Nicola Coeshaw: Office Manager at Prima Solutions
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CAREER DEVELOPMENT CASE STUDY What does your role as Office Manager involve? As Office Manager at Prima Solutions, my role is incredibly varied and no day is the same! Just some of my responsibilities include booking trains and hotels for our employees, covering the reception desk when required and creating reports on employee activities and resource availability. As well as this, I manage the day-to-day office needs, conduct administrative work for the directors, write articles for our internal newsletter and coordinate the social events calendar. What is more, I attend regular management meetings to discuss customer requirements, as well as being involved with Investors in People and our Continuous Improvement scheme. A bit of everything really! Tell us about your previous experience before Prima As a bit of background, I left school after my GCSEs and studied Travel & Tourism for two years at Loughborough College. Originally I wanted to be an air hostess, but I'd never been on a plane and found that I would be much better off with a job on the ground! I applied for a receptionist job at a local hotel and worked there for three years to become Reservations Manager, before moving to an IT company to work in reception and administration. In 2007, when I was 21, I made the move to work in admin and reception at Prima Solutions. What does your Prima Journey look like? After working in admin and reception for a couple of years, I progressed to become Office Supervisor and was given the chance to be involved in more tasks and departments within the business. It was then in March 2015 that I was offered the position of Office Manager, which was a new opportunity that I was eager to take on. Why did you want to join Prima Solutions? Prima is a smaller company with more room for career progression. At my previous workplace there were over 500 employees, whereas I wanted to speak to people every day and get to know who they were. Here at Prima Solutions, I get to speak with most of the team on a daily basis; it's a friendly workplace where people can talk openly and get to know each other very well. What has allowed your career to progress here? There are many opportunities I've had at Prima Solutions to progress and develop in my career, such as external training in Microsoft Office. As well as this, I've updated and reviewed my Personal Development Plan each year with my manager, to set realistic objectives on what I want to achieve and how I can get there; at Prima Solutions I've been able to demonstrate what I can do and then move forwards in my role with new objectives. What is your favourite part of working at Prima? My favourite part of working here is the people. I look forward to coming to work because I get on so well with everyone, and several people have been here for a long- time and so you get to know them on a personal level. Prima Solutions also has a great social scene in terms of charity work and the annual adventure challenge; I would never have gotten in a canoe if I didn't work here! Can you summarise what you’ve gained from Prima? All in all, I've learned so much at Prima Solutions and have progressed hugely from where I started, being given the chance to take on training courses and new tasks that have given me a lot of valuable skills. On a more personal note, I can safely say that I've made lots of friends here whilst also having a lot of fun! NICOLA COESHAW OFFICE MANAGER
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Transcript of Nicola Coeshaw: Office Manager at Prima Solutions
CAREER DEVELOPMENTCASE STUDY
What does your role as Office Manager involve?
As Office Manager at Prima Solutions, my role is incrediblyvaried and no day is the same! Just some of myresponsibilities include booking trains and hotels for ouremployees, covering the reception desk when required andcreating reports on employee activities and resourceavailability. As well as this, I manage the day-to-day officeneeds, conduct administrative work for the directors, writearticles for our internal newsletter and coordinate the socialevents calendar. What is more, I attend regularmanagement meetings to discuss customer requirements,as well as being involved with Investors in People and ourContinuous Improvement scheme. A bit of everything really!
Tell us about your previous experience before Prima
As a bit of background, I left school after my GCSEs andstudied Travel & Tourism for two years at LoughboroughCollege. Originally I wanted to be an air hostess, but I'dnever been on a plane and found that I would be much betteroff with a job on the ground! I applied for a receptionist jobat a local hotel and worked there for three years to becomeReservations Manager, before moving to an IT company towork in reception and administration. In 2007, when I was21, I made the move to work in admin and reception at PrimaSolutions.
What does your Prima Journey look like?
After working in admin and reception for a couple ofyears, I progressed to become Office Supervisor and wasgiven the chance to be involved in more tasks anddepartments within the business. It was then in March2015 that I was offered the position of Office Manager,which was a new opportunity that I was eager to take on.
Why did you want to join Prima Solutions?
Prima is a smaller company with more room for careerprogression. At my previous workplace there were over500 employees, whereas I wanted to speak to peopleevery day and get to know who they were. Here at PrimaSolutions, I get to speak with most of the team on a dailybasis; it's a friendly workplace where people can talkopenly and get to know each other very well.
What has allowed your career to progress here?
There are many opportunities I've had at Prima Solutionsto progress and develop in my career, such as externaltraining in Microsoft Office. As well as this, I've updatedand reviewed my Personal Development Plan each yearwith my manager, to set realistic objectives on what Iwant to achieve and how I can get there; at PrimaSolutions I've been able to demonstrate what I can doand then move forwards in my role with new objectives.
What is your favourite part of working at Prima?
My favourite part of working here is the people. I lookforward to coming to work because I get on so well witheveryone, and several people have been here for a long-time and so you get to know them on a personal level.Prima Solutions also has a great social scene in terms ofcharity work and the annual adventure challenge; Iwould never have gotten in a canoe if I didn't work here!
Can you summarise what you’ve gained from Prima?
All in all, I've learned so much at Prima Solutions andhave progressed hugely from where I started, beinggiven the chance to take on training courses and newtasks that have given me a lot of valuable skills. On amore personal note, I can safely say that I've made lots offriends here whilst also having a lot of fun!
NICOLA COESHAWOFFICE MANAGER
