A year ago I started volunteering at a Repair Cafe. Taking on wobbly chairs, broken picture frames and even an ornamental Danish monkey, every month brings on a new challenge.
I always considered this separate from my IT career, but I recently realised that at its heart I love both because I really enjoy problem solving, good communication and working in a great team.
Its as simple as
1) talk to the client and work out their needs, understand what they really want and why, hear the human story
2) analyse the product in front of me, learn what it used to do, come up with options and strategies and use that knowledge to clarify the details of the client's wants
3) come up with a prototype or dry fix, show the client how its gonna look and feel, demonstrate where the compromises' are
4) come up with a plan that completes the task in small steps allowing me to deal with any adjustments as I go along
5) get on with the job, keep the client in the loop as much as they want and deliver a great result
Volunteering isn't about money; it's about crafting joy and leaving a legacy. I get nervous fixing a family heirloom, but the gratitude is priceless. IT Solution Design isn't always sexy, but I can get the same joy out of a well designed integration between disparate systems.
If you wanna know more about my volunteering, check out www.chiswickrepaircafe.com, and if you do happen to pop in with something come and say hello
Thank you for volunteering with The Felix Project and for sharing your story! 💚💚💚