The latest interview for Activate Allstars, the series which recognises the amazing people that work for Activate Group and their achievements, is here!
We had a chat with Lisa Grice who is currently an Apprentice Vehicle Damage Assessor at Activate Accident Repair Birmingham. Lisa has worked in multiple roles across her 4 years in Birmingham and is now challenging herself to use all the skills and knowledge she’s gained for her apprenticeship.
Read on to learn more about Lisa’s experiences and why she decided that Activate Group was the right place for her career…
When did you start at Activate Group and what role were you in?
I started in September 2020, and I was a CSA working front of house in Activate Accident Repair Birmingham.
What first attracted you to your initial role within Activate Group?
I previously worked for Nationwide Crash Repair, who went into administration, and many of my colleagues joined Activate Group as they opened their first bodyshop in Birmingham. At the time, I didn’t go with them as I secured a job elsewhere, however a year later I was approached by Mark Neat to join the team – I had heard lots of good things from my old colleagues about the company, that they’d had good experiences, so I agreed and became a CSA.
Why did you want to progress within the business?
Before joining AAR Birmingham, I had worked in the parts industry, and it was something I was keen on returning to. After working as a CSA for a while, I could see that I was in a good company, and I understood and agreed with the positive experiences that my colleagues had told me about before.
I started to think more about my future working here and what I was most interested in. I moved into being Parts Manager when the position became free, as this is where my 12 years of working experience lies, and I knew my expertise in this area would be great for the business.
This is a male-dominated industry, and in previous jobs I’ve experienced not being taken seriously as people have thought that because I’m a woman, I naturally wouldn’t have the knowledge that I do and be good at my job. I’m happy building my career at Activate Group because I’ve never experienced this type of discrimination here – all my colleagues have supported me and trusted my knowledge, and the two VDAs that are helping me with my apprenticeship now have been nothing but kind and encouraging!
What steps did you take to move forward into the role you wanted?
It’s taken 4 years of hard work in the company, and I’ve always been committed to the role that I was in. I’ve helped a lot of different departments with their work, gaining a variety of experience and building upon my skills in the process.
I believe that mastering your current work and showing your commitment to the company demonstrates that you’re a valuable member of the business – those around you will be able to recognise your abilities and that you’re serious about building a career within the company. You can increase your chances for opportunities to progress if you show willing and have supportive colleagues who know how hard you work.
What support was offered to you in order to help you progress?
I had the support of Mark Neat, the Bodyshop Manager of Birmingham at the time, who always knew my background and that I had 12 years of experience working in parts, but that I wanted to go even further with that. He approached me to recommend the VDA apprenticeship, and I loved the idea of using my parts knowledge in a different way to assess vehicle damage and create estimates, so I jumped at the chance.
What are all the different roles you have had in the Group?
I’ve been a CSA, as this is the role I took on when I started at Activate Group, then I utilised my previous industry experience to progress to become Parts Manager, and for the last 5 months I’ve been doing my apprenticeship to become a qualified Vehicle Damage Assessor.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to progress into a different role within Activate Group?
Go for it! Listen to all the feedback and advice you can get, whether that be in your current role or if you take on more responsibilities and work. If you show willing, and consistently go the extra mile, you will be rewarded for it in my experience.
What is your proudest moment as part of the business?
I had a substantial role in helping to develop our bodyshop management system on the parts side – there was lots of testing for it happening in Birmingham and I took on the responsibility of sharing feedback and ideas and assisting in its implementation.
I’m also incredibly proud of the three years I worked as a Parts Manager, even though my career is going in a slightly different direction I’m definitely taking all my experience and knowledge with me.
What is the greatest challenge you’ve faced within your journey so far?
This apprenticeship! There’s lots to learn and absorb, and I’ve been a bit out of my comfort zone whilst doing it so far. Determining what is to be replaced or repaired, painted or blended, involves a lot of knowledge which I’m constantly having to take in as much as possible.
I think sometimes I can be a bit hard on myself – if I don’t understand something straight away, I get frustrated and can be self-critical, but I’m trying to push through it and remember that this apprenticeship is all about learning, and with time I’ll get there.
What do you see for your future at Activate Group?
I would love to go on to become a desktop engineer; it’s something I’m really interested in pursuing! I also have always wanted to work remotely as it would suit the lifestyle I would like – I want to move abroad eventually, so here’s hoping I can stay with Activate Group as I love working here!
