We’re celebrating 60 years by sharing 60 stories of the amazing people who built this company! Get ready for tales of triumph, challenge, and heartwarming moments that define who we are!
Tia, you worked for Obsidian Offices from 2019 – 2020 as our Administration Apprentice. What made you choose Obsidian Offices to do your apprenticeship?
When leaving high school, to be totally honest I was clueless on what I wanted to do. I am definitely a people’s person and really wanted to get straight into work, but I didn’t want to miss out on gaining a qualification through college. I came across a couple of apprenticeships and realised that would be perfect as it offered both full-time work and further education. Obsidian intrigued me, as at the time I had never heard of a business that offered so many different services, and dealing with multiple different companies on a day-to-day basis grasped my interest, so I applied. When coming in for the interview, I remember being welcomed at the front desk and I immediately knew I would love to be apart of the team, I even felt naturally comfortable during the interview process.
Do you remember what it was like when you first started?
It was definitely scary starting full-time work with lots to learn but that quickly disappeared. It was a highly fast paced environment that I enjoyed thoroughly. We had lots of companies with call forwarding and answering calls for multiple companies I must say was challenging but very interesting. I remember learning what each company did, from landscapers to claim helplines, there was a wide range of different customers who I would take information from to pass along to our clients. I will always be thankful for how welcoming everybody was when I first started. I was so young with so much to learn, but the guidance I had from yourself and other colleagues at time was amazing and really helped me get used to the world of working full time.
A lot happened in that year, and it feels like much longer than that! Can you tell me what it was like before COVID and working during COVID?
It does feel a lot longer! The fact I was only with you for a year is crazy, and I really miss working with you all! It’s surreal to think before COVID we had Wednesday coffee mornings where we would make coffees for everyone in the offices, greet customers and clients with drinks, opening doors for people etc, which all changed after COVID.
When covid hit, it was definitely mentally difficult for everyone but the support we had from you was amazing, even receiving a goody box of all my favourite bits and bobs, with ingredients to make bread which was impossible to get at the time! Although other sides of the business got quieter with us and in house clients working from home, the phone lines seemed to be rather busy. I had my own little set up at home and everyone seemed to have more time on their hands to make plenty of phone calls to our client’s phone lines, so it kept me nice and occupied. When we went back to the office during COVID, there was a difference. We used to greet people as the front desk every 10 minutes, during COVID we definitely lost the face-to-face interaction, but it gradually grew back to how it was, it just took time.
What did you learn from Obsidian Offices that helps you day to day?
To be honest, I learned a lot. Although I had worked in restaurants, I gained my customer services skills from working at Obsidian Offices. Not only face to face customer skills but also telephone handling. However, I think the main skill I have taken from my time at Obsidian is my ability to multitask and organise. Sitting at a front desk, welcoming people into the office whilst answering calls for clients with call handling, organising post received for the mail forwarding clients, sometimes all at the same time, taught me to prioritise and multitask. Completing an apprenticeship with you at such a young age has helped me to work harder and guided me on my career path.
Where are you now and what are you doing?
I am now working in the construction industry as a Senior Project Co-Ordinator for a Multi Fit Out Company, based in Chester but working nationwide.
Thank you so much for your time today, we really miss you and although brief it was a privilege watching you grow and develop over that year, we always used to say that you were so wise for your age and you have certainly proved that ten fold. To see how far you have come and everything that you have accomplished so far is just amazing!
