She has told us about her experience, changing career paths and why age means nothing when it comes to career development.
At Wincanton, I work as a Property Administrator. I’m part of a small, but busy property team looking after the rent and rates payments for our leased sites. Along with this I manage property searches for various parts of the business, as well as raising Purchase Orders and process invoices for various parts of the business. I deal with many other departments inside and outside of the company; from our finance department to our lawyers.
Tracey's experience
Throughout my life and my career, I’ve always sought out ways to develop and improve my skills – I find it both challenging and rewarding. For example, during my 30s, I took up martial arts and at the age of 39. I gained black belts in three disciplines and went on to represent Great Britain at the Goodwill Games.
Aged 55, I enrolled on an apprenticeship in Business Administration. I had identified a career path in this area and was keen to progress. These courses aren’t for the faint-hearted, but they can be incredibly rewarding.
Through my apprenticeship I have developed my project management skills, and applied these as the project lead on a new tender and contract. I have studied and learnt how to review and implement processes that will streamline the way we record property transactions within our business. The course has helped me to raise my profile and I have become the go-to person for many of our senior managers, when they require property searches or help with access to the properties. I can now present with confidence, speak with our customers at all levels and take part in review meetings.
Since I started my apprenticeship, I have noticed a change in the way that I do everyday tasks. For instance, I make more notes than before, and I write everything down. I ask more questions and have created new processes within the team.
The course has also done wonders for my confidence; I have a lot more self-belief than before. I am currently mentoring a new apprentice from my course and have set up a group on our business social media platform for sharing ideas and offering each other support.
An apprenticeship with Wincanton has shown me that age is no barrier to development. If you have the right attitude and take advantage of the help and support on offer, there is no reason why you shouldn’t succeed. At 55, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
