A day in the life of… Sarah T (Programme Lead)
Our ‘day in the life of’ series gives you an insight into what a typical day looks like for our women in Tech at ASOS and how they started their careers.
This one’s from Sarah T who is a Programme Lead in our marketing technology platform.
My alarm clock goes off…
My first priority is making sure my 14-year-old hasn’t slept through her alarm (9/10 times she has!) and then I tend to my 2 English Bulldogs, Charlie and Frankie.
Sometimes I take one of the dogs for a quick walk first if the weather isn’t too bad (they hate rain or temperatures less than 10 degrees!).
I’m based in the Midlands and work remotely for the majority of the time attending the London office ad hoc — a 13 hour day but worth it to remain connected. Most days I can take advantage of not having a commute to do a 2–3 mile walk over the fields or pop to the gym which gets me in the right frame of mind for the day.
I’m responsible for…
I am a Programme Lead, working on new strategic marketing projects which require cross-tech platform delivery and with operational teams to ensure business readiness. I also lead a couple of supplier relationships to drive the longer-term strategic roadmaps.
My role is focused on people and helping them succeed so 90% of my day is spent listening, coaching and mentoring others to help remove a blocker, or sometimes just to be a friendly ear.
I got the job…
My career is the definition of squiggly having worked in various marketing roles, project management, digital development and product management, so this role blends all of my experience together.
It’s also my second time at ASOS, having worked in the Payments team based in Birmingham as a Platform Lead covering maternity leave in 2021–2, and after a short stint away I was super excited to return early 2023 in a perm role.
I am often the least technical person in a room but what I bring to the table is communication — translating tech speak for non-techies and helping the team keep focussed on the business value we need to deliver.
My superpower is I am very organised so can lead multiple, complex and very different projects across different teams.
My typical day looks like…
I like to review my diary 7am-ish to remind myself what I have in for the day and respond to any messages.
No two days are the same, with a mix of stand-ups, catch-ups and ‘whatever they need ups’ with different teams so I am context-switching a fair bit.
If I didn’t manage a walk first thing I try to get fresh air at lunchtime whatever the weather.
Friday is reporting day and with 3–4 projects live at any time can be typing heavy, but did I mention I am super organised? 😉
TOP TIP: I write the outline of my report on a Monday, which is part manifesting what we need to achieve that week and also allows me to check in with the team on whether they feel its realistic and highlight anything we need to do to make it true. Then come Friday its 90% done!
In the evenings you’ll find me…
I have 2 answers:
- In Winter I hibernate — I am not interested in going out once it’s dark at all and just want PJs and hot chocolate, cuddling with my dogs, catching up on the latest Netflix show or GBBO.
- The rest of the year I am a social butterfly — I love catching up with friends for dinner or going on long walks to catch up (walking with prosecco is a thing).
My consistent is my bedtime routine, whatever time it is I turn in I have to read to unwind and can rudely wake myself with my Kindle smashing me in the face if I dropped off…
My most memorable moment at ASOS
I recently attended a writer masterclass with Merky books winning authors Jyoti Patel and Monika Radojevic (below). There’s an author in everyone - I do have intentions to dust off a book I started writing a few years ago…
The best part of my job
I love celebrating mini milestones throughout a project and name-checking the unsung heroes that make the magic happen against all odds.
One new thing I have learned in the past year
The ASOS develops programme runs sessions every few months which are available to watch back. A recent standout was a talk on Generative AI and its impact on our daily lives, careers and businesses I found fascinating.
My one piece of advice for aspiring women in tech…
Stay inquisitive and don’t be put off by the jargon.
Give us a song that sums up working in ASOS Tech
Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden — Bonkers (Video) — as it’s a feel good tune and while you do need to be the right kind of bonkers to keep up with the pace at ASOS at times, there’s always someone at the end of a Teams call to help boost your vibe.
Fun fact
True story, that song was playing as I last walked through our tech bar!
Sarah is a Programme Lead ASOS.com and in her spare time, she loves baking, walking and hibernating in winter.
