Climbing the ladder – Merlo UK

climbing the career ladder
With the right attitude and a great work ethic – anything is possible!

10 years ago a young man, Joe Rogers, came to me looking for a job.  He had just finished his A-levels and did not know where to go next.  He was hoping for the summer off and lay on the beach with his friends but Dad put the pressure on that he needed to get a job!

At the time, I was given a Vacancy for an Office Administrator at Merlo UK Ltd in Ringwood and they were happy to take a school leaver.  I thought Joe was a very personable young man with great communication skills and with a bit of guidance he would interview very well.  So much so he got the job – his Dad was impressed that he got a job so soon!!

After a couple of years at Merlo UK,  Jo took stock and thought where am I going?  By this time, he had met his wife and realised that he wanted a career, not just a job.

Climbing the ladder - Merlo UK
Show you’re keen
Changes in the business were beginning to happen and he decided he needed to get noticed.

His strategy was simple – he needed to show how keen he was. He would be the first one to arrive in the morning and would stay late in the evening – to show he was happy to go that extra mile. It worked, he was noticed and consequently, he was promoted to Sales Co-ordinator’s Assistant.

Climbing the ladder
Sometime later, the MD retired and his shareholding was bought by the Italian parent Company – they sent over a new MD for 2 years.  With the new MD came a restructure and this opened up another opportunity for Joe. He was promoted to Sales Coordinator, and then Regional Sales Manager.  He was flying – Joe really enjoyed the Regional Sales Manager role, and felt he’d found his fit! Due to his hard work and commitment, he was gradually becoming an integral part of the business and was literally working his way up the ladder!

Two years later, he was promoted to National Sales Manager and at the same time, the MD went back to Italy. The parent company put Joe, National Sales Manager and his colleague Peter Coward, National Aftersales Manager, in joint control of the company while they were looking for a new MD.

Showcase your talents
Once again Jo stepped up to the challenge and made the most of the opportunity to demonstrate his business acumen and capability.  Joe and Peter made such a good job of running the company, company profits hit their best year ever, and consequently, Merlo Head Office cancelled the search for a new MD.  Joe Rogers and Peter Coward now run Merlo UK Ltd.

This successful pair have now written a business plan as to where they want Merlo to be in the next 5 years – it looks like there really is no stopping them.

The ‘millennials’ get all this bad press but this is one young lad that quickly realised that if you want to get on in life you need to have a great work ethic and put in the hard work in order to get the benefits. Combine this with a great attitude and clear business acumen – this is just what Joe received.

To succeed you need to do more than just show up in the mornings and put on your coat 5 mins before the office closes. Show you’re keen, put in the hard work, focus and make the most of every opportunity.

It’s not rocket science!!!

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