Jess

1. What is your role at British Airways?

I’m a Technology Graduate, currently in IT Operations.

2. Looking back to before you joined BA, what’s one piece of advice you’d give your younger self?

I wish I could tell myself to be more open to change and willing to try things you might be unsure about. Some of my best opportunities came disguised as things I was convinced I wouldn’t enjoy!

3. What was the biggest challenge you faced starting your role, and how did you overcome it?

My biggest challenge was feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount there was to learn and the experience gap between myself and colleagues who had been with the company for many years. I overcame this by seeking out their knowledge and just learning from their expertise! I’ve been very fortunate to be surrounded by people who were generous with their time and willing to share their knowledge. This massively helped me build up my confidence and develop my skills quickly.

4. What’s been your proudest moment so far at BA?

I recently had a fantastic opportunity to travel to Seattle and San Francisco to support the upgrade of our lounge acceptance systems there. We were on a tight timeline, and it was my first time completing that kind of project, but it was a huge success and I’m really proud of that.

5. What’s one myth or misconception about working at BA you’d like to clear up?

That you need to know a lot about planes or the aviation industry before you apply. You absolutely don’t, but you’ll learn so much about it so quickly, and you might just become an avgeek!

6. If you could go back to your first day, what would you tell yourself to do differently?

I just wish I was a little less shy! I was always curious but was sometimes hesitant to ask questions, and I think this made me hold back when I first started.

7. What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever been given, and how have you used it here?

“Don’t just invest time in projects, make sure you invest time in the people supporting you too.” On my graduate scheme, I’ve found that when I’ve built trust and rapport with colleagues, it has a direct positive impact on the quality of the work we produce together.

8. What advice would you give to someone nervous about applying to BA?

Main thing I would say is that the learning and development culture at BA is excellent, so you shouldn’t be nervous at all. Although it’s such a huge company, this just means that there’s a wealth of opportunities available. Everyone around you just wants to see you succeed and grow!