New beginnings

Written on the 6th July 2023.

Some of you may be aware that my time at Juniper has sadly come to an end, with me moving on to take up a new role in L&D. Although the move happened pretty quickly and was a little unexpected, I took some time out over my last few days to reflect on my Juniper journey.

I decided to begin by looking back at my first blog in 2019, ‘the first 30 days’, where I explored the challenges and feelings that come along with beginning a new job. I found this process both nostalgic, and a useful measure of how far I have come during my time at Juniper - both in my writing style, and in the confidence that I have in myself and my abilities. It also reminded me that the nervous and anxious feelings that are coming back to me as I embark on my new role, are not only normal, but they are a positive sign.

During my time at Juniper, I have learned that it is beneficial to step out of your comfort zone from time to time and to feel these emotions, as it is often when you challenge yourself that you open your mind to what you can achieve. This was reinforced when I returned from maternity leave last October, and took on a new position at Juniper, writing another blog – changing bag to laptop bag.

The difference between starting at Juniper and my next role is that although I had the skillset required to do the job well, I had no experience within the learning and development world and therefore had no idea what to expect, or if I would even enjoy one of the main elements of the job. However, over the last four years, I have developed a real interest in L&D, and the impact it can have both professionally and personally. I have always enjoyed watching our participants progress throughout a Juniper programme and am now looking forward to jumping into a role that is specifically focused on this area.

Although I am still anxious, I feel a lot more confident in my abilities and am looking forward to getting ‘stuck in’ and showing what I can offer a new company. There are many pros to working within a smaller company, one of which is that your ideas are listened to, and quite often implemented. This has been a contributing factor to gaining confidence within my role, and ratifying the work I am doing, and I hope to be able to continue to do this going forward into a larger company.

Whilst I am looking forward to a new challenge, I am sad to say goodbye to both the team and our clients. One of the benefits of being a Juniper employee is that you work with wonderful clients, who are a joy to collaborate with. I have learnt so much from each project and programme, and
I would like to say a thank you to all the clients I have worked with, it really has been a pleasure to know you all.

I would like to finish by thanking the Juniper team. When I look back at all that I have achieved at Juniper, none of it would have been possible without the constant support from Nicki, and every team member I have worked with along the way. I have learned so much over the last four years, but I think one of my biggest takeaways is to never underestimate a small team of women who have big goals and high ambitions. I will miss the fun, the Juniper buffets (they really are delicious!), and the camaraderie you gain from working with such a close team.

So, thank you to each and every ‘Juniper bird’ past and present – it really has been a blast!