Barcelona Bound
I’ve been with O2 since January 2006 and one of my observations regarding the company is that it is always willing to invest in developing its people and give them opportunities to grow, no matter what their level in the business.
I had a great opportunity last summer when I was invited to attend a management development programme in Barcelona. As O2 is part of the Telefónica Group, this was part of a programme being run internationally for individuals from across the globe.
The fact that the course was in Barcelona was a bonus - we did manage to visit a couple of bars during the week although there was more work than play!
It gave me an opportunity to meet with colleagues from other parts of Telefónica and learn much more about their country and their part of the business. The standard of everyone else’s English skills also put the four Brits, including myself, to shame as our Spanish beyond saying thank you and ordering a drink.
We all learnt alot about ourselves and each other and, although the week was exhausting, it helped me to think about how to develop my career further.
I guess my advice would be, always grab these opportunities with both hands - sometimes going on a training course can be nerve wracking and pushes you out of your comfort zone. However, you always learn something about yourself and usually have some fun along the way.
Fiona