From logistics to leadership - developing a career path
Nadia Javaid was promoted five times within a few years and took a side step in Talent Development before becoming an Area Manager. She spoke to DRIVE about her love of the countryside, living in rural Scotland – and Ruby, her lockdown puppy, who keeps her remarkably busy and is rather like having a child!
Tell us about your Enterprise career so far?
"I grew up working with the family business, where I learnt skills that I was able to apply working at Enterprise. My family and friends are my biggest supporters. When I joined Enterprise in 2012 I had a very ‘traditional’ career path initially starting the Management Training Programme in Glasgow. I had five promotions within my first few years and in one year became assistant manager working in two different branches and then was promoted again to branch manager at Glasgow airport which at the time was the second biggest airport in the group."
Nadia Javaid (c) with Diane Mulholland (r) and Vincent Johnston (l)
Where do you work as an area manager?
"I am responsible for seven branches across Glasgow and the West of Scotland, one of which is an airport location, and cover the biggest area in my group. We now have a fleet of just under 1200 cars, and we are planning to take this up to 1500 cars by August."
"It was working closely with other area managers that spurred me to make the change, how they push themselves out of their comfort zone to get to the next level"
What was the motivation behind taking a role in Talent Development?
"I’m passionate about employee development. When the Talent Development opportunity came up, I was a branch manager, and I didn’t automatically put myself forward. I never felt 100% ready for the role. When I then applied for the role, it started to feel like the perfect step, especially as I had a lot of support from colleagues."
What advice would you give to people who are starting out, figuring out their role and where they can go with their career?
- Be open to every opportunity.
- Do not let self-doubt or lack of confidence stop you from going to your next position: Enterprise will always have a great support network around you.
- Do not let your current situation impact your future potential.
- Show yourself: ask for help and ask questions. Women sometimes worry this will come across as a weakness, but it is not. Put yourself out there.
What prompted you to switch back to rental?
"It was working closely with other area managers that spurred me to make the change, how they push themselves out of their comfort zone to get to the next level. That is what made me apply. I had to take my own advice and go for it."
Did you approach your new role differently?
The training experience gave me a different perspective on the area manager role. I did not jump straight in from a branch manager role, and I had a strong relationship with area managers so coming in from that viewpoint helped. I had to remind myself that I was not promoted because I know how to logistically plan a day in rental. I was promoted from a people aspect and for my leadership skills. I know how to handle a team.
"An external trainer helped us focus on our strengths and working at being excellent, and to look beyond our negatives"
Tell me more about the leadership development programme you were involved with over the last 12 months? How did it help?
"The leadership development program was a great help to me from an exposure standpoint. This helped me showcase my skill when going for promotions. I was surprised by its scale and the level of investment from our senior leaders. It was good to liaise with level IVs and general managers."
What does the leadership development programme cover?
"It is a seven-part programme. Sessions one and seven were presentations by other Enterprise women on the course. They told us about their careers, their business and what makes them fabulous."
"We used the word ‘fabulous’ because women often find it hard to talk about why they are great. By the time we asked them again during session seven they were feeling more fabulous! It was good to see their progression from stage one to seven."
"Another session was led by different female leaders about progressing in the company and challenging stereotypes. We conducted an “ask me anything” session with the area managers to build their confidence and expand their network. An external trainer helped us focus on our strengths and working at being excellent, and to look beyond our negatives."
