As we continue our focus on development, we’re spotlighting another example of how one of our colleagues has been focusing on their own development journey – something that we hope inspires you to reach your goals too. Here’s Nicola’s story…
Introducing Nicola Robinson – Superintendent, Riding Teams (Maritime)
“I started with Carnival UK (CUK) in April 2010 when I joined Ocean Village in Greece as a Youth Team member. The next 3 years working at sea took me across the world on board both P&O Cruises and Cunard ships. In 2013 I left Queen Mary 2 after a short stint as their Technical Secretary and in 2016 I re-joined CUK as a Planning Co-Coordinator within the People Team.
More recently I was fortunate enough to join the Maritime team as Technical Controller and in the last couple of months I’ve started a new secondment as Superintendent – Riding teams.
Making the most of every opportunity
My time at CUK certainly has been exciting, I’m grateful for every opportunity that has been presented to me and I’ve worked hard to make the most of every moment. At every stage of my development, I’ve taken the time to reflect on my core values and what’s important to me. How can you be effective in your role if you don’t enjoy what you do? We spend so much of our lives at work, we should be striving to be happy and kind to others around us. I’ve never been afraid to get outside of my comfort zone – this is how I’ve developed into the career-driven individual I am today.
Learning from mistakes
I believe the most important skill I’ve learnt in the last 12 years, is to view failure as a learning opportunity, not a mistake. Our failures can often be the making of us and we only get stronger from taking time to learn from them. If we don’t take time to reflect on why something didn’t go to plan, how can we grow, learn, and become better, more efficient versions of ourselves?”
My top tips for learning and development:
- Take a deep breath, step back, learn to be patient and most importantly enjoy the process – We can put so much pressure on ourselves to get to a certain point in our careers, focusing too much on reaching that end goal. Remembering that the process can be fun and enjoyable too!
- I believe listening is crucial for your own development – We all bring something different whether it be our personal ways of working or thought processes throughout our working day. Taking the time to understand other people’s opinions, experiences, and decisions has been a huge part of my own learning.
- When was the last time you looked back at your younger self to where you are now? Take the time to be proud and start believing in your own capabilities, there is only one YOU!
Want to learn more about the support that’s available for your development journey? Head over to the The Cove or check out the new Shore Learning Guide (coming next week) for all the latest opportunities and continuous improvement resources available to you.