Beginning of the end
Leaving college at 17, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I didn’t like the thought of moving away from home and getting into debt at university, studying a course I wasn’t sure I wanted to do. I did some research into apprenticeship and thought it sounded like a good alternative. I applied for a few apprenticeships, and due to what I think was a good hair day, a new suit and a positive mental attitude, I got offered a position at Cisco. Since that day, a lot has changed…
Due to my somewhat controlling nature and a need for organisation in my life, project management fits me perfectly. When I started at Cisco, the apprentices and I did some presentation practise on a topic we were passionate about. I chose to do mine on my career. I presented a few slides with myself moving up through the ranks, from Apprentice through to CEO of the company. Three years on, my ambition is still high and I still want to move up in the company, but having a son at the age of 19 really grounded me. I realised, its ok to dream big but realistically my aspirations for my career path are a bit more sensible now. I want to become an established and sought after project manager before moving into programme management or portfolio management.
Now after 4 years of practise, I have an abundance of experience and skills under my belt. The skills and experience I have gained during this training period are varied; from basic technical skills to enable me to understand my environment, right through to taking my first attempt at the Certified Associate Project Manager exam. I would like to think that this variation in training has made me a more capable and rounded project manager, but I still have a lot to learn.
Being a fairly young first time mum, it has been a struggle over the last year to balance my 2 year old son, an apprenticeship and paying bills. My position as an apprentice project manager is fairly demanding, but so is having a toddler to care for. As you can imagine, I needed to find a way to ensure everybody’s needs were being met and not pulling my hair out at the same time. This came with its highs and lows. Highs: Applying for and Winning the Microsoft Large Apprenticeship Employer of the year award 2014, currently being responsible for a large amount of projects, securing myself a position in a sought after team as one of the only project managers, bringing in an estimated $2Million in revenue as an apprentice – making me one of the highest grossing apprentices in the scheme, being responsible for the FY12 intake of apprentices (from interviews through to managing their schedules).
As I prepare to transition into a permanent position at Cisco, I find myself reflecting on my values. Coming from a working class family, I knew the day I started at Cisco I wanted to climb the professional ladder and be successful without going to university. It is vital that I am successful, not just for myself, but for my family too. It’s important to me to be viewed as a young professional and for colleagues to take my input on board. I have worked hard to build a respectable reputation. It’s taken three years of building bridges, strength of mind, strength of character and unreservedly pushing my personal brand. Without self-determination this wouldn’t have been possible. Every day I remind myself that only I can make this happen, the only thing that’s changed is, I want it even more now I have a little person to look after.
