‘Surveying the scene for women’

My role as Director of Service Delivery for Auto Windscreens puts me in a very interesting position, enabling me to survey two very different industries – the motor sector and the call centre market.

The automotive industry is still a male-dominated environment with few women making it to executive roles, and while there are an increasing number of females entering the market, we are still widely outnumbered by men.

Historically, cars have been viewed as a male interest, engineering and mechanics seen as male pursuits. Over the last 20 years it’s perhaps this that’s deterred the majority of women from pursuing an automotive career. It’s encouraging that more women are now entering higher education and engineering/mechanics apprenticeships which is closing the gap. Call centres, on the other hand, generally have had a higher female employment ratio, and ours follows suit, with 18% more women than men.

It’s good to see the advent of flexible working helping to change attitudes towards those with family commitments, as both sexes are now given equal opportunities for a work-life balance. I’ve seen both industries becoming more understanding, which is helping businesses recruit and retain talent regardless of gender.

I began my career as an Auto Windscreens Call Centre Agent in 2000 and never imagined I would ever be in a position to introduce myself as a Director. I’ve always pushed myself to do better and to stand up for myself. This, along with 20 years’ worth of experience, has helped me to get me where I am today. To those women just looking to step onto the career ladder, (and in the style of certain 90’s soundtrack), I’d say:

Use every job as an opportunity to learn something new

Keep an open mind,

Don’t take yourself too seriously,

Stay grounded,

Know your goals,

Know your job,

Listen,

Build on relationships,

Pursue skills and training,

Push yourself,

Maintain your integrity,

Be confident,

Develop a strength-based approach,

Take yourself out of your comfort zone to tackle your own fears,

Embrace failure because it gives you a good opportunity to learn,

Never take the credit for other people’s work.

‘Choose your future. Choose life’.