Sarah Palmer - Business Development Representative
Business development can be a fast paced and driven role, but what about when you throw taking care of a young family into the mix? How do the skills gained from parenting shape and benefit a person within the working world? Our Business Development Representative, Sarah Palmer, discusses all this and more in our latest VantagePoint career story.
Tell us about your role at VantagePoint.
I work in business development, which consists of forming new business relationships and identifying opportunities for VantagePoint to support CFOs and finance leaders with a range of finance projects. Typically, I have conversations with customers about exploring new technologies and preparing their office of finance for growth.
What interested you about getting into this industry?
I’ve worked within the financial software industry for almost 20 years now (showing my age here!) and I get excited about the fact that technology never sits still because neither do I; I’m always on the go! I suppose what attracts me to the industry is that it’s fast paced, exciting and challenging.
How do you balance being a working parent?
Organisation is key. Outside of work I have a busy family life looking after three children, so it’s essential to prioritise and plan. I have lists and spreadsheets to help me organise everything from school holiday activities and meal prep to childcare arrangements and meetings. Since lockdown, one thing I’ve learnt to accept is that working from home will occasionally have its distractions, and that’s okay. Sometimes my youngest daughter likes to come and say ‘hi’ to the team on our video calls, but she doesn’t stay around for long; apparently finance transformation is not exciting enough for her!
If you have children, find an employer like VantagePoint who are forward thinking and mindful when it comes to supporting working mums.
With all the juggling you have to do, how have you been supported by VantagePoint?
As a full-time working mum, the support I have received from VantagePoint has been amazing! Just having the peace of mind that if an emergency with the kids pops up, I am trusted to work flexibly around my family commitments really makes a difference.
When times get busier than usual, what motivates you?
I’m a very target driven person, I like to set goals for myself and see how much I can achieve on a daily and weekly basis. When things get hectic, I reprioritise and move the less urgent tasks to a later stage.
How has balancing work and parenting shaped you as an employee?
Balancing work around parenting has made me very determined to succeed; I want to show my kids what it’s like to have a strong work ethic whilst showing them that hard work pays off. It has also made me more aware of time management, I ensure I don’t waste pockets of time doing pointless tasks. It’s important to me that I allocate set time in my day to focus on specific non-work related tasks such as reading with the kids, walking the dog and, dare I say it, getting the laundry done!
What advice would you give to women wanting to get into this industry?
Go for it! Talk to other women within the industry to hear their stories first and if you have children, find an employer like VantagePoint who are forward thinking and mindful when it comes to supporting working mums.
What’s your favourite thing about working at Vantagepoint?
The people and the culture. Everyone is so talented and hardworking, but no matter how busy they are, they are always willing to help. It’s a fun environment too with lots of social activities to get involved in, but I also feel like employees are genuinely cared about. I frequently get asked if I am ok and if there is anything else I need, which is lovely.
And now for a bit of fun, if you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you take with you?
My family, Amazon Prime (so I can have music, movies and shopping) and lots of Prosecco.
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