In the lead up to Christmas 2016, after nearly 10 years working in Local Government, I handed in my notice. I was leaving a good job, good opportunities and colleagues who over the years had become good friends. So why did I do it? I saw a new challenge, an exciting opportunity to broaden my experience, develop my skill set, work with a passionate and committed team and join a company whose values matched by my own. So, 100 days in, is it living up to expectations?….YES.
C.Co is a great place to work. Moving from a large corporate organisation with infrastructure and support structures to a start-up company was daunting, the simple things (like no IT helpdesk when your computer stops working!) took a bit of getting used to – I am now an expert at solving IT issues via google search! but this was quickly outweighed by the things that matter, having the autonomy to act, opportunity to discuss and share my ideas, accountability over my work/clients and having an interesting, invigorating and balanced workload. In one single day I could be agreeing marketing artwork with graphic designers, doing detailed analysis for a client, interviewing end-users as part of a project, updating our social media, through to preparing a pitch for a new client project – I am being challenged and learning something new every day.
I know it sounds cliché, but the values of C.Co and the team I work with make working here a pleasure, we focus on generating value for our clients, not just profits. This ethos is central to what we do, how we work with our clients and how we work together as team. C.Co gives me the best of working in public and commercial sectors along with the confidence that through CIPFA, our parent company, we are investing any profits back into the sector, to continually add value.
The longer I work here the more I see that our varied client base also share our values – making every assignment that more rewarding. My first assignment along has given me the opportunity to work at the heart of organisation, working with frontline practitioners, engaging with end users and supporting strategic boards – all in organisations who are driven to be leading edge, to transform services, realise tangible delivery and make positive change to people and organisations.
On a personal note, working remotely took some getting used to, but now, I love it! The fear of feeling isolated was quickly dispelled – Technology is brilliant!. Learning to use skype and working with a tremendously supportive team means that no one is ever more than a phone call, video call, text, email away to discuss a work issue, get some advice or just catch-up about what you did at the weekend. Coupled with a great work-life balance that means I can enjoy being off-work as much as I can being at work – what do they say, work hard, play hard!
So, 100 days in…and I can’t wait to see what the next 100 days has in store!
