Before Matthew Pritchard joined ICQ in August of 2020 as a consultant, he spent most of his career working in culinary arts and hospitality. And while he didn’t have a traditional background for the commissioning, qualification, and validation field, his existing skillset and willingness to hit the ground running made his transition smooth.
An Unexpected Journey to ICQ
Matthew’s culinary arts career started when he was just 15 and led him to the kitchen department at a national bank chain. After working in the kitchen department for a few years, he switched to a hospitality position which included audio-video work. This role entailed a lot of hands-on work with computers, as he described it, “going under tables and fixing wires.”
Due to the COVID-19-induced economic contraction in 2020, his employer eliminated his role, leaving Matthew to search for new opportunities. Once the job as a consultant at ICQ presented itself, he used his skills gained from working in culinary arts, hospitality, and AV to embark on this new journey.
“There’s something new every day. I travel to different places so it’s not the same thing all the time. Learning about the industry and working with clients is exciting. This job keeps you on your toes!”
Hands-On Training
Matthew was no stranger to hands-on work, which helped him tremendously when starting this brand-new role. He was quickly put on-site with two ICQ employees to receive training on temperature mapping. As a visual learner, this training method was conducive to his success.
He jokes that most people start at level zero, but he started at level negative two! Nevertheless, he was a quick study. He credits this to his prior experience working in kitchens and needing to be swift with his thoughts and movements, constantly being on his feet, and his ability to adapt to situations at a moment’s notice. Not to mention, his interpersonal skills picked up from hospitality and technical skills acquired from working with computers.
Getting Started
Once he had training under his belt, it was time to get started. The first site he worked at was Lykan Bioscience, where he performed temperature mapping. Lykan embraced and understood that he was fresh to the field, and Matthew said it was a fantastic first experience. After his time there ended, he worked on two other sites.
Matthew notes that all the clients he’s worked with were wonderful and took the time to ensure he understood their specific verbiage and protocols. When his third project ended, Lykan and another client enjoyed working with him so much that they asked him to come back!
When asked why he believes he’s in such high demand, he said: “I honestly don’t know! Every site I’ve been to they’ve been very nice. Maybe coming from the hospitality industry, I find it easy to get along with people. I like to work with them, and I am still learning, so I am working with them and learning how they like things done.”
What Matthew Loves About ICQ
“There’s something new every day. I travel to different places so it’s not the same thing all the time. Learning about the industry and working with clients is exciting. This job keeps you on your toes!”
Looking for a Great Opportunity?
In addition to in-depth training and awesome clients, ICQ offers a robust benefits package that includes:
- 401k
- Health insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid holidays
- Vacation
- Short-term and long-term disability
