Service Coordinator to Key Account Manager, Renee Skidmore's journey showcases the power of teamwork and continuous learning. In her interview with Airmaster's Working Women's Group, Renee reveals how collaboration with colleagues shaped her success.
What inspired you to move from a coordinator role to Account Management, and what challenges did you face in this transition?
As a Service Coordinator, overseeing the delivery and effectiveness of our service team sparked my interest in building and leading my own team of people. When the role of Key Account Manager for a new contract came up, which entailed managing a small site-based team, I wanted to put myself forward. Initially I felt underqualified, but after seeking advice from peers and management I applied for the role and was successful. In the beginning my lack of confidence interacting and building relationships with such high stakes clients was a challenge. Especially running meetings and being the youngest person and at times only female in the room.
How did your previous administrative experience contribute to your effectiveness in Account Management, and what new skills did you need to develop?
It was super helpful already having strong knowledge of Airmaster’s end-to-end processes, reports, and applications. What I had no experience in was managing a contract’s profitability, which is one of the most important roles of an Account Manager. So, I worked closely with my managers to set budgetary goals, and then used the processes and reports I was already familiar with to build my own system to keep track of and report on my contract’s profitability and execute on these goals.
What kind of support systems or networks have you relied on throughout your career progression?
I’ve probably relied on almost every single person in our branch for some sort of support at one point or another. Everybody has their own skills and expertise, and I think it’s cool that we can collaborate and learn from each other’s strengths.
Do you feel the organisation provides enough resources and opportunities for career development for women? How could this be improved?
Although we work in a male dominated industry, I’ve never felt that being a woman has held me back from career development at Airmaster. Typically, an Account Manager would come from a technical background which I did not have, but my management recognised the relevant strengths I did have and did not overlook me. This type of management opens opportunities to woman like me who come from an administrative background, and I think spreading awareness of this and sharing stories like mine will empower more woman in our organisation to put their hand up for these opportunities as they arise.
What advice would you give other women in the organisation who are looking to advance their careers?
Identify the areas you’d like to up skill and do your research on how you can achieve that, whether it be seeking mentorship from people in areas of the business you aspire to, completing external training courses, attending seminars etc. Then open dialogue with your manager around your career development, present a business case on how you’d like to get there, and seek their advice/feedback. Your first idea might not be what you both land on, but proactively starting that conversation will let your manager know you’re serious about your career development, and they should in turn invest in you and provide the support you need to achieve this.
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