Say hello to Zoe Chipp, who joined #TeamMagna just a few months ago in a temporary role, but will be joining the team full time in April with a new opportunity.
Continuing with our National Careers Week stories, we spoke to Zoe to learn more about her career path, which she said hasn’t been that straightforward – rising through the ranks in retail, returning to her farming roots, and cared for her grandmother before joining us.
She said:
“I started doing weekend and holiday jobs in hospitality and retail when I was about 12. After school, I went to university to study forensic science, but I quickly realised I preferred earning and learning on the job. I left after my first year, moved back home, and threw myself into full time retail work."
Zoe rose through the ranks quickly in retail and had an intense start with managerial roles, having to rapidly learn new skills to cover maternity leave for her manager, which she said happened a second time when she moved to a new store in a new role.
Then, during the pandemic, the company Zoe was working for went into insolvency and her role came to an end. She continued:
“Things have been different for me since then. I became a full-time carer for my grandmother, and I also took over the admin of our family’s farming business.
“I’d always helped manually on the farm, but suddenly I had to learn about the VAT and tax returns, legal disputes, and how to operate huge machinery. Honestly, that period taught me that I can turn my hand to anything if I give it 100%.”
Zoe joined Magna in a temporary admin role that would fit around her caring responsibilities and looking after her two dogs. In her role, she has been working closely with our teams on ensuring that outstanding repair jobs are being booked as soon as possible for our customers.
She finished by saying:
“I spend a lot of time in our systems and speaking to customers so that the repairs team has accurate information. Drawing on some of the problem solving and customer service skills I’ve picked up along the way, I’ve built my own process and it’s working well. It feels good to be making a positive impact.
“I’m someone that learns best by doing, and I’m not afraid to give things a go. A colleague has recently joined me, and we’ve formed a great little team too. It feels good to be making a positive impact.
“I’ve learned that career paths don’t have to look a certain way. I’ve also learned that so many of the skills you gather are transferable. Don’t think that because you haven’t done that exact job before, you can’t do it in the future. If it feels right, give it a go!”
Zoe’s story is an inspiring one that reminds us that not all career paths are set in stone, and we’re proud to have colleagues who aren’t afraid to try something new and follow new paths in their careers.
