My career at Novacroft
After I had my children, I had no idea how I could ever fit work around childcare. I couldn’t believe it when I heard about the hours here!
What was it like joining Novacroft?
Coming here, I didn’t know what to expect. I’d been a hotel receptionist for years and what I did know was that joining Novacroft was going to be totally different to what I knew, and that I’d be part of a much bigger team than I was used to. Funnily enough, it turned out that I already knew someone in the team when I arrived – I suppose it’s not unlikely in such a large group! Seeing a friendly face was really nice, but I got to meet lots of people in my two weeks of training, which was actually really good fun. In the first training session, I remember that we had to introduce ourselves with the usual name and what we’d done before, but also a random crazy fact about our life, which made us all laugh!
How has your career progressed?
I started working on just one project, but I wanted to do more. Now I’m a multi-skilled advisor, which means I get to take calls for all our clients. All the calls need handling differently. One minute I can be helping a student who’s lost their Oyster photocard, the next I can be booking a train ticket for grandparents taking their grandchildren for a day out by the sea! I enjoy the variety, it helps me feel a real part of the team.
I’ve just started studying for my NVQ in Level 2 Diploma in Customer Service. There’s a tutor that comes in to coach us, I’m allowed time off the phones to do it, and it’s all funded by Novacroft. I couldn’t pass up that opportunity.
What keeps you at Novacroft?
The flexibility, without a doubt. After I had my children, I had no idea how I could ever fit work around childcare. I couldn’t believe it when I heard about the hours here! Working 20 hours a week over 5 days, on 8am – 12pm shifts, means I can be at the school gates every afternoon to concentrate on my family. That’s perfect for me.
Actually, when I started here I was doing shifts from 4pm – 8pm and I asked if I could change my hours to what they are now when both my kids were at school. Novacroft was really accommodating and said I could change it to fit in. They’ve been really good with all sorts of thing like that, like when I have to take time off for appointments for my children.
What’s next for you at Novacroft?
I’m very happy as I am, my job is ideal with kids! Not many places are like Novacroft about work life balance. I feel totally at home here. Our new office really highlights the scale of the company and I’m excited to see it carry on growing.