From age 10, Ahron Johnson has been building his computers. Something about the world they presented to him, a small-town boy from Tassie, piqued his curiosity and set off a passion that would follow him throughout his life. A professional calling made him move to the mainland for opportunities to match his talent. But building a career in tech proved trickier than anticipated.
For a technical mind like Ahron, years of unfulfilling repetitive IT work and lack of work-life balance were leading him towards burnout. It was a post-pandemic world, and Ahron was among many others who weren’t actively looking for a career change when the opportunity for a fresh start found him.
“I got a call from James, a Randstad consultant, with a pretty interesting proposal. It was for an IT manager role in a small company, in financial services - challenging projects, lots of autonomy. I was almost suspicious of how it was explained to me - this sounds like something out of the left field. But I thought, let’s see what that's like, so I put myself forward for it.”
It was an immediate match between Ahron and his new employer, Capital Bridging Finance. He got to experience the excellent culture and friendly atmosphere on his first visit there.
“I had my interview, and the second I walked into the office, I thought, wow, it's a tangible thing. I connected well with the director and Stacy, the office manager here. It was an excellent feeling straight off the bat.” he says.
in the new role
He learned that the financial services industry is surprisingly full of creative opportunities for someone with an IT background.
The main reason behind my hire was to develop a new finance system to manage bridging loans. And that is a very niche market. It's not like the big four banks where you provide a personal loan; every customer will follow the same process. In this industry, every customer is different, and every loan is different. So the system I was hired to build had to be very customised.
Being employed at a smaller business like Capital Bridging Finance, there is a different level of autonomy and ownership of work that Ahron appreciates.
“I get to provide expert advice.’ he explains ‘ My decisions are trusted. I haven't had that in the 17 years I've worked.”
but there is always more to fulfilling work than responsibility and new challenges.
As a recruitment partner, we aim to help people find work environments that allow them to reach their full potential. A workplace where professional growth does not hinder one’s personal goals.
In the right job, employee development is just as much about work-life balance as career progression. Ahron says he left behind the days when work took priority over his family life.
As a father of twin boys hooked on technology - maybe even a tad more than he is - Ahron uses his time to be present with them. They are following closely in their dad's footsteps with their shared interests in video games, astronomy, and coding. Ahron jokes about them becoming big software developers and teaching him about technology one day.
That said, Ahron is not entirely done with his academic aspirations himself - he is a year away from finishing his master's in cyber security and in terms of what’s next…
There is plenty of time to figure it out, this time with a fulfilling job and a supportive team to back him up on his path.
