Matthew Feary
I’ve been here eleven years and I would not be in this position if it had not been for the people I've worked with who gave me opportunities to extend myself.
Ravensdown does its best to encourage managers to think about the development and happiness of their staff. It’s more than just going to work because you have to, it’s going to work getting involved. If you say you want to try something new then they’ll see what they can recommend to get you where you want to go.
I started in the customer centre, taking calls and placing orders. My time there put me in good stead because I had thousands of people talking to me about their farms, so I understand the importance of creating tools farmers want to use and that add value for them. After four years on the phones, I moved into the new Web Content Creator role and from there I was involved in the development of HawkEye and the introduction of the Agile process for design and development. I loved how Agile helped us work collaboratively as a team - the National Services Manager at the time saw that passion and gave me the training necessary to work as the Agile Project Manager.
To anyone wanting to apply, get in and have a go. Ravensdown is a place that genuinely wants people to be the best that they can be. You’ll have to work hard at Ravensdown, be prepared to get your hands dirty (literally and metaphorically) because the expectations and the standards are high, but if you put your hand up and say you want to learn, then the rewards are there and they’re worth it.