No wrong path: RFM Contract Manager Pia

Our 'No wrong path' series supports the Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) campaign for young people who may feel disheartened by their exam results. If that's you, or you're not sure what route to take after school, we hope the stories of employees here at Team Robertson will show that there's no right or wrong path.

From waitress to Contract Manager

Pia, what was your first step after school?

I quite liked school and did okay at exams. I’d originally thought about doing journalism and media studies but had started a summer job in the restaurant of a local hotel and was enjoying the role and earning money. I left school when I was 16 to work there full time and stayed for the next eight years.

During that time I had my first child, so switched to part-time hours for a period. However, as a longstanding member of the team I continued to pick up responsibilities. Working in hospitality taught me a lot about good work ethic and customer service, and it suited me how busy it was – there was never an opportunity to get bored.

I wanted to progress so moved into an administration role, quite basic but one where I would learn. Unfortunately it didn’t last too long as I was made redundant.

How did you end up working at Robertson?

I was employed part-time in a hospitality job at a nearby university when Robertson took over the facilities management contract – I had two children by then, so the hours were great with a young family. At 25 I began to think about where I wanted my career to go and started an Open University degree in Business and Accounting. I was hungry to learn so asked to move into an administration role and get involved in the financial side.

The more familiar I became with our FM contracts, the better I was able to support our senior team and input into contracts. The next few years saw me promoted to Facilities Coordinator then Regional Support Manager. After helping to mobilise one of our biggest contracts, I was ready for the Contracts Manager position which I’m doing now.

Tell us more about your role:

I lead a team of around 90 people and oversee hard and soft facilities management contracts which can include anything from maintenance, catering and cleaning to security and gardening. My job is to ensure we deliver on and remain compliant in every aspect of the contract – it’s busy and varied which I absolutely love.

What advice do you have for someone leaving school?

Do something because doing nothing will get you nowhere. It’s a great way of finding out what you naturally like and you’ll also pick up skills that will help in other jobs. If you work hard, you’ll get out what you put in. I know there can be an element of luck sometimes, but if you prove you’re willing to put in the effort, you can go anywhere with that.