Charlotte Robertson – 30, is the HR and Office Manager at Meinhardt UK ltd. She lives in St Albans, Hertfordshire with her boyfriend Richard.

My Alarm goes off… at 6.45am and I have no problem jumping out of bed at that time, I am even a morning person on the weekend. I make a cup of tea and a coffee for my boyfriend and we listen to the news on the radio as we get ready for the day. We both work in central London so catch a fast train into the city each day.

I’m responsible for… Human resources for an Engineering design consultancy of 90 staff. I work with one of the Meinhardt UK Directors in all aspects of HR from recruitment to training and development. It was a role that I fell into and have loved learning on the job with the support of our senior staff. The role and my position has developed so much over the last 3 years as the Meinhardt UK grows and the needs of today’s workforce evolves. I also help manage the day to day aspects of the office management alongside our office PA to make sure staff have all the resources they need. We have a great central open plan office space and a fantastic social working culture which benefits the whole team.

I got the job…  After moving from New Zealand in 2014 to travel around Europe, I settled in London to look for work. I have a friend working at the Meinhardt UK and he was kind enough to make the introductions and I was lucky enough to be offered a position. At the time the Meinhardt UK was growing significantly and one of my first tasks was moving us into our current office space, this was a daunting logistical task in the big city of London for a newbie to undertake!

My typical day… Starts with tea and breakfast at my desk going through emails and checking diaries, being early into the office lets me get a head a little before most of the staff arrive. I will process a range of requests and emails, covering HR situations from leave and sickness through to training and development. I spend my day consulting with our training advisors and our senior staff for planning and implementing a range of strategies, processes and general HR admin. I am currently doing some part time studies to expand my own HR skills as during the past 3.5 years at the Meinhardt UK I have learnt most of my skills on the job.

My most memorable moment… each years Meinhardt UK Christmas party. I have helped arranged these for the past 3 years and every year as the Meinhardt UK has grown the party gets bigger and better. It is a highlight to all come together to celebrate the successes and have light-hearted fun.

The worst part of my job… Working in HR means you are exposed to situations that sometimes cause discomfort for all parties involved. Treating each situation with respect and using good judgement based on our HR procedures is so important.

The best part of my job… is the people, I work with a great group of people from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. My work family is a hugely important support network for me, especially since I am so far from home myself.

After work… I head home to unwind from the day by either exercising or having a large glass of wine whilst cooking and listening to a podcast. Evenings are also a great to me for me to catch my friends and family in New Zealand on a quick skype call.