Multi-talented Amber Shares Her Thoughts on Gender Equality

Why did you choose to become Account Manager?

My introduction to working in Telecoms was as a Support Assistant and being part of a small business it was easy to get involved in various aspects of the operations. My role quickly developed to encompass the Billing, Provisioning and Faults which enabled me to experience most of the processes our customers experience.

It was a natural transition to go from Support to Account Management, enabling me to work closely with our customers from the front line to ensure we are providing the right services for their business in a fast paced and ever changing industry.

The theme this year for International Women’s Day is #EachforEqual; What does gender equality mean to you in your work life?

Gender equality in my work life means that regardless of gender, the same opportunities, resources and support are available across the board.

Is there anyone (male or female) that inspires you and why?

Vera Wang inspires me because she is one of the biggest names in the fashion industry today after she started designing wedding dresses at age 40. Vera started out as an athlete but failed to qualify for the 1968 Olympic figure-skating team. She then went on to work at Vogue but never rose to the top. She didn’t give up though and today, she is huge in the fashion industry with a business worth over one billion dollars. “Don’t be afraid to take time to learn.” – Vera Wang.

What was your dream job when you were growing up?

What I wanted to do or be when I was growing up changed depending on my hobbies and life experiences. I didn’t have one dream job, maybe a vet, a paramedic or join the police force. With each of them the commonality is I have always wanted to do something which involves helping people.

What’s the most important piece of advice you’d give to a woman thinking of starting a career in Account Management?

Understand who your clients are and don’t be afraid to ask questions (and listen to the answers). I think the key to understanding what you can do to benefit your customers is to ask about them.

On International Women’s Day, what is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers?

You don’t have to know what you want to do from a young age, there is no set process or timescale to do things in and it’s okay to change your mind. We all have a different route to take to get to where we want to be but as long as you’re willing to work for it, there’s no reason why you can’t reach your goals.

What will be the biggest challenge for the generation of women behind you?

I think social media is one of the biggest challenges we all face but more so for the next generation. It is natural for us to measure ourselves against others and I think social media can portray an unrealistic idea of the social expectations of women and the work life balance.