The advert for a temporary position of Project Officer within the iMayflower project caught my eye as I had been considering increasing my working week. A perfect opportunity to dip my toe into the wonderful world of full time employment and the hours fitted in nicely with my current working commitments.
I’ve always been passionate about Plymouth, having moved here 25 years ago and have never looked back - I feel I belong here! Working in this role was a great opportunity to work for another project that helps create quality places for people to live and work.
Day one, I turned up at Windsor House; my desk booked, laptop, headset and email all set up. Tracey and Ben welcomed me to the “Office” and we set out to plan the support that was required from me for the upcoming 6 weeks.
As with any new job, the challenge is remembering what you have been told and navigating your way around systems – familiarising yourself with the document storage etc. It had been 25 plus years since I worked for a local authority and so much to learn, along with protocols, structure and procedures to be adhered to. One of my first tasks was to connect with the main partners of the projects, introduce myself, build friendships and communicate clearly.
Each week quickly became easier and I gained confidence in communicating with all delivery leads, partners and colleagues. I soon learnt the daily pressures faced by Tracey and Ben; scrutinising figures, double checking outputs and the endless team meetings required to keep on top of the project.
One of my main roles was to chase partners on their deadlines, I am sure they looked forward to my Monday morning greeting each week! This taught me to be sympathetic to their pressures as well as keep track of my own deadlines. Not an easy task, but with diplomacy, clear communication and kindliness this was achieved.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at iMayflower, my experience of Project Officer has given me a wonderful insight into the managing and delivery of a specialised project. Tracey and Ben have been a pleasure to work with and we have built a great relationship. They both do an incredible job to support and ensure the iMayflower Project is the success it is. I was also invited to the department Christmas meal, a great opportunity to network with the rest of the team and more connections made!
I will miss the humour, and most importantly the delicious soups Tracey made! Thank you for giving me the opportunity, I am now even more passionate about the place I live, work and play – Plymouth!
Mandy Toze