I joined the NSTA after seven years working as a Property Manager for an estate agent. I was looking for a new challenge, something with more opportunities to develop and a better work/life balance – and I have found all of that!

I joined in September 2023 as a Consents and Authorisations Case Officer, which was something new to me, but I thought there were quite a lot of skills in common with what I had done before and that I would be a good fit.  Having lived in Aberdeen all my life, the NSTA also offered the really exciting opportunity to work at the heart of our city’s energy transition.

The advert also said the NSTA was glad to get applicants from other sectors and I liked the sound of that. A lot of places insist that you’ve worked in that sector before, the NSTA’s way seemed more open to people with different experiences.

The first big difference I noticed was the trust. As I was new to the industry I thought I’d have to wait before I got any responsibility, but that was absolutely not the case. From the beginning I was allowed, even expected, to make decisions and encouraged to express my opinions.

Work/life balance

The importance the organisation places on getting the work/life balance right helped with that. There’s plenty of work to do, but I am given enough time to do it; I never feel overwhelmed. So, if there’s something new, I have time to think about it and work it out without feeling that I have to rush at it and everything else is piling up.

And, if I need help, it’s there. My colleagues are patient and very happy to share their experience and knowledge and I have learned a great deal from them.

Getting the right balance is also helped by the NSTA’s flexible attitude. I come into the office a lot because I like being with my colleagues, but on days when I have a lot of online meetings I work from home.

I love how I can adapt my working week around my personal commitments, I can walk the dog at lunchtime and stay later in the evening. It’s great, I get outside, clear my head and get back to work. 

I was quite surprised by how flexible we are.

Training

The training opportunities are excellent. Some of them are directly related to the job I’m doing but others are much wider, subjects around energy in general or about other departments. I have been to a lot of them and can’t recommend them highly enough.

And then there are the chances to work with other departments. It’s interesting to see what they do, and how what I do fits in with them and, who knows, perhaps think about working with them in the future, even though it’s a relatively small organisation, there are real opportunities to try new things and move into other areas.

Employee Engagement Forum

I have recently become a member of the Employee Engagement Forum which is a place where a group of us come together from across the NSTA, Aberdeen and London, to raise concerns on behalf of colleagues, make suggestions and try to sort out little problems that come up.

It’s fun and rewarding, and I get to meet new people.