From Claims to studying for the Chartered Institute of Procurement Level 5 qualification, Georgie’s had quite the squiggly career here. The beauty of Admiral being a place Where You Can Grow & Progress means that your career goals can evolve with you.
What’s been Georgie’s experience?
I left university in 2018, and I didn’t really know what career I wanted to pursue. I graduated with a BA in Geography, but I wasn't sure what exactly I wanted to focus my career on. I wanted to keep my options open, and I knew Admiral had a good reputation, so I applied for the Graduate Programme as a way to explore different avenues within a business environment. It was the best leap of faith I’d ever made!
The programme included rotational placements throughout the business, which began with six months in Claims and eventually led me to take a role as a Commercial Executive in Admiral Money at the end of the scheme. The role involved helping to manage our Price Comparison website partners. I really enjoyed the external nature of the role and being able to engage with our third parties on a daily basis, so I continued on this path leading to my current role as a Procurement Manager in Admiral Money.
It's been quite a squiggly journey for me so far, and I’d never have even considered a career in Procurement while I was completing my degree. It just goes to show how a supportive, environment can really help you reach your potential and find what makes you tick.
Can you tell us about the current qualification you’re pursuing?
After completing Level 4, I’m currently working towards a Level 5 qualification with the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS). I started Level 5 in September 2024, and provided I pass my exams (fingers crossed), I'm due to complete it in September 2025. The qualification looks to enhance your strategic understanding of procurement and helps to prepare for more senior responsibilities in this area.
What made you want to pursue this?
I wanted to take on a new challenge and take the opportunity to develop professionally. I wanted to learn new skills and gain industry knowledge externally that I could bring back and share with the team here.
I didn’t study anything related to procurement or supply chain management at university, so I was keen to gain that in-depth background knowledge and theory that will give me a better understanding of my role and how to perform it better.
I hoped that the course would provide me with more tools to make me better equipped to perform my job well – and so far I think it has!
How has it helped so far?
I’ve already gained a lot of skills and knowledge from the course that have helped me in my day-to-day role. This includes contract and stakeholder management, negotiation, and procurement strategy. It’s given me the confidence to build stronger strategic relationships with our partners, which brings added value to all of our supplier relationships.
It’s great to hear about and learn from the experience of other course members who work in different industries too. This helps to bring a new perspective to my role as I can learn about how people might do things differently in other businesses and sectors.
I hope that this course helps to equip me with the skills, experience and confidence to progress further in my career in procurement at Admiral.
What has the support been like?
My team have been so supportive of me doing the course. I am given the time to attend the weekly online training sessions, and time to prepare for and sit the exams (this course has eight exams).
I also really appreciate the good luck messages I get from the team on exam days!
As shown by Georgie, there’s no one route for a fulfilling career. We’re here to support all our colleagues to shape their career and Grow & Progress in their own way.
Want to learn more about our support for additional qualifications? Read about Yvonne’s experience doing a Cyber Security degree apprenticeship alongside their role in Travel.
