Our Analyst, Max Steinhoefel, left around a month ago for a new job as Employment Advisor at Status Employment, working across the borough of Lambeth. We thank him for all his contribution, will certainly miss him though we are excited that a talent like Max will be dedicating his time to working in frontline services during such critical times. Before Max left, we asked him some questions about his time at TSIC.
Q: What are your best memories from TSIC?
I’ve been at TSIC for almost 9 months – while it feels like a short timespan, it also feels that I’ve done a lot. I remember in my first month, we had a strategy meeting to discuss our plans for 2020, and we started planning for our social media strategy. I was quite surprised that even though I was a new joiner, my opinion had value to the organisation. Before I left, we had close to 3,000 followers on LinkedIn from around 2,000 at the start of the year; and we started our Instagram account.
In terms of client work, I loved supporting clients who are working in underrepresented geographical regions, such as the Middle East and North Africa. The diversity of our client work meant that I was always getting a glimpse of so many different worlds.
Q: Since you joined the social sector after a few years in the corporate sector, what are your biggest learnings?
Charities’ work is less tangible than the work of corporates – in the sense most of them don’t have a physical product, so it is interesting for me to understand how charities communicate their work. Before, I didn’t know of the concept of restricted funds – so many organisations get funding with strings attached, and I now empathise more with their realities. I interacted a lot with Salesforce as a client management system but I learnt that some of our clients, such as Noise Solution, adapt Salesforce to be an impact measurement system – I never thought of it that way! Before joining, I was interested in CSR strategy but after being immersed in this field, I realized that my true passion lies in being more operational and hands-on. Which is why I am excited about my next role to be working on the frontlines and make a big impact
Q: What did you learn about being a consultant?
Before joining TSIC, I always imagined consultant to be like a sports coach, or a personal trainer. People pay you as they look up to your expertise and they would listen to your advice; and that you would have equal footing with clients. I realised that this is not always the case as there’re power imbalances within this space – for example, we are a small organisation and may not always have a lot of power. But I have also learnt that in a short engagement with clients, you can truly make a difference. That’s why I am leaving TSIC with a heavy heart and hope we can continue to stay in touch.
