Laura Whittaker is based out of Symetri’s Manchester office in the North of England and works four days a week from her home in Accrington, Lancashire. She describes her role in Business Development and Operations as ‘hybrid’, as so many people in Symetri would describe their own roles.
“When I joined Symetri, back in 2018, I felt immediately at home”, says Laura. “Everyone was so friendly. More than that; everyone was so happy. The more time I’ve been here, the more that feeling has grown.
The atmosphere in the company is uplifting. When you work with people who create a sense of community like that, you know you’re always supported. That makes you want to support others. In that way, everyone just keeps getting better at what they do. Best of all, our customers sense this”.
Coming from a career background in pre-sales, where she gained experience in the Autodesk product range, Laura initially worked in business development at Symetri. Here, she backed up the internal sales team with the resources and administrative services they needed to help bring new customers on board. Laura describes this as dealing with the “ins and outs of the customer experience”.
Laura then took on a role in Business Development and Operations. This brought on more responsibilities, and more challenges, but Laura continued to be involved with the sales side: “I’m now in a hybrid role. That means pretty much that every day is a ‘hybrid’ day—lots of variety, customer contact, and new areas to explore””, says Laura.
“One of the great things about how we work as a team is that senior managers ask questions about what you enjoy doing. That brings out the best in everybody. You feel valued as an individual, and you feel trusted. I don’t think there’s any better way of motivating people”.
Laura says that these rapidly evolving and growing markets can only be served if Symetri evolves and grows equally fast:
“We’re always looking at ways of streamlining what we do. From my perspective, that’s about staying immersed in our systems and looking at them through the lens of the customer.
For example, Autodesk licensing changes often cause issues for customers, and they look for expert guidance on how to navigate the best way through them. So, I’m focussed on simplifying our processes, taking the administrative weight off customers’ shoulders, and bringing best practice into every customer interaction”.
Laura often finds herself helping other departments at Symetri navigate their own way round internal systems. “There are no barriers to cross-discipline collaboration at Symetri. People aren’t ‘protective’ about what they do. This makes everyone stronger. It makes everyone smarter. It also fuels our growth not just as a company, but as individuals too”.
At the end of most working days Laura hits the gym. “Before I joined the Symetri team, going to the gym was a way off working off the pressures of the day. I had to de-stress. Now each day isn’t about feeling under pressure, it’s about feeling fulfilled.
Now I use this time to reflect on what we achieved during the day and what we can do better tomorrow. I don’t come away from my work with a head full of problems, but rather with a real feeling of excitement about the opportunities we create every day. Working at Symetri has made me realise that problems are just opportunities waiting to be taken”.
Laura is also a very sociable person. “Symetri is a ‘people’ company. This great feeling that we all have that comes from working without barriers draws us all together. After the initial challenges of working from home had evolved into the new normal, I took on the unofficial role of social organiser. I arrange regular get-togethers for us all and none of that closeness we’ve always had has been diluted at all.
I think this sums up the magic of working at Symetri—that feeling of all being connected. Being friends as well as colleagues. Being relaxed in each other’s company. Being united”, says Laura.
If you like the idea of working in an environment where everybody’s ideas count, your opinions are listened to, and guidance and input is always on hand whenever you need it, why not come and help Symetri to make a difference? Just get in touch.
