Kari describes her remarkable journey on The Ortus Club as “constantly growing and stepping up”, from being a Project Coordinator herself to leading a team of Project Coordinators.
Follow Kari’s not-so-typical day and see how she juggles time between leading a team of Project Coordinators, reaching out to industry leaders, and organising global events.
Hi! I’m Kari. My hobbies include binge-watching new and classic movies. I also look for movies that I may have missed out on in the past. I’m also interested in learning how to take better photos and engaging myself again in some reading. Currently, I’ve been picking up some skills in candle-making and pasta-making.
At work, I make sure that each project assigned to me and my team is well taken care of from the start, and ensure that it’s still monitored by us until the post-event day. I also see it as my responsibility to check on every member of my team, not just with their work but also with how they’re doing mentally.
As an introvert, I never really minded being alone. But I realised that working with my team is something I loved doing. I really enjoy the company of my workmates.
Even before joining Ortus, I’ve always enjoyed the idea of planning something — whether if it’s for a trip, a birthday surprise for family/friends, or organising social events. The operations and logistics side of it is something that piques my interest.
I love how the job has encouraged me to go out of my comfort zone. Plus it’s nice how the team has expressed their confidence in me. Here in Ortus, we’re constantly growing and stepping up. Transformation is necessary so we can cater to the needs of new clients, new team members, and departments.
“I love how the job has encouraged me to go out of my comfort zone. Plus it’s nice how the team has expressed their confidence in me.”
In line with this, the nature of my job changes as well because new challenges have to be addressed. Taking on a different role requires me to be more aware of what may happen in the team and projects. This is why keeping an open mind and an optimistic attitude is needed.
Let me take you through my day.
8:00-09:00 AM: I make sure my dog, Luna (who most of my workmates see on Zoom), is fed. I also bring her to the rooftop area of where I live so she can run for a bit. After doing so, I make my bed, get some breakfast, and make coffee.
I also make sure to shower first before I clock in for work. I realised that having the time to get ready, even if I won’t go to the office, really changes the way I feel before diving into work. I feel more energised compared to wearing the same clothes I went to bed in.
I like starting my workday by visualising what needs to be done and prioritised for the entire day. There’s only so much a person can do!
9:00-10:00 AM: I grab coffee, check emails, create a to-do list for the day, and review the list of upcoming projects I need to focus on for the coming days.
10:00-11:00 AM: I update information from past campaigns, prepare for new campaigns, and then send data out to the teams that need them.
11:00 AM -12:00 noon: I respond to a few new emails, answer questions from the team, and make sure they get their break too.
Lunchtimes in the office could get intense whenever I and a couple of workmates decide to grab lunch outside. It gets extremely hot during noontime! That’s why we often opt to just order in so we don’t have to walk under the noon heat.
Pre-pandemic, I used to always grab lunch with anyone who wanted to eat with me. I also usually went out for dinner with my colleagues on a Friday. I felt this was the perfect time to prepare myself to unwind from the busy work week!
1:00-2:00 PM: I check in on the team’s projects. I take the time to ensure that all tasks are completed within the deadline to guarantee that all events go smoothly and perfectly!
2:00-3:00 PM: I join our daily Team Leads call. Our agenda is to align our goals, check if all teams are on track, and offer help if another team needs assistance.
3:00-4:00 PM: This is the time when I conduct one-on-one meetings with my team members. I encourage them to think of areas where they may need support, so I help them out and make sure everything is addressed and clarified.
4:00-5:00 PM: I start preparing for important meetings for the following day or create my to-do lists ahead. I also sneak in work with less distractions at this time
At 5:30 PM, I join the End of Day. I like how our EoD activities are always engaging and serve as the perfect cap to a work-filled day. It’s also nice to see the rest of the team who are not based in the same country, so we get the chance to know them a little bit better.
The job challenges me on how to prioritise my tasks, considering there are a lot of events that the team does in a month. It’s pretty exciting to be at this stage because there are a lot of new things happening such as new job roles and departments.
We’re pushing ourselves to see how we can make our team better. I always say that Ortus has allowed me to gain more confidence in what I know and has pushed me out of my comfort zone.
I look forward to seeing more new faces as we expand, and new countries for hosting events! I’m also excited to see how else I can offer my help as we add more departments.
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