This working from home thing is pretty new to me. I didn’t work from home during the pandemic like a lot of people with office jobs but after almost ten years in Cornwall, me and my husband wanted to move closer to our friends and family back in the Midlands. And it wasn’t just us to think about, we adopted our dog, Harry, from Cornwall RSPCA in summer 2020 and whilst the dream of being a full-time stay-at-home dog Mom* is still there we do have bills to pay and so this meant either finding new jobs or keeping our old ones but going fully remote.
I’ve been with Jacksons since March this year and work from home full time, I’m not sure I would’ve taken on a completely new role with a brand new (to me) company but luckily I had worked with our Practice Manager Sharon Bray at my previous company and knew that if she had the confidence in me to do it then I could. She is the person you want in your corner - hyping you up, cheering you on and having your back!
I’m a bit of an introvert anyway so I enjoy having my own space where I can curate my dream office vibe. When we were looking at houses to move up here, I judged each one on where I could picture myself working. I’m now in a great spot, next to the patio doors looking out on my garden. I have plants all around me, the radio on and all my home comforts (slippers, blankets, hot water bottle…honestly, I am only 35!). Harry likes to sunbathe behind me - they do say Staffys are solar powered – and being close to him all day is a real joy.
On dry days I love to spend my lunch break planting seeds, potting on or just wandering around the garden admiring the flowers and bees. On rainy days I sit down with a book or reset my brain with an hour of Netflix on the sofa. Being able to shut my laptop at the end of the day and be ready to walk Harry straight away is such a treat.
I have felt supported and trusted to work from home and everyone at Jacksons made a real effort to get to know me and include me in as many things as possible. I’ve been to virtual baby showers, rounders team drafts and Bake-Off competitions. It’s not entirely miserable watching people eat cake without you, mostly because they’ve been known to freeze me a piece for when I visit the office. I’ve even toured our new offices and am being regularly updated on the status of the build. We joke that I like to keep my colleagues on their toes by regularly dying my hair different colours or shaving it off entirely (a dubious decision a week before picture day!) for when I pop up on Teams calls.
Communication is key when you’re working from home. I work closely with Financial Adviser Demi and we communicate non-stop every day. Sharon told me that me and Demi would get on, but it was an instantly effortless relationship. We share a love of Taylor Swift, dogs and, after a lot of pressure on her part, Harry Potter. Our working relationship isn’t negatively impacted by my remoteness, we can easily have three different conversations going on via Teams, email or IO (our back-office system) to get our work done. And I have a daily catch up with the other CRMs (Client Relationship Managers) so we could get to know each other initially and now so we can discuss our workloads and ask for help if needed.
And of course, we have our company social events that always seem to fall when I’m down in Cornwall. Getting to see everyone and their families on our summer beach day earlier this year and at our barn dance last month has been a great opportunity to get to know the team. Roll on our Christmas party!!
It seems I picked the perfect time to join Jacksons with the company rebrand, new office plans and four-day week trial but its been so rewarding being a part of a forward-thinking company, with an inspiring leadership team and colleagues who are always there when you need them.
*I’m from the Midlands, I can’t bring myself to type 'Mum'.