WTF is a happiness officer?
Good question. We spoke to Julie Whish, Culture Specialist and Happiness Officer at Uberflip to find out how she landed her dream job.
What’s your educational background?
Recreation and leisure services.
How long have you worked in your current position?
Just celebrated my one year!
What attracted you to the role and company?
I was on the hunt for a culture role for a while, and when I saw this pop up on my search I thought “this is literally my dream job”. After coming into the office, and meeting with several members of the team I knew this was somewhere I wanted to be. An amazing product, awesome team members and a passion for company culture and creating a positive, inclusive work environment!
Describe the application process.
I applied online through the website, and started with a phone interview. After chatting with the amazing Lisa, we hit it off right away. From there, I came into the office several times for in-person interviews and then ended the process with a full presentation of an assignment I was given. I knew that the team was searching for the person to fill this role for a while, and they wanted to be sure they were making the right decision!
Have you always wanted to work in the industry?
When I was looking for my next (dream) role, I knew Tech was an industry that really appealed to me and somewhere I’d really hoped I would end up! It’s proven to be everything I thought it would be and more. Such a creative and inspiring industry to be in.
What’s been your biggest career achievement to date?
Well, I’d have to say it’s the way I got into a culture role. About five years ago I was working for a student travel company, I loved the company but wasn’t too keen on the customer service role I was in. They asked me how I’d feel if they created a brand new role for me, one where it was my job to make people happy and excited to be at work. I obviously reacted with YES! Since then, I’ve learned so much, and company culture and employee engagement has become a true passion for me. Since being at Uberflip I’ve got to plan and execute so many amazing initiatives! Anything from company-wide parties, inclusivity and diversity initiatives, ways our team can give back, and a culture calendar of monthly events around the office.
What’s been the biggest challenge?
Since this is the type of role that never sleeps, it can be tough to find time to do it all. I tend to be the type of person who wants to do it all, and when someone comes to me with an idea or request I just want to make it happen for them! The most challenging part of my role is being able to find time to give it all my for every event, party, or initiative I’m working on!
What skills do you need to do your job well?
You definitely need to be very organised (and a list enthusiast), a really creative and outside the box thinker to always be thinking of new initiatives, and a LOT of good, positive energy that you can share with your entire company all day, everyday! This role is non-stop, and you need to be the type of person who always thinks of others before yourself. If you thrive off of a fast-paced environment where you are constantly planning, executing and hustling then this could be something you love!
What’s the best part of your job?
It’s too hard to choose one thing, I truly love it all. I get to come into an amazing office each day, and channel all my time and energy on making people engaged and happy. I love coming into work, and building relationships with our incredible team and surprising everyone too! We’ve always got a lot going on, but I always make sure I keep a few surprises in there too. Nothing makes me happier then seeing peoples faces after surprising them with something special. I am always thinking of our next big idea, and things we can do to make Uberflip the best place to work! Loving your job is a very special thing.
What advice would you give someone interested in a role like yours?
There’s no doubt that this is an incredibly special role to have. I have people reach out to me all the time about how I got here and advice on how to land a similar role. My advice is to always be learning, researching company culture, the companies you’re interested in and showing your interest. And if you can make this happen in the mean time, show your current employer this is something you care about and are passionate about. Start small and make time to come up with culture ideas and initiatives for where you’re currently working to show all you can do!
What was your dream career as a child and why?
I never had a really specific dream career. I remember at some points I wanted to be an actress, some a kindergarten teacher, – the main thing I always knew is that I wanted my career to be something where I got to make people happy! Now that I am here in this role, it really made me realize this is totally the perfect role for me.
What’s your ultimate career ambition now?
Now that I’ve been at Uberflip for a year, it’s been really exciting to see my role grow and evolve. I have been focusing a lot on employer branding as well as my culture initiatives, and it’s something I really love. Since I blog and post a lot in my free time, I’ve been transferring those skills into my everyday tasks here. I love sharing how amazing it is to work at Uberflip on social. From our Instagram (especially our stories!) to LinkedIn posts, to new blog posts on our culture hub – this is something I love learning about and incorporating into my role. To me, as long as I am in a role where I feel engaged and challenged – that’s where I want to be. Taking things one step at a time and seeing all that can happen in such an exciting role!
