An interview with NCS team leader, Uzair
If you’ve been on one of our away from home experiences, you’ll know just how important and involved our team leaders are in making sure you have the best time possible (and if you haven’t, what are you waiting for? Go book your spot!).
That’s why we’re shining a light on Uzair; team leader and selfie-taking legend. He gives us the full scoop on what made him become a team leader, why he loves it so much, and how it’s impacted him (and the young people he’s looked after)!
7 min read
A bit of background
Hi Uzair, first up, give us a bit of info about yourself. What do you do?
I’m a full time university student, but during summer, I am proud to say I am an NCS mentor and a team leader with Flying Futures. I have a passion for UFC and football so my weekends are filled with either playing football with my friends and family or watching the UFC fights!
Can you tell us what your day-to-day is like?
After snoozing my alarm about 20 times, I will finally get up and start breakfast because it is the most important meal of the day!
I will make sure I don’t miss any of my prayers, as being a Muslim is a big part of my day.
When I’m on NCS, my days are much more enjoyable, as I could be holding debates about why pineapple does or doesn’t belong on pizza in one session, and then jumping off a zip line into water in the next!
When I’m not working (if you want to call it work because I see it as being paid to have fun), I’m busy at university studying, and when I have free time, I explore new places and definitely new places for food! I have also been recently obsessed with watching Disney movies and trying not to break out in song every minute!
What made you want to become an NCS team leader?
It wasn’t something I expected to be doing! But I went on NCS as a 16 year old, not knowing anyone and wanting to go on an adventure. It resulted in me making friends for life and an experience I wouldn’t ever be able to forget!
As soon as I turned 18, I wanted to replicate the amazing experience I was blessed to receive when I was 16 for as many people! I’ve been fortunate to be working with a provider called Flying Futures and got to the point of having an NCS family and moments of laughter, joy, and arguably the best time of my life.
What did you see yourself doing when you were a kid?
I used to have a fascination with wanting to be a window cleaner or a pilot, and I was adamant to do these jobs; however, soon came my fear of heights, which meant I couldn’t pursue them!
All was not lost for me because I have always been good at maths (I know it’s not the coolest thing, but it was fun for me), and I wanted to follow in my father's footsteps in the finance sector, and now I am in university working towards that!
Breaking down the NCS team leader job description
What do you love most about your job?
If I’m honest, there isn’t anything I don’t love about the job! Every single aspect of it for me is so fun and so rewarding!
If I were to pick one thing, it would have to be getting all the young people working towards a common goal and watching the transformation from the first day where they are nervous and shy to the final moments where they can’t stop talking and smiling!
What do you find most challenging?
I know it’s a bit cringe to say, but it’s that I won’t be able to know whether the goals the young people I work with set for themselves are actually achieved or not! Once their experience is done, we can’t just catch up about life. So sometimes it’s hard because over the small time you have, you do develop a bond, and then, to say bye, it is the most difficult part of the experience for me.
What’s your favourite NCS activity?
I love doing ice breakers, from the iconic game of Splat to completely made-up games. I love seeing all the young people become talkative and eventually getting frustrated at me for annoying them with stupid games!
What’s your favourite NCS team leader memory?
That is the hardest thing to answer!
One that is special to me though, is when myself and Joe Firbank, a Flying Futures core staff member, had an idea and created the NCS Taskmaster, which was inspired by staring into space and thinking about a carrot in the box, and from there we created something that hopefully will last a lifetime for NCS!
What makes a good team leader?
In my opinion, the biggest skill is the ability to communicate with everyone there.
There will be young people from all walks of life, and you need to be able to adapt and switch up your method of communication depending on that.
Another big thing to have is the ability to bring up the vibes and keep smiling and waving. This is something I will do, especially when I might not know how to react to something, but you have to stay calm and composed.
Being willing to push yourself and try new things is important for being a good leader too, as the young people will look at you as inspiration and a role model, so if you are willing to try new things, they will try too!
Team leader responsibilities
What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve received from a young person or parent?
There was a young person who had an unfortunate experience just before NCS, and originally on the first day they said that they wanted to go home.
After speaking though, we gave it a go, and they stuck out for the full week, and the young person wrote me a letter expressing how spending time with me on NCS was the distraction she needed, and she was able to regain the confidence to continue!
Knowing that I was able to have a part in making their experience better is the real reason why I do the job, as you get to have an impact that can change someone’s life!
What advice would you give to a young person who is not sure about signing up for NCS?
I know it might seem scary signing up to NCS and actually going, but you will make memories that you didn’t expect, go through a rollercoaster of emotions, and end up with friends for a lifetime!
Get stuck into everything, and the journey you have will be amazing!
What advice would you give someone interested in becoming an NCS team leader?
Just give it a go!
Each week will be different, and there will be times where you don’t know how to do something, but never forget to ask for help! I’ve been doing this job for the last three years, and I’m still making mistakes and asking for advice from everyone I can find, so never think you are supposed to be perfect at it right away.
Another piece of advice I would say is to get stuck in and just make the most of it, as you are also able to have fun on these experiences just like the young people.
Taking the leap to sign up to be a leader is definitely worth it, as you will build memories for a lifetime and also fellow staff members will become friends and family to you, and you will meet amazing people all the way through your experience!
And just for fun, finish the sentences:
What they think my job is…
Being a teacher!
What my job actually is…
Inflatable enthusiast, part time DJ, pirate, advice giver, game master and most importantly vibing for a living!
Want to know more about team leader jobs?
So there you have it! And if you don’t feel inspired to get yourself on an away from home experience, or sign up to become a team leader after reading that…then maybe read it one more time and get pumped up and start sorting your next adventure!!
