Lynsey C.
About me
| Lynsey C. | |
| Biology | |
| Biology | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Goodricke | |
| 2002 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Chief Executive | |
| Azendi Jewellery | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Retail and sales | |
| Small business (0-49 employees) | |
| 2015 |
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A day in the life of a Chief Executive in the United Kingdom
Chief Executive of British jewellery brand, Azendi
My career goals when I graduated
I had no idea what I wanted to do! My only guide was that having studied Biology for three years, I was not aiming for a career in science. I loved my degree but it was the 'transferable' skills that I was going to have to put to use. I did feel very much at sea after graduating with no clear aim of where I wanted to be in a few years.
My career history
I started out as a sales assistant at Azendi in York. I saw it as a short-term stop gap to pay the bills but I loved it. My career started to progress in the company and I realised that I could make a future in retail.
The company was small in 2002, with three shops in York, Harrogate and Leeds. When I joined, the company was starting to expand and was opening new stores further afield. When my store manager became an Area Manager I moved up to store management.
The company kept expanding and needed more organisation and analysis at head office. The MD recognised some of my skills and I put myself forward to take on extra responsibility and administration tasks in the company, while still managing my store.
When the company needed someone at head office to control stock levels, buying and merchandising- I put myself forward and was given a chance. I fulfilled this role for 6 years and became a senior figure in the company, organising our expanding concessions business and initiating our wholesale expansion, selling the Azendi brand into independent jewellers.
Last year, the MD suggested I step in as Chief Exec so that he could start to take a back seat and semi-retire.
What has helped my career to progress
Determination, ambition, and I think a little luck. I was lucky to be working for a small company that was expanding and growing with opportunities coming up, but I was ambitious and determined to make the most of it. You don't get anything without asking and putting yourself forward for new opportunities.
How my studies have helped my career
People often ask how I got from Biology to jewellery and it doesn't seem like there's much crossover but the degree set me in good stead. I do a lot of analytical work, maths and statistics, which I can easily understand and interpret.
Developing ideas and organising a plan of action is my day-to-day routine, skills honed through experiment design and practical work.
Extra-curricular activities at university were just as important, boosting my confidence and increasing my ability to relate to and empathise with other people.
Where I hope to be in 5 years
I am planning on taking Azendi to new heights with a big wholesale expansion, making us a truly national brand.
My advice to students considering work
Be open-minded and try not to worry if you don't know what you are doing. You've just been in education for 16years - try different roles and see what you enjoy. There is no rush!
I firmly believe from my own experience that small and start-up companies can provide just as many opportunities for graduates as big graduate schemes, and you may very well get to try a greater variety of roles.
Other advice
As someone who has sifted through plenty of CVs in my time when hiring new staff, it really is true that first impressions count and a decision on whether to shortlist someone for interview can be made in seconds.
Take your time over your application , check your spelling, and tailor your CV to the job you are applying for. A cover letter to highlight your relavant skills is always a good idea. It may seem like a lot of work when you are sending out 20 different job applications but believe me, the CVs that have clearly been thought about are the ones that stand out from the crowd.
What I do
I am responsible for the day-to-day running of Azendi jewellery. I monitor how the different arms of our business are performing (stores, concessions, web, wholesale) and develop new ideas to achieve our business goals.
Skills I use and how I developed them
My role requires delegation, organisation and maintaining relationships with my staff to ensure that we are all working together to the same target. Delegation has been one of the hardest things to develop, but as I've worked up the company and had more staff to work with it has become easier.
What I like most
The different challenges that each day brings, the variety, and the huge sense of achievement when all the hard work pays off and a project comes together.
I love hearing positive feedback from our customers about our products and the customer service they have received.
What I like least
It's not actually a dislike really, as I thoroughly enjoy my job, but the aspect that is toughest would be the working hours. There is no 9-5, you can't run a company by only being available Monday-Friday. I work full time in the office, I work at home in the evenings and weekends, and am always on the phone. I travel a lot and am away from home. It takes a considerable effort to balance work with family life. I am very lucky to have a very supportive husband and we work together to organise work and childcare.
Next steps...
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