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I have been working for THG for over seven years now. The tremendous growth that THG has gone through has provided me with my own significant professional and personal growth. To put this in context, I always like to refer back to the very beginning of my journey. In 2016, I applied for a Computer Science placement and had my interview on the Thursday before Black Friday. When I arrived at Stables in Gadbrook Park, preparations were underway for the busiest weekend of the year for THG: boxes filled with mouth-watering pizza were being carried into the office, and there was a debate on the best location for the DJ’s setup. From that very moment, just getting a glimpse of what life at THG looked like, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. Fast forward a few months to my first day at THG. After our induction tour of Gadbrook Park, all the new starters were taken back to the Stables to wait for our managers to come and collect us. When my manager arrived, after introductions, he asked if I knew what team I would be joining. I responded ‘no’ (expecting to join a development team). He went on to tell me that I would be a DBA, to which I very directly asked, ‘What’s a DBA?’. Not only did he not run when I said this, but he is still my manager to this day. As you can probably guess by now, when I joined THG, I had no previous DBA experience and knew basically nothing about databases other than what was taught during a very short university course. But throughout these years, I have learned a lot. Part of this development I owe to THG and the people with whom I have worked. I still remember our principal engineer sitting down with me on my first day and very enthusiastically introducing me to a lot of fancy terms that made little sense to me back then, such as replication and log shipping. Reflecting on my journey, I am immensely grateful for the opportunities and support I have received at THG. From the initial bewilderment of learning the ropes as a DBA to becoming confident in my role, each step has been a testament to the incredible mentorship and collaborative spirit here. The challenges I’ve faced and the successes I’ve celebrated have shaped me into the professional I am today. Jason Cooke Andrew Bickerton #20Years20Stories #WeAreTHG #THG20