My career has involved lots of analysis; Pampers, pills, poker and pay
One of the modules in my Geography degree involved statistics and market research techniques. I found it interesting so I got a job as a Market Research Analyst working for a baby products research company. Here I learnt the importance of accuracy, attention to detail and how to turn data into key facts and interesting stories.
I moved on to become a Business Intelligence Analyst for a pharmaceutical firm. This was where I learnt how to manipulate huge sets of data. Then I became a Market Analyst for a poker research consultancy which gave me experience of working with lots of countries around the world.
At this point I was heavily involved in supporting my kids’ busy lives so I looked for a part-time local job and managed to persuade a small membership association that my skills as an analyst would also be useful in Human Resources. In this role I got to sharpen my organisational skills and learnt how to deal sensitively with all kinds of people-related queries.
I then found myself at First Central, initially as an HR Coordinator and Officer. I was subsequently lucky enough to become a Reward Analyst when the new Reward team was set up.
I support with pay-related processes and manage colleague benefits
As a Reward Analyst I spend a lot of time on pay and bonus reviews, benchmarking pay, equal pay analysis and gender pay checks. Creating a fair and equitable pay structure at First Central has been a great deal of work but also incredibly satisfying.
I also manage our colleague benefits, working with external providers to source the best and most useful benefits for everyone, to support our strategic driver of growing an exceptional colleague experience.
This busy role requires plenty of research, analysis and reporting. I’m also always looking for ways to streamline our benefit processes so our team can work more efficiently and deliver the best outcomes for our colleagues.
I love spreadsheets. Looking for interesting stories in data is great
Being able to use my skills to make sure our colleagues are getting the fairest pay and the best benefits we can afford is so gratifying. It beats analysing nappy data!
My role also allows me to work from home without any distractions. Having the self-motivation to focus means I can be confident that my work is accurate and delivered on time.
Focus on your skills and not on your job title
Don’t feel trapped within a certain career route. Think about the skills you have and see if you can use them in a different role.
Find a company to work for that has an open, fair and equitable pay structure.
If you need to take a step back and focus on your family that’s okay too. I’ve been able to return to a career at a later stage. Look for a company that invests in everyone regardless of their age/personal circumstances and will support your career post kids.
Get as much work experience as possible, (and encourage your kids to get some too), and try different projects/experiences within your role so you have something for your CV.
When my research is used to inform decision making
Reporting on the scale of online gambling across the world was particularly eye opening and ultimately resulted in better regulation and the promotion of gambling addiction helplines.
I am lucky enough to have an ability to take the fear out of data, and presenting my research to teams that are uneasy with numbers is immensely satisfying. Seeing their understanding when presented with a chart rather than a table of numbers for example, and being able to provide accuracy around vague feelings is gratifying.
I am also immensely proud to have been a part of First Central’s pay grading project which has seen us bring in a pay structure that’s much more open and fair for all.
