#NoWrongPath Campaign – Novella Tragham
#NoWrongPath
Exam results day (on 8th August) is often a day that brings trepidation and worry for many young people across Scotland, who may be anxious about the results they achieve and their future prospects. The #NoWrongPath campaign is a social media movement led by DYW, which provides inspiration and reassurance to young people receiving their results, and which Hillcrest is excited to support again this year.
The campaign aims to demonstrate that many people in interesting job roles across Scotland may not have taken a straight, obvious, or traditional path to get there, and that there is #NoWrongPath to success. To support the campaign, we will be showcasing the career journeys of some of our own members of staff over the next week, to show young people the options that are available and that results are not necessarily the key to unlocking future success.
Below, our Head of Human Resources (HR), Novella Tragham, shares her career journey:
A bit about me: Who are you, what’s your current job role, what are your interests?
Hi, I’m Novella Tragham, Head of HR at Hillcrest. I enjoy going to the gym, hillwalking and socialising and eating good food!
From school to my first job: What was your first job after finishing school? Can you describe your career journey from this first job role to where you are now?
I left School at age 15 with some basic standard grade qualifications to work as an Office Junior with Fife Council. I also had a part time job working in a kitchen with my mum.
I then had a full time office job in a manufacturing company until I was 18, then joined an insurance company as an insurance advisor.
I didn’t work for the next couple of years due to having children and at 21 returned to studying. I gained a degree in Business Management in 2004 and worked in a couple of different roles in retail, eventually becoming a Store Manager with Dulux.
I decided on a career change and went back to University to study a Post Graduate Degree in Human Resources Management, whilst working part time in the evenings in a call centre. From there I started as an HR Administrator in a Local Authority where I stayed for the next 11 years working my way up to Senior HR Business Partner.
My experience at Hillcrest: When did you start at Hillcrest and what do you enjoy most about working for this organisation?
I joined Hillcrest in April 2022 and the thing I enjoy most about working for the organisation is the friendly and welcoming environment, the diverse range of work we are involved in and the passion of the people I work with for the services we provide and people we support. Hillcrest values its staff and invests heavily in training and development and provides lots of opportunities for people to progress or even change careers.
What advice do you have for young people finishing school and who are looking for employment?
My advice to young people leaving school is not to stress too much if you don’t have it all worked out or start the way you intended. I have worked with so many successful people who did not have a clue about what they wanted to do when they left school or who ended up in different careers. It is important to find a career that you enjoy but it is also okay to try different things and take your time to decide what that looks like.
If you know any young person or school leaver who might interested in developing a career with Hillcrest, please signpost them to our careers page or send them our newly created Young Workers Recruitment Brochure, which provides lots of handy hints and tips for finding employment at Hillcrest. This can be found in the Resources section of our website.