Day in the life: Digital Services Technician

Ed discusses working in a small team, a joy in tinkering with tech hardware and cars…

I’ve worked in a few different areas, including construction, recruitment, photography and warehouse management roles, so I’ve had the chance to experience a range of companies and environments. I picked up a lot along the way, but my degree is in Computer Science, and I always wanted to move into IT. About four months ago, I started as a Digital Services Technician at Squared.

I help keep an eye on our systems, including the housing management system, to make sure the wider team can work with as little disruption as possible. Some issues are out of our control, so a big part of the role is keeping everyone informed and managing expectations. Systems aren’t always predictable and things do go wrong, so being able to react quickly is important, especially when so much relies on them working properly.

Getting to grips with our housing management system is still very much a learning process for me. I didn’t quite expect it to be as complex as it is, and there’s a lot more for me to learn about how everything fits together and works day to day.

During the day, I keep an eye on tickets coming into the digital team from team members reporting all sorts of issues. No two days are ever the same, and you never really know what might come up. Part of my role also involves visiting different sites to sort things out in person, including dealing with any CCTV and Network related issues.

I’m comfortable speaking with people who have a wide range of digital skill levels. My experience in previous roles has really helped with this, as I’m used to communicating with different people regardless of their role or background. It’s an important skill in IT, especially as some team members are more confident with technology than others.

It’s partly why I enjoy a mix of office and home working. I like being around people and speaking to them face to face, and the lockdowns showed me that fully remote work isn’t something I’d want to do on a permanent basis.

A big part of my role is preparing hardware for staff, such as laptops and phones. I enjoy getting hands‑on with equipment, understanding how it works, and seeing whether something can be improved or fixed instead of automatically replacing it.

I’ve been doing this since I was very young, so it comes naturally to me.

I really enjoy the scope of my role and the benefits of working in a small team. I get involved in a wide range of things and have a good level of autonomy in what I do. I’m already learning and developing in the role, and it’s still early days for me at Squared. The opportunity to build my knowledge around different systems, software, and networking is something I find exciting and great for my development.

Outside of Squared, I have a range of hobbies and interests that keep me busy. For the past 15 years, I’ve had a side hustle in photography and aerial videography. I got my first professional camera while I was at college, started helping a friend at events, and things grew from there. Being a certified drone pilot has helped. Alongside that, I have a real passion for collecting sneakers and a long‑standing interest in computer hardware and software, which ties in nicely with the work I do day to day.

Another interest of mine is cars. I’m a big Formula 1 fan, particularly Lewis Hamilton, and I also spend a lot of time working on cars myself. Whether that’s helping in a friend’s garage or working on my own car, it’s a great side project for me and something I really enjoy. It involves a lot of hands‑on tinkering and small adjustments, which is something I naturally enjoy.

I occasionally take on DJing work, mainly house music, with upcoming events in London and nearby areas. I’ve been DJing since college, and music has always been a big passion of mine, including attending music festivals like Tomorrowland.