Before joining Reed I worked in a customer services role in a large organisation but really needed a change to find a more stimulating job where I could use my brain! After a recommendation from a friend, I joined Reed as a Temporaries Consultant and certainly found the challenge I was looking for.

I was on a steep learning curve to begin with, but the great team environment in branch and the head office support behind the scenes meant that I was able to develop quickly.

I’ve been here for over four years now and last year was promoted to the role of Business Manager for the St Albans Accountancy branch. That’s one of the best things about working here; you get out what you put in and there are definitely plenty of opportunities for the right people to progress.

I have been with the company for five and a half years now and it only seems like yesterday that I was recruited by Sue Stone in Heathrow – I suppose this just shows that time flies when you are having fun!

I have worked with some fantastic people, who have helped me to progress my career. I started with the responsibility for a single desk in one branch; I am now responsible for 10 branches.

Every branch I have been in has been different, however what has been consistent is the strength of Reed’s name, the professionalism of the organisation, and the support available to all our people. This helped me achieve record breaking months in each of the branches I managed. I am sure this is due to having the right people doing the right things in a hard-working and fun environment. Reed allows people to play to their strengths and to be recognised for that, which in turn encourages success for individuals and the company.

Having dedicated Account Managers to deal with employers and direct access to Job Account funding allows me to do my job so much more effectively. The training I’ve received, the tools and techniques we use, and the emphasis on the customer beats anything I’ve seen before. Reed invests more in its staff – you can see this through the funds available for personal development, as well as the financial package.

I started working for Reed four years ago as a PA to the Managing Director of Reed Learning, but as the company started to grow I saw the need for somebody to take responsibility for managing the head office site, so I volunteered to do it.

In 2001 Reed Learning won a contract that created a position for a Project Assistant in the newly established Reed Training Professionals, which manages pools of associate trainers. I knew I could successfully combine my PA and office management duties with those of the Project Assistant. During my appraisal I suggested that I should take on the role of Project Assistant as well, and my manager agreed.

In the following year an opportunity came up to take over the operational management of Reed Training Professionals and once again I leapt at the chance. In my role as Project Assistant I had been managing large groups of trainers and was keen to develop my direct line management experience.

I have been given a huge opportunity to learn and develop my skills with Reed. The responsibilities I have taken on, over a relatively short space of time, have been both challenging and fulfilling, and I believe that it would have been difficult to gain the same level of development with another company.