What is your Job Role and how long have you worked for the company?

I am a property support coordinator working with contractors and looking after our pubs.

I have been working with Stonegate since I left school, so I came straight from education into this role, I had no previous experience. Now, I have been working with the company for five months.

Education/Experience

I think Stonegate is more interested in who you are as a person, and how you will integrate with the team. Education is still important, but I don’t think you need that (certain grades) to succeed in this role. I did well in my GCSE’s, so I found myself in a good position leaving school and going to work but, I found that the subjects I studied were not the main focus for this job.

What attracted you to Stonegate?

I wasn’t ever really considering Uni I just wanted to get straight into work, and then I saw Stonegate on Facebook and LinkedIn which really attracted me to find out more. I had also heard a lot of good things from people who worked here and how there was a lot of different avenues I could go down in my career working with the company. It made me think this is what I want to get into and so this would be the best fit for me.

Hands on experience of the industry

Coming straight from education and working in pubs during that time, I was interested in getting into the side of the industry that looks after the pubs. In my first couple of weeks, I was given hands-on experience by being taken to some of our pubs and being shown around the cellar and the back of house. This gave me a better idea of what I would be supporting our pub teams with day to day. When I joined, I didn’t have much experience with a lot of aspects of property maintenance but being able to go out and learn from the people I would be supporting helped me understand so much more.

What excites you most about your job?

Every day is different; you never know what you are going to come into. No day is ever the same which is something I would look for in my career. You could come in one morning to a critical issue at one of your pubs and have to react quickly, you can never predict it, and that always keeps the job interesting.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Just do it! I haven’t looked back since I got into this role. I didn’t know at first how I would feel going straight from school to an office-based job, but I haven’t looked back since. I have loved every second of it and I haven’t had any doubts since I joined Stonegate.

How do you feel about working for Stonegate Group as a company and the atmosphere?

The ethos is great, everyone’s friendly, you will get along with everyone. When I came in, I was 18, so I was the youngest by far, my team welcomed me straight away, no one looked at me as if I was just a kid.

There’s a great social aspect too. We take our jobs seriously, but we also know how to have a laugh it’s not just all, constantly, having to be on it, there’s room to make friends and enjoy coming to work.

Career progression

Stonegate always helps you see the path ahead, and there are lots of different things you can do. This includes a great range of in-house training and apprenticeships you can do. There are different options to help you find whatever suits you and help you succeed in your career working with Stonegate.