What I did in my holidays – my first year at BRI

January 19, 2021

19 January 2021: Well…. it has been interesting to say the least!

I joined BRI in December 2019 as a trainee administrator. I was expecting a challenge but I could not have guessed, in a million years, what the next year would bring.

The first few months flew by, everyone was very patient, I’m sure I asked a few too many questions. Slowly the ‘new job nerves’ started to disappear and I worried less about looking foolish or asking the wrong questions and enjoyed getting stuck in with the case work. I could call this a learning curve, but there was no curve – it was a vertical ascent. I had not slept so well in a very long time!

After finally getting to grips with the franking machine, figuring out which coffee mug belongs to who, learning why we don’t use the lift and finding the best route for my commute, ‘Lockdown 1’ came into force. Suddenly I found myself at home and everything was different, again. Zoom etiquette, post arrangements, ‘going digital’ – a whole host of challenges to overcome. Though, this time everyone was in the same boat and, remarkably, my colleagues were still incredibly patient despite the fact that I had more questions than ever. Throughout the year we have all adapted to the changes and I expect there will still be many more to come.

So when I was asked to write about my first year with BRI, I found it incredibly hard to think of anything ground-breaking or poignant to disclose against the backdrop of a global pandemic. In all honesty, the drama of starting a new role has taken a back seat compared to the greater challenges faced by many. Logging into the system each day and pushing myself to improve and do better has been a welcome distraction. Thankfully, the team here are all as lovely as they appear to be from the outside, and I am grateful that they decided to hire me a year ago (and no, I have not been bribed to write this). BRI have opened my eyes to a different approach to insolvency, with their way of always treating people as human beings and caring about the outcome achieved.

My main take-away from the past 12 months has been this – nothing will ever be as straightforward as it appears to be, so plan, adapt and embrace the challenge – you will only grow.

Stay home, stay safe, save lives.

Jenny Hina