From Primary School Teacher to Operations Manager

At Rendall & Rittner, we pride ourselves on hiring the best person for each role, regardless of what previous experience they have within the sector. We have a strong track record of enabling people from outside the industry to kickstart and progress in rewarding property management careers. Operations Manager, Sarah Heron, tells us all about her transition from Primary School Teacher to a career at Rendall & Rittner.

“I joined Rendall & Rittner as an Operations Manager in September 2022. Teaching had changed enormously since I first started 12 years ago, and even though I loved it, the ever-increasing expectations placed on teachers are pushing a lot of people out of the profession. During the pandemic, I had time to really reassess what I wanted to do. I felt that I wanted to have a complete change in career, where I could learn something new and build on the transferable skills I already had.”

“I know that a lot of teachers feel that they can’t do anything else, but there are actually a lot of transferable skills that would be useful in any industry. In my role at Rendall & Rittner, I still need to use my leadership skills, to manage people and to demonstrate teamwork on a regular basis. I also need to be organised, a clear communicator and have the ability to deal with conflict, which are all skills that I have developed whilst working as a teacher.”

“Since starting my role as Operations Manager, I have received loads of training and support from my team and line managers. For the first couple of weeks, I largely spent time shadowing other people, to get a good feel for what the company is all about and the day-to-day running of the business. After that, I had a lot more freedom and really began to get stuck in with work on 10 sites. I really appreciated having the freedom and trust to be able to learn on the job in this early stage and feel that it helped me to build relations with those on-site more effectively.”

“I now work across 14 London sites and am thoroughly enjoying my role, particularly because I get to communicate with different people, both at head office and on-site. I enjoy travelling around to different sites as I believe it is important for everyone to have an understanding of the work undertaken at developments to ensure the company runs smoothly and efficiently. Seeing what people are doing on-site and using this to make decisions, is something that I have found Rendall & Rittner really excels at. It is also great to be part of a progressive team that is all part of the same shared journey.”

“I would definitely recommend Rendall & Rittner to anyone looking for a career change. The company is very forward-thinking in its ability to take people from outside the industry and maximise their potential.”

If you're looking for a company that is forward-thinking in its ability to take people from outside the industry and help them maximise their potential, then don't hesitate to search for careers at Rendall & Rittner. Join us in our mission to provide the best property management services and be a part of a dynamic and growing team!