Stuart Holdstock

Employer: Wincanton plc
Qualifications: BSc business information systems; University of Portsmouth

Logistics is a fast-moving environment that is heavily dependent on IT systems so it seemed a logical place to build a career. After I graduated I sent my CV to several organisations that I felt had good career prospects. Wincanton had a vacancy and offered me a job – the direct approach does work sometimes! I had completed a one year placement as part of my degree and this helped me choose my career path. I think my experience and background knowledge helped to put me ahead of other applicants.

My job

I first worked on the IT service desk and then applied internally to become a junior systems engineer. Since then I have been promoted to systems engineer and then to my current position as a team leader. I’m involved in the design and implementation of IT systems. I support internal Wincanton corporate systems and install new systems for contract wins and scheduled replacements.

Wincanton works for companies within a number of sectors that need systems tailored to their logistics needs. I consult regularly with clients and suppliers. As a team leader my job also involves the management and organisation of a team of five people.

Essential skills

It’s important to know the core operating systems, understand computer hardware and have a general awareness of computer networks. I interact with customers from all levels, so communication skills are vital. There’s a lot of team working and, with career progression, a need for management skills.

The work environment

About 70% of my time is office based. The rest of the time I’m out and about, visiting sites and clients. It’s a friendly, relaxed environment, which is part of the new, custom-built head office. The standard hours are nine to five but I tend to work a little longer than that. Logistics never stops so we’re a 24/7 operation – there’s some weekend work and I am part of an on call rota. I’ve recently been to Berlin and Dublin and I regularly travel within the UK. There are always new challenges, which keeps the job interesting.

My advice

Logistics is full of diversity and it’s an exciting environment to work in. There are plenty of opportunities for career advancement. But remember that having a degree doesn’t mean you’ll automatically walk into a job. It’s important to promote yourself as well as you can and try to make yourself competitive.