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Marco D.

Operational Excellence Deployment Manager

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Top Insider Advice

I am a strong believer that opportunities are there for people if they have the work ethic and desire to seek them out. Having not gone to university, I chose to get my foot in the door of a company and seek out opportunities for careers once I was there. My advice is to research various roles within a company and find a few that interest you. Reach out to colleagues who do that role and find out what skills and experience are required and put yourself forward for opportunities to stretch yourself. Additionally, look for colleagues who are in senior roles and present themselves in a way that aligns with your values and ask them for advice!

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Career path

Operational Excellence Deployment Manager

First Central

Started 04/2022 to Present

Head of Continuous Improvement Projects

First Central

From 09/2018 to 03/2022

Continuous Improvement Manager

First Central

From 07/2016 to 08/2018

Company

What do you like about your job and the company?

Getting to work with colleagues across the organisation, helping them solve problems in their work that will benefit them and the customer. Seeing colleagues have a breakthrough in new thinking from training or working together on a problem is my biggest personal driver of accomplishment.

Greatest achievements

I am most proud of getting to do a job that I am extremely passionate about and really enjoy! As my career has progressed, I have worked with hundreds of people, helping them to develop and acquire new skills to make improvements for customers as well as making their work more enjoyable.

Other insiders

Alana R

Top Insider Advice

Throughout my career I’ve been on a learning journey regarding how I communicate. When I first started out, I was very shy and found it difficult to communicate confidently. I’d be nervous sending an email to someone I’d never met and spend hours over-analysing the content to make sure it was ‘perfect’ before sending it. As I sent more and more emails, met more people, and put myself out there for presentations, I grew in confidence but I still had a lot to learn. I’d often go into the specifics of everything and give people information overload because I was worried about missing something important. I got a lot of feedback around this and was regularly asked to “keep it high-level”. I really had to work at this, and I needed to get help from peers, mentors, managers and external research to understand what this meant, when it mattered and how to be effective at a higher level of detail. With years of practice, I am now much better at communicating and that’s helped me progress into a leadership position. This is just one example of me learning a skill which I thought was impossible. If I can do it, so can you!

Ali C

Top Insider Advice

Volunteering in Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and Climate / Social Rights Groups can be an excellent way to get exposure to ESG and set yourself up for future career opportunities. Not only does it give you a chance to learn more about the issues at hand and the various approaches being taken to tackle them, but it also allows you to develop key skills such as leadership, project management, and communication - all of which are highly valued in the ESG space. By getting involved in ERGs and social groups, you can gain a deeper understanding of the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how it intersects with ESG. You can also learn about the various ways in which companies are approaching sustainability, social responsibility, and governance, and gain valuable insights into how these approaches impact business performance and reputation. But perhaps most importantly, volunteering in ERGs and social groups is a great way to build connections and expand your network in the ESG space. By working alongside like-minded individuals who are passionate about creating a better world, you can forge relationships that may lead to future career opportunities or collaborations.

Lauren M

Top Insider Advice

If you’re applying for an Early Careers role such as a Graduate or Apprentice scheme, hiring managers won’t expect you to have a whole host of work experience to draw upon. They will, however, be looking to understand what kind of person you are, what skills you have, and what makes you tick! So don’t be afraid to talk about the sports team you play for or manage at the weekend, the examinations you’ve racked up for playing a musical instrument, your involvement in a community group or your passion for learning foreign languages!

Discussions with Marco D
What is the work-life balance like in your role?
in Career Tips·Thursday, March 23, 2023
Picture of Kerry
Picture of Lauren
5 responses
191 views
How would you describe this company in 3 words?
in Career Tips·Tuesday, October 3, 2023
1 response
16 views
What's the most rewarding project you've worked on?
in Career Tips·Tuesday, November 21, 2023
1 response
20 views
How do you manage your workload in your role?
in Career Tips·Tuesday, March 12, 2024
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2 responses
10 views
Why did you choose to work in this industry?
in Career Tips·Tuesday, May 7, 2024
1 response
16 views