JOSHUA REED
Age : 31 Job : Business process analyst
KATE MORRIS
Age : 28
Job : Operations manager – Tees Warehousing
School / college : All Saints Secondary / Stockton Sixth Form College / Newcastle University
School / college : Sacred Heart Catholic School / Prior Pursglove College
Courses and qualifications : GCSEs in maths , English , media and ICT ; NVQ Level 2 in Dock Operations . Currently studying a level 4 qualification in Business Analysis .
Career path to date : Before starting my career at PD Ports I went to Prior Pursglove College in Guisborough , studying Business Studies . I decided to leave after a year as I wanted to start working . I worked as a retail assistant at Iceland for six months until I started at PD Ports on the ferry terminal . I ’ ve moved through a number of roles , including dock operative , steel planning clerk , gate clerk and shipping clerk before becoming a business analyst in 2020 .
What do you like about working at PD Ports ? I like the diverse background of everyone I work with and the variety of the work itself . I ’ ve had extensive opportunities to develop my skills and everyone in senior positions is really flexible and understanding .
There ’ s a real focus on safety and wellbeing and a positive attitude to change across the business .
What do you wish you ’ d known at 16 ? Living a meaningful life requires hard work and is not something that just happens . Education isn ’ t everything but it opens up a lot of doors and options are always a good thing .
Any advice ? Don ’ t be discouraged due to a lack of formal qualification for a specific role . The ability to continually turn up day after day and consistently perform is just as important as any notions you may have of others ’ skill levels due to their qualifications .
A large percentage of every job on the planet is communicating with other people . Don ’ t underestimate this when communicating with others .
Courses and qualifications : Traditional GCSEs ; A-levels in philosophy , psychology , sociology . Degree in Law
Career path to date : Joined PD Ports on a graduate scheme in the commercial team and spent the first year in all operational departments , before moving into an account manager role which included development of commercial contracts with customers . I then moved into a contract manager role in logistics operations , managing a warehouse and transport operation . This year I became operations manager for Tees Warehousing , now overseeing multiple logistics contracts and operations .
What do you like about working at PD Ports ? I like the variety of work and tasks , working with many customers across different industries which keeps it interesting . Working in operations can be exciting as there is a lot of decision-making involved , people management and always areas to improve . But it also gives you a great understanding of how businesses run in terms of development , future-proofing and cost-management .
What do you wish you ’ d known at 16 ? There ’ s no right answer when it comes to a career path – everyone ’ s different !
Any advice ? Make the most of every role you are in as there is always something to learn , even if you can ’ t see it straight away . But , most importantly , take opportunities as they come up , and always go with your gut feeling .
MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY ROLE YOU ARE IN AS THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO LEARN , EVEN IF YOU CAN ’ T SEE IT STRAIGHT AWAY .
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