How did you come to work at Hycom?
I graduated university with an English Literature degree in 2020, right in the thick of a global pandemic. There were no jobs whatsoever advertised that were suitable! My thoughts were, I could either sit around and do nothing until it was over or do an apprenticeship where I would study and earn money at the same time. Of all the apprenticeship opportunities available Hycom appealed the most. Gavin and Fran were both working from home at the time so my interview was held over Zoom, which in a normal situation isn’t ideal for me, but they ensured each interaction was relaxed yet professional. Reassuringly I found out that Fran had joined the company as an apprentice and would be there for guidance. I joined Hycom on an apprenticeship in Level 3 Business and Administration.

Tell us about your role and how it’s evolved.
Initially I was taken on to do sales and project administration. Now, my role has grown to include office management responsibilities and we’re looking to recruit another team member to take on project administration. The idea is that this will free up time for me to focus more on product sales, marketing, and the general day-to-day running of the office.

I enjoy my role because it’s so diverse: one minute I’m talking to a customer about a web order and the next I can be organising Christmas gift hampers! It’s never boring and you never know what to expect when you arrive in the morning.

In contrast, what do you least enjoy about working for Hycom?
Oh, that’s tricky! It would have to be the drive home. There’s nothing I don’t enjoy about the day, but I hate getting into the car and taking the 40-minute drive home. That’s a very diplomatic answer but not untrue!

Describe some of the challenges in your role and how you overcome them.
Initially it was learning about all the different types of products. The construction industry was new to me, so I didn’t know anything about trims or sheets and how many tubs of adhesives to sell with them! That just comes by asking questions.

If a problem happens with a sales order it’s usually due to courier error, which is difficult because it’s out of my control. I show the customer understanding of the situation and demonstrate I’m doing all I can to get the products to them as quickly as possible. Carrying out our own installations, we know how difficult it can be when you’re working to a deadline, which in construction can be quite tight, and products don’t arrive on time. Because of this we are able to relate to the customer’s situation and see things from their point of view.

Working from home during lockdown was a challenge. I was based at my parents’ kitchen table and, like a lot of the UK population, trying to mask out the background noise of siblings and dogs! In fact, I changed my working hours so customers didn’t have to experience much of that on the phone. I don’t enjoy working alone and I was glad to return to the office to work alongside people.

Are you a close-knit team?
Oh yes definitely…anything that goes on we all know about it!

An office always has different types of personalities….who are you?
I’d be the organised and possibly slightly bossy one!

Hycom prides itself on being a customer focussed industry leader. What skills do you bring to your role that contribute to this?
I take the time to get to know our customers and make it a personal and enjoyable experience for them. It’s about letting them know you actually want to be helpful.

Tell us about something exciting you’ve got going on at work.
We’ve giving marketing a big push to raise our brand awareness. This is especially focused on digital content, looking at how we can demonstrate our capabilities through customer testimonials, case studies and how-to videos. We’re developing new areas on our website including a blog because we’ve got a lot of knowledge within the business that we want to share with people. We’re working on new initiatives like the Hycom Training Academy. This a suite of programmes we’ve developed for fitters who want to brush up on their skills or learn new products and methods. Being a small business this is all great for me as I’m involved in the whole process.

We recently attended the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Group Training Association Annual Apprenticeship Awards ceremony. It was a fantastic night for Hycom and Gavin who won Employer of the Year. My colleague Fran won the Commerce Award for Personal Development and I was the runner up Apprentice of the Year!

There are plans to expand the team beyond another apprentice so it’s an exciting time all round as we focus on growing the business.

What are your personal career aspirations for the next 12 months?
My focus will be on developing my skills in sales and marketing. Taking a more targeted approach and building relationships to develop our existing customer base and generate new opportunities.

Is it these developments that you’re involved with that motivate you?
Yes, but it’s also the way the team has a shared goal. We all want the best for company. When something goes well, we celebrate the success together and this drives me.

Tell us a bit about Jess at home.
Much like here I live in a small rural village. I like being outside at the weekend so that involves a lot of dog walking and I’ve still got a love of English Literature so I do a lot of reading.

You can connect with Jessica on LinkedIn.