Learning at Work Week 2020: My learning journey – Rebecca Mallory

In April 2012, I began my housing career as a customer service advisor at Newark and Sherwood Homes. I’d never considered housing as a career but soon found a passion for the sector. A year later, I began studying through post-entry training with my colleague Sam, another CSA who had started around the same time as me as I decided I wanted to be a tenancy officer. We loved our monthly sessions with our tutor and colleagues from other organisations. Sam and I supported each other through the course, becoming friends along the way and passing CIH Level 3 Certificate in Housing Practice in February 2014.

In April 2014, Sam and I self-funded CIH Level 4 Certificate in Housing. The qualification was being delivered online through distance learning, so it was invaluable to have someone to talk through the coursework with, bounce ideas off and give and receive feedback on our assignments.

In February 2015, I became a street warden, having decided that I needed experience in face-to- face work with tenants and residents if I wanted to become a tenancy officer. My time as street warden and talking to Sam (who was now a tenancy officer) was confirmation that I wanted to work face to face with tenants and residents. However, I quickly became frustrated – I wanted to be able to make decisions and follow them through to help improve people’s lives which at the time wasn’t what the role entailed. Later that year, I was successful in my application for a secondment as a senior customer service advisor, a chance I took to see if a management role would be a more fulfilling role for me. Sam and I successfully completed our CIH Level 4 qualifications.

In December 2016 I became a tenancy assistant. I had enjoyed my time as senior customer service advisor but it never seemed like the right fit for me. I was excited to move back into tenancy and estates where I felt I belonged.

In June 2017, I very proudly became a tenancy officer through experience gained in my previous roles and the knowledge from my CIH qualifications. I began studying CIH Level 5 Diploma in Housing through the post-entry training scheme. In June 2018, I completed my CIH Level 5 qualification, becoming a Chartered Member. Since then I have accessed the mentoring scheme through my membership and had meaningful conversations with my mentor, who helped me identify my future career objectives. I have become a Member Champion with the CIH, helping to organise events, giving feedback to shape the way we move forward and giving support to colleagues who want to progress in housing.

In September 2019, I gave birth to my son and took some time away from work, returning in July 2020. This time gave me the opportunity to reflect on how far I have come, the help I have had and where I want to go next. I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things and progressing within the tenancy and estates team in the future.

The most important lessons I can share from my learning journey so far are:

• Practical experience is as valuable as qualifications – making sideways moves and taking on secondments can help you gain skills and knowledge you might not have got otherwise. It can help you to identify which areas you find particularly interesting or rewarding and to plan your career.
• Expand your network - Make the most of opportunities to expand your network through your CIH membership and reach out to colleagues in other organisations. The community of housing professionals is bigger and more supportive than you might think.
• Your colleagues are there for you – while you may be in direct competition for certain roles and opportunities, that doesn’t mean you can’t support and learn from each other along the way. Sam and I both became tenancy officers eventually and continued to be sounding boards, supportive colleagues and friends along the way.
• Life isn’t all about work – Sam very sadly and suddenly passed away in 2019. She was well loved by colleagues and had the most amazing experiences with her family and friends outside of work too. This has taught me more than anything that work is not all there is; be passionate and dedicated to your career but make sure you spend time with your family and friends doing the things you love and making memories too.