"I began working for British Gas in 1996, initially
as a stop gap between my degree and deciding on a career.
But more by luck than planning I realised I'd discovered
a company where there were great opportunities to build the
very type of career I was looking for.
One of the major things that struck me was of the support
and encouragement I received during the initial months in
the job, to ease me into things. We continually improve our
training for new starters, so it is now even better than
when I started. British Gas customer service agents now all
get extensive training and a graduation period where they
get extra support.
My first role on joining the team in Cardiff was as a call
taker on the general enquiries department. I quickly made
lots of friends and became involved in a lively social scene.
Our city centre location makes it really easy to get involved,
to go out after work and have fun. We've even got a
free gym, and a café on the 10th floor with amazing
views over the bay! In addition my salary was great and it
was such a brilliant place to work I knew I'd found
the right company for me.
British Gas in Cardiff is a big operation – and I
was able to work in lots of areas of the business, developing
my experience. Two years into my employment I was ready to
move into management, and in the summer of 1998 I was offered
the chance to become a team manager, looking after my own
team of 15. First steps into management are always a challenge,
as rather than just being responsible for my own actions
I was suddenly in charge of delivering results through others.
I like to think I made a good team leader because I'd
worked as a call handler previously so I really understood
what need to be done, and how to build a winning team..
At British Gas every team member has a personal development
plan, and one of my key responsibilities was to help grow
my teams skill sets and help their career development. It
was really satisfying to see individuals in my team flourish
and take on new roles and challenges.
I must have been doing something right as in 2001 I was
promoted to be Customer Sales Manager, leading 3 team managers
and over 40 call takers. My role widened to look at resourcing
issues and planning, making sure we had the right staff at
the right time to meet customer needs.
I'm very competitive, results driven and task focused,
and was able to help my team exceed their targets, but my
ethos has always been that work must be fun too!
My next challenge quickly followed in 2002, when further
promotion saw me managing 120 call takers, and getting to
grips with strategic planning, as well as working on exciting
projects with nationwide impacts for the business.
I couldn't have done it without the continued support
of my colleagues and the business itself. I've had
amazing opportunities and have since been promoted again.
I'm now responsible for almost 160 staff and part of
the site leadership team. As Contact Centre Manager I can
really see the benefits for future employees of joining a
professional industry that has such growth potential.
I think many graduates would be envious of the career I've
forged in a FTSE 100 company which I joined thinking it was
a stop gap."
