When I first started my career, I never anticipated that I’d end up as Head of the Project Management Office (PMO) at a major company like Dixons Carphone. During the early stages of my career, I started as a bank cashier, moving into accountancy where I worked as a trainee for a few years. I was lucky to be given the opportunity to move around the world as well as up the career ladder, where I was eventually made Financial Accountant for their Euro site division.
Whilst in this role, I started to get hands-on with more marketing projects and really enjoyed being a part of the creative process as well as helping to manage it. From there I steadily moved from one project to another, each bigger than the last. Eventually the opportunity to work at Dixons Carphone came up and I jumped at the chance to work for a company known for being a major player in tech retail. Up until that point I’d never worked in tech before, and back in 2000 there were even less women working in the industry than there are now. Because I had a real interest in it, I was able to quickly build up a network of supportive friends and colleagues to help me start my Dixons Carphone journey.
It starts with STEM
One of the biggest issues in tech is a lack of women in the workforce, especially at the top of the ladder. This is partly down to a lack of opportunities, as well as a lack of female role models in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) in general. However, there are trailblazers within the industry looking to upset the status quo, and I’d like to think that my female colleagues and I here are doing just that here. Dixons Carphone is definitely an equal opportunities employer, with quite a few senior roles across the business filled by some of the smartest women in the industry.
Be proactive not reactive
It’s not just having a woman in charge that inspires others to join the company, it’s the whole mentality and culture at Dixons Carphone, which wholeheartedly supports a more inclusive and diverse workforce. One of the most common challenges for career-driven women is having to juggle that career with the demands of having a family. Dixons Carphone are helping to reduce the strain by offering a more flexible working routine, which is refreshing since I come from a more traditional office environment. Having that flexibility means I have the freedom to work from home when needed, meaning I’m there for both my kids and my employer. It’s something I think should be talked about more, because flexible working really lets you find the perfect personal balance between your work and home life. Dixons Carphone are incredibly proactive in encouraging more tech-loving women to join the team. When I first joined they were actively hiring female leaders, which was a great inspiration. I’m actually a part of the team helping to create new initiatives to attract more women into STEM and to Dixons Carphone.
I’m incredibly passionate about my work here, as I have experience working with young, underprivileged girls in London through my previous job, which evokes a whole host of feelings and memories. I also have two young girls of my own at home, so I want to help make a difference where I can to ensure that STEM is accessible for them and other girls who decide they want to explore careers there. It’s my aim to support women in STEM with the help of Dixons Carphone in whatever way we can. It’s a cause I’m committed to both personally and professionally. The culture and environment that Dixons Carphone have in place and is continuing to develop is very supportive of gender equality, which really encourages women to do well here. What’s more, you can do so in a balanced way, because it’s not down to how many hours you’ve spent at your desk, it’s about how hard you work and the results that you deliver, that determines how far and fast you can build your career here at Dixons Carphone – not your gender.
Dixons Carphone is a company striving for gender equality in everything it does. If you’re looking to grow your career on a challenging, but level playing field, join our team today.
