Welcome to the (not so) Frequently Asked Questions.

What’s the deal with this website?

Good question! I have a lot of different skills, and a way to showcase all of these in one place was through the use of a website that ties into my CV.

The idea originated through the use of about.me (https://about.me/tfindley) and LinkedIn (https://linkedin.com/in/tfindley). I wanted a single site that would combine the professionalism of LinkedIn, but the modern front-end of About.me .

This site acts as a Resumé, CV, Portfolio and general information site about me.

Why does the CV / Resumé you sent me look the way it does?

My original CV was far more ‘run of the mill’, and actually served me well. It got me interviews, it got me jobs (well, my current job), and it was generally okay, but I wanted to present the information in a more unique fashion. My current CV is somewhat different to others you might have seen. I’ve designed it to stand out from the rest by being different, yet functional. It also serves as a little showcase of skills I’ve learned from teaching myself Adobe InDesign.

Are you an IT guy, a photographer, a graphic designer, or what?

An IT guy of course! No wait… a Photographer.  …actually I work on film sets. …but I ride motorcycles… and spend most of my evenings doing Martial Arts.

Heh… yeah I do a lot. Seriously though. My Day Job is IT Systems Administrator at Royal Holloway University. But when night falls; I’m the Motorcycling photographer who…. *ahem*…

I make the occasional bit of money on the side as a photographer, an IT Contractor, and as a videographer. These may seem like wildly different fields, but these powers combine, they summon Earth’s greatest champion; CAPTAIN PLANET!… *ahem*  No! They come together in a synergy of creativity and technology which allows me to turn my hand to tasks such as social media and website design, where I’m able to design the digital assets necessary to take the project from design to completion.

So what am I really? I’m an IT Rock Star!

So what is with everything else you do?

Some of what I do (such as photography) originally started off as a hobby, but I decided to turn it into a small home business to make a little bit of money with which to buy new photography equipment, and something to focus my desire for learning.

Why do you include your Interests on a ‘professional’ site that you use for applying for jobs?

There is more to me than a job, just as there is more to you than your job. Things that I do are an important part of my life, and just like any parts, they make up a whole. Things I do outside of work affect who I am as a person, from how colleagues and coworkers interact with me, to new skills that I pick up and learn. A lot of my interests and ventures outside of work have allowed me to develop new skills which have in turn fed back into my job, allowing me to be a more skilled and capable person with better job prospects.

Why is some of this site written in a slightly ‘less professional’ manor? (this page, for example)

I can’t be serious all of the time, and I want to be able to be  a little lighter hearted on this than on my CV and cover letter. That and I wanted to throw in the occasional references from my childhood or from other media and literature that I’m a fan of.

Was that you on BBC’s Fake Britain?

Yes it was. I’ve since published my full account of my incident.

Why do you have an FAQ page?

Why not? ^.^

What is the answer to Life, The Universe, and Everything?

42

But I have more questions!

Great! I love questions! Please contact me and we’ll go for a coffee where I will be happy to answer any more questions you have.

Quotes to live by

If you’re the smartest person in the room, then you’re in the wrong room.