Corporate account manager, Outward Bound Trust

My Job

Name: Rona Davidson
Age: 30
Role: Corporate account manager, The Outward Bound Trust of New Zealand
Working hours: 40
Average pay: $40,000-$50,000
Qualifications: Bachelor of Commerce and Administration, majoring in management


Q: Describe how you got this job?

A: I was contracting and looking for a role and saw it advertised. One thing that really appealed was that it was Outward Bound, an organisation that stood for strong values and was looking to make a difference in people's lives. The other thing that appealed was it was voted in 2003 as one of the top 20 best places to work in New Zealand. This year we were voted second overall for the best place to work in NZ. I was interviewed by a recruitment agency, shortlisted for the role, and had two interviews and a presentation. I have been here for seven months.

Q: Describe what you do?

A: I manage the corporate business - corporate in the sense of any organisation that sends a staff member on a course - and help grow the business. It involves being in contact with the 700-plus clients and establishing and managing scholarships that organisations set up as part of their training and development plans. There is a lot of custom design work for companies wanting to do team programmes or business planning at our school in the Marlborough Sounds.

Q: What have you had to do to succeed at this job?

A: Being somebody who is a relationship builder, having perseverance. Understanding the pressures that organisations face in the training and development area, the lengthy process of implementing new things. Being creative and open to new ideas with regards to custom designing programmes.

Q: What sort of training or experience do you need?

A: Experience in the corporate or business sector and understanding the dynamics and issues surrounding people within organisations, and having the ability to talk through those ideas and concepts. Experience working with a large database and with training and sales. Doing my degree taught me responsibility, taking ownership of my job and prioritising my time. I came from a background of recruitment and that lends itself very well to this role.

Q: What skills and qualities do you need?

A: Having a bit of empathy and understanding, as you are talking to people who are potentially anxious or have questions about their course. Tenacity, understanding, and I have a desire to see people develop themselves personally.

Q: Best part of the job?

A: The feedback that I receive from clients makes it all worthwhile, hearing about the positive impact the experience has had on their lives. Outward Bound is different for everyone but the key themes are an increase in confidence and an awareness of one's potential and a willingness to step up to the mark, to understand how to make goals.

Q: Most challenging part?

A: Getting hold of people; staying on top of a large database - and quite often it is challenging knowing where to prioritise my efforts.

Q: How do you define success in this job?

A: I think in real terms it is meeting targets in terms of courses being full, but for me it is more about being able to reach people. Success is helping people overcome their initial fears and barriers and then hearing after a course about the amazing time they have had.

Q: What are your career hopes for future?

A: Adult training and education; personal and professional training; perhaps starting my own business.

Q: If I wanted a job like yours, how would I go about it, and what qualifications would I need?

A: People don't necessarily need a tertiary qualification but do need experience in areas such as education, training and development or marketing.

Q: What advice would you have for someone contemplating a career like yours?

A: What has helped me to establish my account management career is believing in myself, being the best I can and staying open and positive to all the opportunities I have found. I have been actively seeking what I know in my heart I want to be doing. It has been a choice of organisation rather than a choice of roles.