This month Jo Jones, head of
training and development at egg, age 29, talks about training and
development in an on-line finance company
How long have you been
in this job?
Nine months.
How long have you been
with your company?
Just under four
years.
What does your role
involve?
Managing the
training function – creating new and inventive ways of training and developing
egg people. Ensuring that for each project launch our people are adequately
equipped.
What’s the best thing
about your job?
Seeing people
achieve things they never thought they could.
What’s the worst thing
about your job?
Meeting people who
don’t like working for egg because they don’t share the passion that I have for
our vision.
What is your current
major project or strategic push?
Developing our own
on-line training.
What is your preferred
terminology: training, development…?
Learning through
fun.
Favourite buzzword?
Come on!
Most loathed buzzwords?
“I have a
development opportunity for you.”
Are you good at
self-development?
Yes.
What self-development
have you done in the past six months?
Lots of on-the-job
learning and CIPD courses on training and development strategies. The benefits
are that they allow me to look further than the here and now.
Where do you want to be
in five years’ time?
Still healthy and
happy, adding value to whatever I do. As for the job I’ll be doing – who knows?
What was the most useful course you
ever went on, or learning experience you ever had?
A train-the-trainer course where I was videoed – I couldn’t believe it was me.
What was the worst
course you ever went on?
A two-day computer
course.
What did you want to do
for a living when you were at school?
Teach.
What was your first
job?
HR officer for
NatWest.
What was the best career
decision you ever made?
Joining Prudential
Banking and helping to create egg.
What was the worst career
decision you ever made?
I don’t think I
have – yet!
Evaluation – holy grail
or impossible dream?
Essential.
How do you think your
job will have changed in five years’ time?
I really have no
idea because of the fast-changing environment I work in.
What do you think the
core skills for your job will be in the future?
Flexibility –
driving through change.
What advice would you
give to someone just starting out in training and development?
Enjoy it and don’t
be afraid to be different.
How do you network?
Over lunch or
dinner.
If you could have any
career in the world what would it be?
I think I have it
now.
Do you take your work
home with you?
Yes, too often.
What is your motto?
Live every day like
its your last.
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Describe your management
style in three words or less
Fun, fair, female.
How would you like to
be remembered by your colleagues?
As somebody who
made a difference and who still managed to have fun.
