Jenni

My educational background is in the arts, and I graduated with a masters in Archaeology for Media in 2009 (and worked on Time Team in the process!). It felt like a natural move to go into journalism, but I soon fell out of love with the profession. From there, I moved into office administration, and discovered I had an ability for process mapping and working with quality and environmental standards, such as ISO. It was a big eye opener, and one that led me into the role I’m in today.

I fell into FM by chance, but immediately loved it. The people I work with inspire me every single day, and I haven’t worked in any other sector with such a family feel and sense of togetherness. And, as well as being welcoming, the sector tests you intellectually, challenging me to put my skills into practice in a variety of ways. So it doesn’t matter what your educational background might be, FM can be a fulfilling career for so many different people.

International Women’s Day means a lot to me, especially after I became a mother. Since giving birth, I’ve experienced a different side to being a woman in the workplace and the challenges it can bring. Anything which can help to highlight those challenges, which in turn will help to bring equality to workplaces, I’ll always champion.

I’ve worked in several sectors which are dominated by men, and FM is still one of those. I remember in my younger days being incredibly nervous speaking as one of very few women, or the only woman, in the room. What may seem like little things, were big barriers. Take small talk before a meeting starts – in a group of men, this is what they bond over. I found it hard to bring much to the table when they were talking about their weekend rounds of golf. However, these types of situations have gotten easier to handle with more experience. People are just people at the end of the day, and being more relaxed has helped me to participate in those conversations.

John has been brilliant since I moved across to Bellrock in 2020. What particularly struck me was, during my maternity leave, I never felt left behind. I actually applied for a promotion and got my current job while I was off looking after my son. John was brilliant during that time and held the fort until I returned as well. As a company, Bellrock has made important strides from introducing paid maternity leave and shared parental leave to the option to purchase additional holiday. Since both of my children are almost school age, this is great for me!

Be confident in who you are. Go into that room and just be yourself, no matter how nervous you might feel.