“There will always be a replacement coming along very soon - a newer version, a crazier version, louder version.”
BREAKING NEWS - I am leaving the Lab for pastures new at the end of July!
You may remember how I got here two years ago. In search of a new challenge, I applied for the Lab Designer post covering Tom’s sabbatical and when I got the job, decided to give up my permanent role 10 minutes away from where I live in Weston-super-Mare to take up a years FTC with a team based in Wolverhampton.
Crazy? Yes. But worth it? Totally.
Real talk, I fully believe my tenure with Bromford Lab is the only reason I’ve been lucky enough to move onto another amazing opportunity with a tech start up as their Head of Delivery. In the two years I’ve been here, I’ve learnt more than I ever could have imagined and made connections, both internally and externally, that I know I can continue the innovation and design conversation with long after I’ve left the building.
If you are reading this, I’d put money on it that you, like me two years ago, are in search of a new opportunity. Well, you are in luck.
“The chance to try something new.
The chance to grow as a colleague and expand your mind to new ways of thinking and working.
The chance to really understand your full potential.”
The vacancy is being advertised at circa £35K (we can flex according to experience) for a 12 months fixed term contract or as a secondment for existing Bromford colleagues.
You could choose to be based from our offices in Tewkesbury, Chipping Sodbury or Wolverhampton , but we also promote home working.
This is probably the best time to throw caution to the wind and throw your hat in the ring, as it’s not very often chances like this come about. Before you do that though, I thought I’d share some of my insights that might just help you in your decision…
Confidence is key
This isn’t just about being confident enough to stand at front of a room and talk. A key part of a Lab Designer’s role is facilitation and taking the lead on concepts, helping colleagues to get to the root of the problems they are trying to fix and build tests of any new solutions. Fake it till you make it, right? Nah - that one isn’t going to work. You have to be confident enough when leading to admit when you don’t know something and ask the right questions so you can guide the test team toward the right outcomes. Colleagues are the experts on their subject matter and they will respect you much more for having the kahunas to make yourself vulnerable and even challenging if something doesn’t seem right!
Be prepared to be social
Now, this doesn’t mean you have to be a chatty Cathy like me. What I mean is you have to be prepared to network, whether that be in person or via social media, as a lot of this role is around connecting colleagues in the business with external opportunities. One of our key themes in the Lab is working out loud, so we are always talking to other organisations around their inspirations and concepts they are working on. Also, you will be travelling across our operating geography as an ambassador to the Lab. Trust me, nothing connects hearts and minds with the work we do better than a well timed conversation with colleagues in other offices at the coffee machine, or through just making your presence known.
Get good at being rubbish
Not literally of course! One of my biggest learning curves has been around accepting that sometimes ‘OK’ is good enough! If you are a perfectionist or procrastinator, this probably isn’t the best role for you, as the very nature of innovation is to test things out to see if they work and how people engage with it. A lot of the time, they won’t or the feedback won’t be what you expect, so rough and ready prototypes or basic wireframes are your friends! In fact, the quest for perfection often takes you away from the very essence from which you started with, which leads me onto the final one from me…..
Pace, pace, pace
Again, this isn’t all the time, but nothing kills new concepts or enthusiasm quicker than by it sluggishly going through the exploration pipeline or getting blocked. I’ve had a couple of these (virtual viewings for lettings anyone?) and not only do colleagues lose interest, but so do you! Be prepared to be spinning many plates at speed!
These are just my thoughts though - the full role profile gives more detailed information on what you’ll be doing and the skills we’re looking for! Word to the wise, I’d also give our exploration pipeline board a look through as well, just to get to know some of the things we are already working on - and if you don’t already have a Trello account, you probably should sign up for one as that’s how we organise all our work!
So, if you fancy 12 months learning new skills (and more about yourself and your potential) you need to seriously give this some thought. I’m happy to chat to anyone more about the role, just reach out to us via email lab@bromford.co.uk or just DM us!
Either way, don’t delay - deadline is midnight BST on 11th June
Good luck!