Road to Leadership
For self-proclaimed people person Tylar, a job focused on customer service was the perfect fit. She’s been working as a Service Advisor at David Jones Motors in Whanganui for the past two years and wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I love the customer interaction. I’m always up for a chat so taking the job was an easy decision to make.”
No two days are the same for Tylar, with a wide variety of customer vehicles coming in each day. “Mornings are normally the busiest with customer drop-offs. I also go through the day with the guys in the workshop, making sure they’re on top of things. Throughout the day, I need to keep my finger on what’s happening with each customer’s vehicle, keeping in touch with them, making sure they’re happy with any extras we’re doing or letting them know of any safety concerns. And then the afternoon is normally invoicing and catching up with paperwork.”
When it came to upskilling, it felt like a natural next step in her career to complete MITO’s New Zealand Certificate in Business (First Line Management) Level 4.
“So far it’s been good but challenging,” Tylar says of the programme. “It really makes you take on board a lot about how other people work and how they think. I’ve learnt a lot about the people I work with and how they do things. It makes my job easier.”
She says getting to hear from others taking the course is invaluable. “There’s such a wide range of people doing it. I get to hear about things that they are experiencing at their work, which might be a totally different industry and compare it to how I’m dealing with things at my workplace. It’s very interesting and easy to engage with because of things that you don’t talk about or think of in day-to-day life.”
The programme includes a mix of workshop, online and on-the-job training and is designed for current and aspiring managers, supervisors and administrators who would like to progress their knowledge and skills in team management and development.
“That’s the next step, going from Service Advisor to Service Manager, but I lack some of the knowledge of the workshop side of things. It would be a step more into a leadership role with the guys in the workshop.”
Support from MITO is also not far away when it comes to programme issues and queries. “I haven’t had to ask for help too much but when I have, MITO are quick at responding and marking grades. I feel comfortable that if I did need help, I know there’s several people that I can ask, to get the help I need in a timely manner.”
“Janine, who runs the workshops - she knows the stuff like the back of her hand. It makes you feel confident to be able to ask questions throughout the day during the online workshops.”
Tylar is all for giving things a go and thinks if you have a dream career, don’t wait. “Grab the bull by the horns and do it! It’s the best thing I’ve ever done. Don’t wait around for it to come to you. Go and do it!”
