People of ESB is a 12-part series documenting the lives of ESB staff across our various business units. This month, we meet Clara Taylor, a Business and KPI Analyst with ESB Telecoms Ltd. Clara only had a limited time in the office and meeting her colleagues face-to-face before Covid-19 forced us all to work from home. Here’s what she’s learned about her role, and herself, in the last 12 months.
Describe your role in ESB.
I work as a Business Analyst on the Business Development, Strategy and Regulation team in ESB Telecoms Ltd. I'm responsible for compiling various regulatory and KPI reports and managing a newly implemented Service Delivery process. My team are also in the early stages of designing and building a database, or a mini CRM. I've been heavily involved in this very exciting project.
How long have you worked in this role?
Just over a year now, I began on the Monday before we went into the first lockdown! I started in ESB Telecoms as a Licence and Billing Coordinator on the Assets, Governance, Safety and Compliance team in 2018. It was a great starting point - I learned a lot about the business and how it operated in those first couple of years.
What were your expectations joining a company like ESB?
I was hoping that I'd find a place that suited me and an environment that I could work well in.
What has surprised you most about working here?
The people. Everyone is very supportive of one another on both my old team and my new one and it makes for a great and encouraging work environment.
We’ve all been impacted by Covid-19. How has it affected your day-to-day role?
Covid has affected my day to day massively. It was a difficult adjustment at first, as I was also moving from one role and team to another alongside learning how to work from home. But now it feels so normal. My team has a catch up every morning and this has been great as it allows us to connect and discuss what we are all working on and keep us aligned in our goals as a team.
I find it can be difficult to set fixed break times and shut the computer down at the end of the day. When you're in the office, this is much more natural, but when you're at home and have nowhere to go, it's too easy to keep on working!
What has working from home taught you?
Always be ready to turn on your camera for a video call!
Describe yourself in three words.
Ambitious, conscientious and dedicated.
What are you most looking forward to this year, and beyond?
My sister is getting married in October, so I'm very excited for the wedding and hope to catch up with some family and friends that I haven't seen in over a year.
What advice would you give to someone starting their career with ESB?
If you have an idea, be courageous and share it with your colleagues. It might not be your first, second or third idea that gets traction, but you never know when an idea might expand and turn into something you never initially envisaged.
What do you wish you knew then that you know now?
It is important to work hard but also realise that sometimes you just need to step back and let things fall into place. Some things are out of your control and are not worth worrying about.
For anyone who wants to join your field of work, what three things should they know?
Don't let your education or specific qualifications hold you back. Apply for anything that looks interesting to you. I studied music in university and now work in telecoms, so don't let your education narrow your job prospects.
Take every opportunity or training course offered to you, you never know when something you think is irrelevant can come in handy.
Surround yourself with people you can learn from.