I'm joined in this episode by Julie Spicher who is Head of People & Culture for energy company Leep Utilities in Manchester.

I've know Julie about 8 years when she was a HR Administrator and have watched her career flourish at quite a rapid rate over that time. Even back then she was someone who stood out so it's not surprising that her career has rocketed.

I wanted to get Julie on to share her story so we could try and discover what it is about her that has enabled such fast-tracked career progression.

Julie is originally from Holland but, at only 17 years old, decided that she wanted to push herself and go off and see the world. She moved to the UK and worked as an au pair before deciding on a career in HR and going to university to study Human Resource Management.

She did a placement year working at Honda and then worked in the Shared Service Centre for Marks & Spencers, so left university with two years HR experience already under her belt. This already indicates some of the characteristics that have made her so successful.

Julie then worked for a tech business before joining Leep Utilities. This provided Julie with the chance to set up a HR function and all the systems and procedures, which again is quite a task for someone with only a few years experience.

Julie was taught early in her career about the importance of asking the 'why' whenever embarking upon an activity or project. This is something that underpins how she operates but she is also someone who has a plan but pushes herself outside her comfort zone.

There are so many discussion points within this episode and it's absolute gold for anyone starting out in their career who wants to understand how to excel and propel their career forward.

Support the Show.