Q&A with Keegan Haynes, Tradeshow Team Lead

What did you do before joining SciLeads?

Before SciLeads I was a student at Queens University Belfast and working as a Customer Service advisor for a student accommodation company.

When and why did you apply for the job?

I applied for the job toward the end of my degree and I applied for the inside sales role initially as part-time. I have always had an interest in sales, and I liked the idea of working in a fully remote role within a growing company where I could develop and use my skills to help support the company's progression.

What did you do in the Inside Sales team, what did the job involve and what elements of that role appealed to you the most?

I was tasked with categorising different lists in order to find companies most relevant to our product and then passing these lists onto the sales team in order to provide fresh new sales. This appealed to me as it really showed me the customer base SciLeads deals with as well as being an important part of helping the sales team make sales and reach their targets.

Why/how did you move to be Tradeshow Team Lead?

The position was advertised internally and although I was relatively new to the company I believed I had the ability to take on the role and make positive changes. I knew how important tradeshows were for our company and how they gave us the ability to meet both potential and existing customers. I believe tradeshows are a great way to portray how effective our platform is within the life science industry and I wanted to be directly involved in the tradeshow process and presenting our platform at different tradeshows all over the world.

What appealed to you about the new role and how is that different to what you did before? What were/are the rewards and challenges of both roles?

What appealed to me most was being able to adapt processes and make changes that are more effective in producing positive outcomes. I also get to be directly involved in the outcome of all tradeshows SciLeads attends, as well as adapt to new situations such as having our first booth at AACR which enables me to tackle both challenging and important tasks while adapting to them within my role.

Different rewards and challenges come with both roles. The biggest challenge in my role as Tradeshow Team Leader was that the role was completely new to the company and this brought its own difficulties of being able to adapt processes and learn from mistakes made as some of the tasks set up were being done for the first time.

Keegan taking part in a careers fair, running the Belfast Marathon as part of the SciLeads relay team, and enjoying some axe throwing with the sales team!

Have you used your personal development allowance or how do you plan to use it?

I personally love remote working. I still manage to stay well connected with the rest of the team through multiple calls and meetings as well as constant check-ins. We also regularly have events where we can all meet in person and do a fun activity outside of the office. I’ve also loved the benefits that come with working from home such as the personal allowance and being able to set up my office to my liking and making my work space as comfortable as possible.

How has the company changed since you started? What would you say to anyone thinking of joining SciLeads?

The company is constantly growing at a rapid pace so I would say the company has a lot of new faces as well as a much bigger workforce since I started. I would say that there is no better place to work where you are encouraged to grow and have the best support network and senior managers to learn from in the business while enabling a positive work-life balance. If these points tick your boxes you should definitely apply for a position here SciLeads.

SciLeads is continuing to grow and expand its workforce globally. If you want to join one of the country’s fastest-growing tech companies then check out our available roles here.