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The End of My First Rotation

By Alex Philip, 20 February 2012 2:44 pm

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So the end of my first rotation is imminent and I have a few reflections to make about how my first 6 months has gone:

• The first thing to note, although it may be a bit cliché, is that it has gone SO quickly! It only seems like a few weeks ago that we all met up in 1CP for the first time and then headed off to Sandhurst for our induction training. But since then I have been on the steepest of learning curves and have taken in so much information! I have been introduced to scores of people at Barclaycard and made a great start building a network that should help support me in the future, even if I don’t end up working in the same department again. Make sure you take some time to take a step back and realise what you are doing and be proud of it.
• I have learned a great deal about time management and about prioritising work to make sure that the most important work (for the most senior stakeholders) gets done first. This is essential in a busy job like this as there will always be multiple things on the go and it is really important to remain on track with everything you need to deliver. This goes hand-in-hand with how important computer organisation is; File every document away with a logical name in a logical folder, read and prioritise your emails so you’re not caught out and on that note – reply to your emails. Don’t be one of those people who is notorious for not replying!
• Take time to reflect on your personal and work achievements, as well as the things that haven’t gone so well. Writing a blog for the FLDP has helped me to facilitate this relatively easily as I constantly think back about the previous week to analyse in my head how it has gone. But it is even more powerful to get something down in writing so that in 12 months’ time when I look back, I can see how things have changed and can use what I learned at the time to help inform my future decisions.
• Grab every opportunity to gain new experiences whilst you can. Being on the FLDP is a great reason for asking to sit in on a meeting that you might not otherwise be invited to, or work with senior leaders who want to help in your development. Approach the senior people and most of the time they will be more than happy to sit and chat with you. Listen to everything that they have to say and learn from them. Being in a senior position does not mean that every single thing they you will agree with, but you can certainly learn from it.

These are just a few things that I have thought of, but I can honestly say that these last 6 months have been an amazing experience. I have enjoyed all of the challenges, the training, the work, the new experiences, the long days, the short days, the citizenship work and the new colleagues and friends I have made.

I cannot wait to move on to my next rotation to start something completely new, but it is also sad that I have to leave my team that I love working with… Bring on rotation 2!!