There have been a few blogs written by my colleagues about their experience recently and now it’s come to my turn I’m trying to figure out how to express the same feelings in a new way. It’s not easy but I’m having a bash at making it interesting!
My journey with the Adam family (a fitting phrase for this somewhat misfit bunch!) is a bit different to everyone else’s as I’m not a recruitment consultant. I spent several years in retail management and even had a short stint as a healthcare recruiter before landing here a year ago. Work-life balance is crucial for me; I have so many hobbies that my spare time is usually just as busy as my working day so I was always looking for something that could both challenge me and accommodate my hectic lifestyle. When I spoke to Shayne (Head of Talent) on the phone I got a great impression of the lively team and laid-back culture Adam has to offer so arranged my interview for the next day. To this day I still don’t know why, but when I arrived for my interview I was walked across the office to the meeting room to the iconic sounds of Darth Vader’s theme tune … not something for the faint hearted, let me tell you!
A few short days and lots of frantic life admin later I was walking into my first ever office job with no real idea of what to expect. I was terrified of answering my first phone call in case I messed it up and even more concerned with transferring the calls to the right consultant. If you’re ever worried about learning everyone’s names it’s a great way to get to know them REALLY quickly! Being thrown into the fire was intimidating (they made me go round everyone’s desks to introduce myself while the team had their heads in their laptops planning the week ahead – it was practically impossible to interrupt!) but within a few weeks I felt like I’d been a part of the team for years. It’s something the people here are great at; we’re genuinely all friends and hot desking everyday means you’re always sat with someone different. Being a team is at the heart of what Adam do and there are so many ways that they strive to encourage a sense of comradery. There’s always someone out for a drink or three on a Friday after work (a beer at your desk usually inspires a trip to the Northern Quarter!) or heading out for lunch and I’m currently planning the second ‘away day’ that I’ll have been to in my time here. The first one I attended is stilltalked about for its legendary moments so I’m sure the next one won’t disappoint!
All that aside though, the biggest thing for me – and the reason I’m planning to be here for the long haul – is my career. It’s been a crazy ride so far in terms of progression. I’ve gone from Administrator to Office Manager and am always taking on more responsibility with the best support I could possibly ask for from Vanessa (Director). It really feels like we work together rather than me working for her and I have loads of autonomy in what I do. As someone who was used to managing a team of teenagers I wondered how I would find it being back at the bottom but in a short amount of time I was regularly managing my own workload and fast becoming the ‘Go To’ person to get stuff done. Some people need micro-management but I have always been more productive when I’m given the space to work, learn and grow on my own which is exactly what Vanessa has given me. There’s been a huge focus on my development too with all the training I could possibly want, drawing from the wealth of knowledge my colleagues have and external courses too. Not to mention a great plan for how the scope of my role can change in line with the success of the business … It’s going to be a fantastic few years here and I’m excited to see the part I can play in it! My biggest motivation is in how I can help the people around me achieve their goals and I do that every single day. It’s amazing to have a job that genuinely inspires me, as cheesy as that is!
So that’s it! One year in and I can’t remember what working for other companies was like. Scratch that, I remember EXACTLY what it was like and I don’t plan on returning to a corporate environment ever again! What other job would give you this kind of opportunity, support, flexibility and most, importantly, a great group of friends? Trust me, they’re few and far between! Celebrating my 1 year anniversary in the same month the company turned 10 years old has given me a fantastic outlook for the future … and a huge hangover!
Bring on the next milestone!
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