Kate Greenslade

"I am a Developer, Manager and Quality Controller! My role as a Support Systems Consultant is to look at improving the ways of working with high value kit and equipment. This could be new processes, a new way of working or changing something completely. This is where my Developer traits come in, as it is about coming up with creative, new ideas to problem solve. It isn't about spending more money on something, it is about using that money more effectively. A consultant means you are coming in to help departments, and that means you have to be able to ask questions, listen, and sometimes be strong willed and determined trying to explain they can be working better!As a Manager, I work with all kinds of people and I need to work in a team as well as by myself - as a team we explore ideas, come up with solutions and then \"sell\" it to the departments, so understanding what makes people 'tick' is really important, and being able to have a good conversation and get to know them is a must. Sometimes they are so frustrated with the current way of working you just listen to them talk - and listen compassionately and empathetically.Finally, the Quality Controller in me makes me great at being a consultant, as understanding the problems is part of my curious nature, and I am there to work with the departments to make things better, so being honest and acting ethically is a must - you build trust with them and that is so important. I work to problem solve and improve these ways of working, it saves money, makes things better, and makes people's working lives better.I work with 'systems' which means high value kit from the moment it is thought up and imagined, through to the time it is being used, and finally to the time it is retired and not used anymore (this is the 'asset life-cycle')."

"Working with different departments I look at how they can work more effectively with the resources they have. I am part of an internal consultancy which is a big team of people - all with different skills and abilities - who look at different equipment and see what can be done better. Every day is different, and some of the challenges and problems can be mammoth but it is very satisifying coming up with options and solutions.You can always learn something new, and I have been in my current job for almost two years now but am still learning something every day. That suits my curious and inquisitive nature.The civil service is a great place for learning new things, including access to appprenticeships, further education too. I am currently studying a Masters in Through-Life System Sustainment (which is basically what my day job is!), and also a Management Consultancy qualification. This is all paid for by my employer and I even get time off to study. It is a great place to develop yourself and your career."

"So I started in the Police as an Armourer - I was the first and only female Police Armourer ever! Before me all Armourers in the Police were men. It was a great feeling that I was able to show that women are just as capable in this male-dominated role, and it was definitely tough being accepted as a \"girl who knew about guns\". I became Head of Department and did the job for 12 years - I loved it as it was all about problem solving but also I loved the mechanics and engineering working on servicing, maintaining and repairing the firearms. I then became an Area Manager in food retail, which means I oversaw four supermarkets and dealt with the high-level business strategy - running these stores as if it was my own business. It was a tough job but I learned so much, including how to work with supply (getting food onto the shelves), and demand (what the customers want). I am inspired by any woman who can show these roles are no longer \"jobs for the boys\" - they are for everyone, and just because something hasn't been done by a woman before, does not mean a woman cannot do it."

"I am a huge geek, I love sci-fi, fantasy, computer games (first-person shooters and role-playing games), Magic the Gathering (fantasy card game) tecnhology, mechanics, building things, fixing things etc etc. I used to feel a bit weird that I liked all this stuff that other girls didn't seem to, but I realised as time has gone on that there are more women out there like me than I thought!I also used to feel a bit embarassed that I had these different interests, but I now embrace it - and trust me you are not alone! When you are younger you want to fit in and be like everyone else, and when you get older everyone wants to be different!"

"Currently I am working on a project to try and use existing resources as well as possible for a specific equipment, so I am having lots of conversations with the people involved with it, analysing data about its use, and discussing ways things could be done differently. Of course, email and admin are very much in there! The saddest fact is that I create a lot of PowerPoint presentations and I really enjoy it!"

"I have three A-Levels: Psychology, History and English Literature.I went to Keele University to study Psychology and Criminology (BSc) as I had an AMAZING psychology teacher at A-Level and I really wanted to learn more about the subject.After Uni I wanted to work in Forensic Psychology but couldn't afford the extra training to move down that career path, so I ended up in the Police as an administrator. I then joined the Armoury and completed a Level 3 City & Guilds Qualification in Mechanical Engineering. I also completed a Masters at Staffordshire University in Firearms Examination.Now I am studying for the Masters in Through-Life Systems Sustainment and the Management Consultancy diploma with the Chartered Management Institute."