When George Hooper joined PS4B back in 2019, he was 18, fresh off a college photography course, and not at all convinced that IT was where he'd end up. Around seven years on, he's the firm's Sales Manager and a familiar face for clients across Coventry, Warwickshire and the wider Midlands.
It wasn't the obvious route in. George had his sights set on photography before deciding it wasn't for him. The chance to join the family business came up, and despite a few nerves about working alongside his dad, he went for it.
"I was unsure about what I wanted to do as a career and, initially, I wanted to be a photographer," George said when he started. "I decided that wasn't for me and then the opportunity came up to join PS4B. There's that doubt at first, because you don't want to upset the family dynamic by working together. But it's been absolutely brilliant."
PS4B has been looking after IT for businesses across the region since 2005. It's owned and run by George's dad, Richard Hooper, with his mum Kerry part of the business too. For George, coming on board meant learning the trade properly from the ground up. He started a full apprenticeship through JBC Skills Training, the Coventry provider, and qualified as an IT support engineer.
There's a nice thread running through the father-and-son working relationship. For around ten years, Richard coached George's Sunday football team, Finham Park Rangers, right up until the side played its last match. Swapping the touchline for the helpdesk took a bit of getting used to.
"I loved coaching George and his team, and our Sunday mornings became a real ritual, so it was a bit sad when that came to an end," Richard said. "I didn't want to push him into the business, but we were growing and wanted to take on an apprentice so we could expand the team by growing one of our own."
After qualifying, George spent the next few years building his knowledge and experience across the business before moving into the role he holds today. His story sums up a lot about how PS4B works. A small, close team that takes the long view with its people, and would rather develop someone from the ground up than simply hire in.