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Women in Leadership Profiles
Name: Katherine Holt
Role: Accounts Administrator
Company: Watson Day Chartered Surveyors
A bit about you:
I am 27, working in administration and accounts for a team of Chartered Surveyors based in Lordswood. I’m currently living in Allington with my fiancé. I previously attended Valley Park School, before going straight into work after sixth form. In my spare time I enjoy socialising with friends and sports such a running, spin class and bootcamp.
What is it like working in your Company?
Working for Watson Day definitely feels as though you are part of a team. We have 9 staff in total (5 partners and 4 administrative/accounts staff). As we are such a small Company, it feels more personal and professional rather than working for a huge company where you would only know a fraction of the staff.
Why did you decide to go into your chosen field?
I’ve always been interested in ICT and as it was also a subject I was good at, I wanted to pursue my career further in this field. I completed a Bookkeeping course in 2015 which I found very interesting as it showed the manual/computerised ways of making sure all accounts balance and are up to date.
What qualifications and work experience did you need to reach your current position?
After completing my GCSEs, I stayed on at Valley Park to complete my AS and A Levels, studying French, English Literature, Health and Social Care, ICT and Geography. My favourite subject was always ICT and this is definitely the subject that has helped me the most in reaching my current position. Whilst I was still at school, I started a junior administration role for a security firm, working 4 evenings a week and Saturday mornings. I worked my way up to be the head administrator and payroll and accounts administrator, with my own assistant. I gained a lot of experience at this Company which helped me get to the position that I have now.
What do you enjoy the most about your job?
I enjoy that every day is different. One day I could be focused solely on agency work with viewings and negotiating deals, the next could be on invoicing and balancing the rent ledgers. Also, I speak with a lot of business owners each day and enjoy hearing about new business ventures or current businesses that I would have never heard of before.
What obstacles have you overcome in your career?
I feel the biggest obstacle I have overcome is the fear of not knowing what I wanted to do. I felt as though so many of my friends at school had career paths set out for them, whether that was going to college/ university or doing an apprenticeship. I decided not to continue in education and instead go straight into employment. I left school and decided to take a year out to work. I ended up working for a company that I loved and met some great people. I was able to progress here until ready to take the jump and move on to commercial property which I also love.
Why do you think it is important to have a strong female representation in your industry?
Within the commercial property industry, it is usually predominantly run by males. I believe that having a strong female representation is both good as setting a role model example, but it also demonstrates that the job can be carried out by both male and females and everyone should be treated equally in the industry.
What advice would you give those wanting to take a similar career path?
- Stay focused in lessons.
- Take ICT as a subject and make sure all coursework is of a high standard
- Always push to reach your full potential.
- Talk to people via telephone rather than text as it helps to build confidence.
