Peter’s 20-year Career Journey With Boots
At Boots, career journeys can take many exciting directions. Peter, a Content Specialist in our Support Office, shares how a one-year plan became a rewarding 20-year career full of learning, growth and meaningful relationships.
How did you start your career here at Boots?
To be honest, I’d just finished university and wasn’t sure what to do next. I remember thinking that Boots was a big, well-known company that would sound impressive on my CV. The initial plan was to give it a year and then decide what to do next. 20 years later, I’m still here!
Everything was new to me at first. What should you put at the end of an email? How do you use the fax machine? I must have asked so many questions.
How has your role changed over the years?
I’ve done a few different roles over the years. One of my early jobs was the Data Analyst role, checking that the data recorded against our products had been entered correctly. We need to have accurate information for each of the items that we sell. For example, knowing an item’s dimensions allows us to plan how much space it will take up on the shelf while hazardous goods information is vital to ensure that we can store the product safely in our warehouse. People often take product data for granted, but if the barcode doesn’t scan at the till in store then we undermine everything else we do to give customers a great experience. I really enjoyed working in that role and, after a couple of years, I started training people on the systems used to record the data.
I’ve been working in Learning and Development roles for over 15 years now, so I suppose I must be doing something right! Sometimes I’ve partnered with specific functions (I still have a soft spot for Pharmacy Delivery & Collection) but at the moment I work in the Design & Delivery team, supporting all areas of the business.
What do you enjoy most about your current role?
The variety – we get to work with so many different areas of the business. We get to see each project through from start to finish. Initially, we scope the requirements so that we’re really clear on the objectives we’re trying to achieve, who the audience will be, the deadlines we’re working within etc. Once this has been agreed, we’ll start to design the solution, staying close to our stakeholders to make sure that we’re on track. This might be an eLearning course, a video or a face-to-face session, depending on the learning need we’re trying to address. Once our work has been reviewed and signed off, we’ll do our best to make the learning searchable and easy to navigate for our learners. Post-launch, we’ll evaluate the learning to assess the extent to which we met our objectives and to see if there are any lessons we can take forward. Every project I work on is a different challenge, which keeps things interesting. I also feel lucky to work in such a brilliant team.
What has kept you motivated to stay with the company for 20 years?
It really has gone quickly! Boots does seem to have a unique culture and there have always been fun things happening alongside the work – the Big Boots Hike that we did to raise money for Macmillan was a great example of that. Being from Nottingham myself, I’m proud of making a contribution to such a long-standing institution. I can get quite nerdy with the history aspect of it. It’s mostly the people that have kept me here though. I’ve made some great friends over the years.
What achievement are you most proud of?
Whenever a big project goes live. It’s really satisfying when something goes out to a wide audience, especially when the feedback is positive. One of the good things about working in learning and development at Boots is the feeling that you can have a real impact on our colleagues, our stores and ultimately, our customers.
Who or what has had the biggest impact on your career development?
I’ve had some fantastic managers over the years. There have been times when people have seen potential in me that I wouldn’t have known was there myself. Being open to trying new things has also helped with my development. It’s can feel challenging but it’s always worthwhile.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from such a varied 20-year journey?
Building strong relationships really helps you to get things done and makes work more enjoyable too . We’re all on the same team, so feeling able to talk openly and shout up if you need support is really important. In my experience, people aren’t just willing to help – they usually want to help.
