mintie Stories - Emily Moodley

The loose concept of apprenticeship has been in practice for millennia, shaping humankind’s greatest achievements - from the building of Egypt and Babylon to the rise of ancient Rome and medieval Europe. Babylon was in fact the earliest known civilization that had laws around hiring and developing skills, as early as 1750 BC. It was only in 1563AD that the practice of apprenticeship was formally acknowledged and governed in Britain with the Statute of Artificers. This created a more regulated system, with more precise terms and conditions that protected both master and apprentice.

Across all industries in which apprenticeship has taken shape over the eras, one commonality existed: the many years that apprentices were required to spend learning and honing their skills, before being formally recognized and free to practice independently.

Fast-forward five hundred years - where is apprenticeship today?

History lesson aside, apprenticeship has evolved considerably, especially over the last century, with the biggest changes being that apprenticeships are, mercifully, much shorter. Modern apprenticeships and vocational training programs are often broken down into smaller and more manageable goals, which allows people to move into fields more efficiently. In addition to this, more and more women are joining the ranks of apprentices in all kinds of industries.

One such woman is our very own Emily Moodley, who joined Mint, after what she describes as an unfulfilling career in IT Distribution and Transport and Logistics. The opportunity to take such a giant leap into the tech industry is both daunting and exciting. With the right systems in place to train and provide resources for skills development, a company is able to offer employees the chance to simply never stop learning. This is the culture that Emily found herself in when she moved to Mint, which inspired her to dive headfirst into a series of study programs offered while on-the-job.

Emily has aced six Microsoft exams, and passed her MB-200, saying, “It made me push harder. It was a challenge and I love challenges! I needed to assert my skill and the first step to doing that was conquering those exams. It made me want my success even more.” Being able to upskill with Microsoft and Mint has shown Emily, and so many others like her, that there is always more than one avenue to success. One should never feel trapped in a career if the opportunities exist to learn and grow in a new environment.

Let's Hear What Emily Has To Say

1.  Your biggest achievement in your Mint journey?

Building D365 for Sales in Portuguese and with no code for an Angolan client.

2.    What has been your biggest challenge?

I had just completed my D365 for Marketing certification and I was placed on a project where the client uses Click Dimensions. At first it was a struggle to unlearn D365 for Marketing as the two are vastly different. To conquer this uneasy feeling I had, I pushed myself to learn Click Dimensions whilst doing the work so that I could better apply myself. All this whilst having other projects to attend to. Today this client’s work is the most relaxing to do.

3.   Which of the Mint values do you most resonate with and why?

I think I resonate with all of them. Each one goes hand in hand with the others. You cannot produce quality work without being passionate about what you do. You cannot work without integrity when dealing with so many different people in a day and making sure we represent Mint as best we can. All four values work together as an employee guide on how to best approach your work, and that becomes a lifestyle.

4.    What does your life look like outside of work?

If I’m not building a CRM solution, I am gaming my favorite RPGs or doing park runs with my dogs. I also find cooking quite therapeutic and relaxing just as I do Data Cleansing for a client.

5.    Home, Office or Hybrid? Why?

I believe in the hybrid method. The Covid pandemic has shown us what is truly necessary. Working from home has made life much easier by allowing extra time to get enough sleep instead of sitting in traffic. Having enough time to spend with the family and dealing with daily household issues without being distracted and never having the time. Also having your dogs run up to you randomly at your desk for pets is just so calming. Going to the office a few times a week meets the social needs we all have as humans. It’s good for the soul to catch up with colleagues and have a conversation in person versus a Teams call.

Finding the courage to start again

Emily describes her apprenticeship journey as “Rise of the Jedi, Volume 1” Although the journey may be long, the rewards are far-reaching.

Emily encourages anyone who is considering an apprenticeship opportunity to jump right in: “As skilled as we can get in this industry, there is always something new we can learn from Microsoft, as well as each other. We will forever be students because we dare to learn! If you are concerned about starting from the beginning again, don’t be. Starting something new to gain knowledge and skill is never a decision you could regret!”