Don't quote me

How much do you really know about your colleagues? NICEtimes asks the questions for you!

A red quotation bubble hanging from a string with other quotation bubbles in the background
Caroline Raw, senior service delivery  manager in the strategy and  governance team, Digital, Information and Technology Directorate

How long have you worked here at NICE?

I’ve worked here for around 3 and a half years in total. I first worked at NICE for 2 and a half years before leaving to take on a role at The University of Manchester. I came back in November 2020. It seems I just could not stay away!

Caroline left NICE for Manchester University but soon missed us

What do you like most about your role?

I speak to so many different people every day! Being a service delivery manager means that you often have lots of short meetings during the course of the day. It’s really nice to do that when you’re working from home.

What 3 words would you use to describe your job?

Busy, varied and challenging.

What’s the best part of hybrid working?

I’m normally based in the Manchester office, but I’ve loved working from home during the pandemic. The best thing about working from home is I have a great quality of life.

In turn, I feel more productive at work. It’ll be nice seeing people back in the office, but I hope we manage to maintain a more flexible approach to where we work from.

Manchester University in the background as a cyclist rides by.

Caroline left NICE for Manchester University but soon missed us

Caroline left NICE for Manchester University but soon missed us

Dakota, the german shepherd, getting in on a selfie with Caroline

Dakota always loves a good photobomb

Dakota always loves a good photobomb

What was your first job?

I was a pot washer in a local pub. I think I was around 14. I would not recommend it for anyone considering a career change.

Where is your happy place?

Anywhere my dog is! In August last year, my partner and I adopted a German Shepherd called Dakota. She’d been on a puppy farm for 8 years, which is really sad. We’re more than making up for it now though! She’s got such a lovely nature.

Dakota always loves a good photobomb

What talent would you most like to have?

I’d like to be really good at football. I played football throughout school and at university, but I was never that good. My mind knows what it wants to do, but my stupid legs and feet rarely follow suit.

What book would you recommend to others?

'The girl who loved Tom Gordon', by Stephen King. It’s really well written and not too scary.

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King isn't too scary so don't be afraid

What would be the first thing you’d do if you won the lottery?

Quit my job. Is that appropriate to say in a work magazine?! I really enjoy my job, but I would 100% rather be doing other things. Work to live, not live to work.

If you could be a superhero for the day, who would you be and why?

I know nothing about superheroes! So, I’ll tell you which superpower I’d have instead. I’d go for invisibility. I think it would open all kinds of doors (I’m not above nipping into a bank or jewellers unseen…).

The book cover of The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King

'The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon', by Stephen King, isn't too scary!

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King isn't too scary so don't be afraid

Zainab Ulhaq,  user experience researcher  in the product development team, Digital, Information  and Technology Directorate

How long have you worked here at NICE?

I've worked here since December 2020. So, only 10 or 11 months.

What do you like most about your role?

Being able to conduct research with different types of users is really interesting. I can get to see things through their eyes and understand their experiences with digital products.

What 3 words would you use to describe your job?

Empathetic, inquisitive and methodical.

What’s the best part of working from home?

I have been working from home since I first joined NICE. The best thing is having an extra 10 minute snooze in bed! Also, not having to sit in traffic at 8am in the morning.

I am very much looking forward to coming into the office for a few days a month, though. I can socialise and come out of my shell a little more.

I am a big foodie and in Manchester there's always something new to try. Whether it’s a new quirky coffee shop in the Northern Quarter or something fancy in Spinningfields. I am there!

Zainab loves her food!

A delicious brunch on a white plate

Zainab loves her food!

Zainab loves her food!

What was your first job?

My first job was a cashier at McDonalds when I was 18. Having 1 free meal per shift was great. Coming home smelling like deep fried food was not!

It was also fun telling customers our ice cream machine was broken. Actually, it was just that no one could be bothered to fill it up with milk again.

I worked at many part-time jobs in customer service while I studied and eventually moved away for university.

Where is your happy place?

My happy place is at home sat with my sister in front of a movie (strictly crime, thrillers or chick flicks!). Usually with a cup of tea in one hand and something sweet in the other.

There are always tonnes of cakes in our house and we received even more on my birthday.

What talent would you most like to have?

I would love to be able to play the piano, but I have zero coordination skills and no sense of rhythm.

An assortment of birthday cakes in boxes
Black Panther in his costume

Zainab likes Black Panther's style

Zainab likes Black Panther's style

What book would you recommend to others?

‘A thousand splendid suns’, by Khaled Hosseini, who is an Afghan-American novelist. It’s a fictional story of 3 generations of Afghan women and their resilience in the war-torn neighbourhoods of 1990’s Kabul.

It’s a great read if you want to try and understand and imagine the struggles of Afghan women. Struggles that are sadly still a reality today.

What would be the first thing you’d do if you won the lottery?

This is a difficult one because there’s lots of things, but I think the first thing would be exploring southeast Asia (Singapore, Bali, Indonesia). Then permanently setting up camp somewhere abroad.

If you could be a superhero for the day, who would you be and why?

I think I would be Black Panther simply because he has the best dress sense out of all the superheroes. It's very monochrome and minimalist.

Also, the fact that he is basically a large cat, and I love cats!

Zainab likes Black Panther's style