Rachel Johns on exploring different roles and continents

After starting at Dropbox in San Francisco, Rachel helped set up new offices in Dublin and Sydney.

A passionate globetrotter, Rachel found her perfect home at Dropbox. She gets to collaborate with Dropboxers all over the world on a daily basis, and her evolving roles have taken her to Dropbox offices on three continents.

What did you do before Dropbox?

Before Dropbox, I spent two and a half years traveling all over Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. I was working in the hospitality industry which gave me the flexibility to work for a while and save up enough to fund my travels, backpack the country, and then head back to work a bit more.

Why did you join Dropbox?

When I returned to the states, I packed up my car with all my limited belongings and drove to San Francisco to begin my next chapter. I was intrigued by the tech industry, and as soon as I had my interviews at Dropbox, I felt like I’d arrived exactly where I was meant to be. The front desk coordinator position was the perfect starting point for me because I could use my customer service skills while learning about all the different teams within Dropbox.

You’ve worked in different roles and teams at Dropbox. How did that happen?

I was hired as a front desk coordinator when Dropbox was still just a 100-person company. I was able to volunteer on a variety of projects, ranging from events to recruiting, which helped me learn where my skills and passions laid. After I’d proved my ability to execute on various office projects, I transitioned to an office coordinator role. I was very involved in planning events such as Hack Week, while also focusing on office projects like space design, perks implementation, or office tours.

Then our Dublin office opened, and I shot my hand up to go help set up the office for three months. I was sent to fill the space with Dropbox necessities, set up the perks program, initiate vendor relationships, plan events, recruit, and onboard people. I hired a local office manager and trained him up so, when I left, the Dublin office in great hands. The day I was leaving Dublin, the announcement went out that we were opening an office in Sydney, so I did it all over again!

You moved from San Francisco to Dublin, and then to Sydney. What was special about each of these places?

The thing I love the most is that it doesn’t matter which office you’re in, you still feel like you’re at Dropbox. We’ve hired the most incredible people all over the world and I’ve been lucky enough to work with so many of them. It’s hard to say which is my favorite: San Francisco is where it all began, and I got to spend two incredible years in that office, so it will always be my Dropbox home. Dublin was really unique in that we were hiring from all over Europe, so I’d find myself sitting in a room typing away on my computer while there were multiple conversations going on around me in five, six, or even seven different languages! It was really inspiring. And then Sydney is special because I’ve gotten to see it grow from the very beginning.

What do you do at Dropbox now?

As office manager in our Sydney office, my job is a mixed bag. I spend a lot of my time these days on recruiting and the onboarding of new employees, which is really exciting because we’re bringing in amazing talent from all over Sydney. I also build out the office space from a design and space perspective, plan all of the events for the team, manage the food program, coordinate all of our vendors, liaise with building management, and do all the ordering and expensing for the office.

What’s unique about being a part of the office team at Dropbox?

The office team has a really good pulse on the company. Because we’re so focused on making Dropbox the best place to work, we’re constantly implementing new ideas and getting a feel for what works (and what doesn’t). I can see what new things the SF is trying, and also chat with our office managers in Dublin and Austin to share ideas. I feel like I have a tight-knit family that extends across the entire world.

What have been some of your favorite moments at Dropbox so far?

Getting to travel the world to offer my help to Dropbox has been a dream come true. Seeing different cultures and meeting different people is my biggest passion, and getting to work in these settings has been incredible.

If you weren’t working in a tech company, what would you be doing?

I’d probably open my own cafe in a hidden pocket of the world. And of course, I’d be cheering Dropbox on from the sidelines!

How would you describe Dropbox in three words?

Passionate — Everyone I meet at Dropbox shares the same passion for the product and genuinely believes in Dropbox. We’re all such passionate people and it really shows.

Inspirational — I’ve never pushed myself so hard in a job, and it’s because I’m surrounded by the smartest people I’ve ever met, and they make me want to be better!

Exciting — You’re never bored at Dropbox. There’s always something big right around the corner to keep things interesting.