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Women in Leadership Profiles
Name: Trudy Holt
Role: Registrar
Company: Royal Borough of Greenwich
A bit about you: I am a 52 year old mum of twins.
I have had a varied career in recruitment as a consultant then promoted to a branch manager and 15 years as account manager for Yellow Pages, most recently working for local government as a registrar.
I have enjoyed all my jobs
What is it like working in your company?
I am really supported at work, it is a great team. There are currently 9 of us that have worked together for many years. We deal with births, deaths, marriages and citizenships so we look after all life events. It can be challenging and demanding at times with the workloads as well as being a really varied and interesting role.
Why did you decide to go into your chosen field? I wanted a role that was varied and interesting where every day was different. My previous jobs had been sales orientated and target driven and I wanted a change of career that did not involve targets but still with customer contact.
What qualifications and work experience did you need to reach your current position? I had previous experience of presentations, customer service skills and administration which helped with my current position. Also previously working as an account manager helped me gain experience liaising with customers from all aspects of life as I was selling advertising to every type of business and at all levels. Registrar and local government do give a lots of training within the role and constant courses to keep your skills up to date.
What do you enjoy the most about your job? I really enjoy the variety of work within the role you could be registering a birth in the morning then driving to one of our amazing venues within the Royal Borough of Greenwich like the Painted Halls at the Royal Naval College, Eltham Palace or Queens House in Greenwich Park to attend a marriage ceremony. Also I conduct citizenship ceremonies in various groups each week which can be really rewarding.
What obstacles have you overcome in your career? One of the biggest obstacles that I have overcome in my career was at the age of 22.
I was promoted to Branch Manager of a city recruitment agency, which meant managing staff that were a lot older than me and initially there was a concern from my area managers that it might be too challenging,
I remember at the interview having to convince them to give me the chance to prove myself. I got the job and it turned out to be the best career decision I ever made. It became the most profitable branch in the country out of 60 branches and we won various awards. We all worked so well as a team and were really motivated it was one of the best times of my career and one I will never forget and it taught me that if you set your sights on something, work hard and are a team player you will succeed.
Why do you think it is important to have a strong female representation in your industry? I think it is so important that woman have the same rights and career progression as men.
In previous industries I have worked a lot of senior posts have been dominated by men, however things are changing and local government proactively encourages equal opportunities for all.
We have a lot of women that have progressed within our organisation and our current CEO is a woman.
What advice would you give those wanting to take a similar career path? I would definitely encourage registrar as a career you would get a lot of training within the role. it is the type of role that could be used as a stepping stone into other positions within local government or management roles.
I would keep open minded with courses and do as many different types of training courses especially those that involve presentations skills, communication and administration.
Good luck to all of you on your chosen careers and remember
“Dreams are extremely important, you can’t do it unless you imagine it”
Keep focused and determined and you will achieve it all.
