Ballymena beckoned when I got my first job in computing, lecturing in Ballymena College, after deciding against a career in industry. Initially, we moved to a Housing Executive flat, provided as an incoming worker. Ballymena, an Baile Meánach, meaning “the middle townland”, not known for the middle ground of politics as the Rev Ian Paisley, a firebrand and MP for the area. In some ways teaching in Ballymena was one of the most enjoyable jobs, as I just had to teach. It had the hallmarks of an old fashion country school. I think the secondary level students still wore a uniform, when I started. Those days are now gone. My computer suite there looked onto the car park, though the lower windows of the old science lab were frosted for security reasons. Computerisation was the name of the game in those days. The first microcomputer I used for teaching had a little tape recorder, that loaded the operating system and programs into the memory, that was followed by the game changer in computer education, the BBC Micro B Computer literacy was for the masses and embraced by the BBC, with TV programmes educating the folks at home and schools. Every qualification had a computer literacy element to it.

The Belfast Telegraph is an evening paper and many got it delivered to their homes. I did and I read it nightly, but in 1986 I saw a column advising that New Zealand was recruiting lecturers and teachers and were interviewing in Belfast. I went for the interview and got offered a job as Head of Computer Studies in Newlands College, Wellington, New Zealand starting in September 1986. This was my second major drift off the beaten track. We made a mighty decision to emigrate to New Zealand. As my mother-in-law said, if we had gone any further we would be coming back. When I got there, I inherited an old system, a DIY network of Amstrads, and I replaced these with IBM clones with a Novell Network. Novell, and its network operating system, NovellNetWare became the dominant form of personal computer networking during the second half of the 1980s and first half of the 1990s, and that became my expertise. My department’s aim was to service the college and local community so I organised staff, pupils and community groups to attend my classes.

Returning to work in Belfast was not easy. Work in the Novell networks wasn’t plentiful and always on my mind was to lead a compact comfortable lifestyle in a non-demanding job. But every thing has its compromises. Working with a calibre of ambitious individuals who are drawn to certain jobs, can have benefits, as in the big accounting firms and not always in local companies.

I worked as a Software Consultant for an IT company, who were developing their knowledge of Novell, installing it and training the clients, and the job had its nice moments. A Quality Control consultant was employed in those days to review the business processes. Total quality management (TQM) as the latest management fad. It consisted of organisation-wide efforts to continuously improve their ability to provide on demand products and services that customers will find of particular value. TQM identified failures in its implementation including insufficient education and training, lack of employees’ involvement, lack of top management support, inadequate resources, deficient leadership, lack of a quality-oriented culture, poor communication, lack of a plan for change and employees. It is a list outlining why most projects fail!

Derry beckoned when Rosemary got a job in a client, as Accountant and IT manager in a well-known and established garage in our native city of Derry. A drift in the direction of our home town. Unfortunately she was employed to try rectify major issues, unknown to her, it was experiencing severe financial difficulties and her expertise in financials was not enough. Following the closure of the garage, Rosemary returned part time to Price Waterhouse in Belfast. Upon the completion of my Masters, I was asked to teach in the University of Ulster, Magee Campus for MSc and BSc courses, including Systems Analysis, Databases, and IT Literacy courses. I also taught in Limavady Further Education and the North West College, teaching A Level Computer Studies, programming, and business computer courses. However the two children settled well into their schools. We were planning to buy a larger house, in Woodbrook but we opted for a smaller place in The Branch in Derry and the plan was to find another home in Donegal. Buy the books here

The emigrant’s curse, becoming unsettled in the land of your birth and your chosen country. I know of families who moved between Northern Ireland and Australia, numerous times, upsetting jobs, families and lives. I have experienced both sides of coming and going. It is an emigrant’s curse that one lives between two lands. We moved twice downunder, in 1986 and again in 1998. After settling in Melbourne, in 1999 I was appointed to the Department of Information Systems, University of Melbourne. Immediately, I felt I was in the right job. I taught a variety of subjects, Project Management, Systems Analysis, Legal and Ethical and various other support roles. The Project Management had over 430 students enrolled, the largest group I ever taught and my smallest group ever to teach was three students, and one usually didn’t turn up! Oxford University Professor, Leslie Willcocks, a visiting fellow guided my research for a few months until Brian took over as supervisor, researching the coordination of global virtual teams and the challenges involved. The importance of weak-networks, issues of trust, teamwork, and even the importance of the water-cooler effect. Unfortunately, ill health prevented me from pursuing further research. For many years, I lectured in various universities in Melbourne, until retirement at the end of 2017. Buy the books here

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© Hugh Vaughan 2023