A new career path that challenges me every day

As part of our plans to celebrate Estates and Facilities day, we have asked colleagues from the Division of Infrastructure to share their career stories. Zoe currently works as an ID and Access Administrator , and you can read her story below.

My background and career path

After leaving school, I studied childcare and began my career working in private day nurseries. After starting a family, I took time out to be a stay-at-home parent. As my children got older, I started working again as a school dinner supervisor, and took on a weekend and evening job in retail.

Seven years into retail, I was ready for a new challenge and applied for a role within the Car Parking department at the Trust. I was genuinely surprised to be offered an interview. I was determined to succeed and put everything into my preparation, so I could become a valued member of the NHS team.

When the ID and Access department was relocated into our team, I saw it as an opportunity to grow and applied for the role I am in now.

I have recently begun an apprenticeship in Team Leadership, which I am finding incredibly rewarding. I'm learning new skills that I hope to apply in the near future. I’m very thankful to my managers for supporting my professional development.

What inspired you to pursue this line of work?

I’ve always enjoyed helping others, meeting new people, and taking on new challenges. The ID and Access role is the perfect fit for me — it’s fast-paced, varied, and allows me to constantly learn and develop.

Was this the career you imagined for yourself when you started out?

Not at all. Initially, I thought I would remain in the Car Parking role long-term. ID and Access has opened up a new path for me.

What does a typical day look like for you?

No two days are ever the same. I handle ID and access requests via email, phone, and face-to-face across all our sites.

I also manage key orders for hospital doors and monitor stock levels of access equipment. I liaise with staff across the Trust and enjoy being able to put faces to names — I much prefer face-to-face communication.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I love meeting and helping people, whether it’s helping them with access, or directing them to the right team who can help with their query.

The variety of work keeps me motivated, and I take pride in being a positive role model.

What’s the most challenging aspect of your role?

Managing system outages across our multiple sites can be challenging - these issues require working with our IT and Estates teams, and our external access provider.

You can find out more about working for the Trust and browse current vacancies on our careers site.