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Thursday 9th February 2012


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 Company: P&G
"We put an emphasis on coaching and mentoring and I have found these to be powerful frameworks for my personal development"

Why did you choose a career in IT?

I started out doing a degree in genetics. After I decided that academia was not for me, I decided to try an internship in IT to give me a taster of what a career might be like. I took to it straight away and haven’t looked back since. IT is such a diverse field now and there are so many facets to choose from. One of the reasons I love IT at P&G is the variety of roles and areas of the business that I can get involved in – I change assignments every couple of years and so there is always something new to learn.

If you could give young women looking for a position in the IT market place a single piece of advice what would it be?

Although IT can sometimes be thought of as a ‘male’ career, it really isn’t the case - women are very prominent in Information and Decision Solutions (IDS) at P&G.

My one piece of advice for anyone studying a technology orientated degree would be to try, if possible, to take opportunities to add business topics into their courses. Many employers these days are looking for an understanding of both business and technology in candidates.

Also, it’s worth noting that you don’t need a specific degree to apply for IDS at P&G so don’t be put off from applying if you don’t have an IT degree  – we look for a passion in both business and technology and your potential to make a real impact on the company.
 

How would you describe the work environment / working culture at P&G?

I have always found P&G a relaxed and easy place to work. A job at P&G means lots of challenges and there is always a lot to learn but there is a strong culture of support and I have been given many opportunities to grow and develop whilst having support and guidance all around me. We put an emphasis on coaching and mentoring and I have found these to be powerful frameworks for my personal development.

Describe your background and career at P&G

I initially joined P&G in 2005 to do an internship in Information Decision Solutions. I had no background in business or technology and an internship provided a great experience of what a career in this industry would be like. I loved my three months and was offered a job working in our financial solutions team in our Newcastle shared service centre. I started off in a client management role delivering system and process improvements for our finance operation teams before moving onto a project team that was integrating our Russia and Ukraine business onto our standard accounting system. From here I graduated to leading the projects themselves and for the past 18 months I have led a multifunctional team to integrate Gillette manufacturing plants into our P&G accounting systems and processes. I am now moving into a new role leading a global organisation transformation project to restructure the way our financial solutions teams around the world work and operate.


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