New industry, new opportunities.

For Joseph Boyd, Communications Consultant, “embarking on a new career during a global pandemic was always going to be a risky move, however, after 18 months with Afiniti, it has been one that has undoubtedly been a great decision, both personally and professionally.”

My previous roles had been in client-side corporate communications. And whilst this experience had been a great stepping-stone post-university, after a short while it had become clear that I needed a fresh challenge.

Consulting had always been on the cards, however this was not necessarily in change management. As my colleague Alice recently shared, change is ever changing (pardon the cliché). This refers to the nature of change itself, the consulting industry, and the opportunities provided across the wide range of clients we engage with.

I have found rigid routine to be a big demotivator of mine but working in the change management field means that it’s not often a regular occurrence – particularly because of the catalysing role of the pandemic. Opportunities arise very quickly when working on an engagement, and even overnight your to-do list for the next day can change without expecting. This also applies for life outside of work, where conflicting priorities call for a need for extra flexibility.

If you take the 40-hour 9 to 5 work week for example, it’s becoming increasingly clear that it’s not a sustainable way of working. This is something that Afiniti has recognized early on and equipped us all for a new digitally nomadic way of working. Our work can mostly be done from anywhere with a decent Wi-Fi signal, and on our own schedules. So, it’s great to finally see organisations leading that change.

A new industry, new opportunities  

Since joining I have predominantly been working on engagements within the Pharma industry. Initially my focus had been on communications and engagement, but as my change management experience has grown, I have become involved in other areas of our other disciplines; strategy and consulting, learning and creative. Afiniti’s network consists of a range of specialist consultants working across the globe within these disciplines, and the informal coaching that my colleagues provide on a day-to-day basis is something that can often be undervalued.

A critical partner in my studies 

My Afiniti onboarding also coincided with the final year of my MBA studies – something which the partnership supported from the outset, particularly in the development of my thesis. The breadth of experience and expertise within Afiniti meant I was able to lean on the team for their knowledge during the important research phase, and this is something I’m hugely thankful for.

A clear plan for the future  

Here at Afiniti, we have recently switched to a more agile collaborative approach in directing our personal development. Employees are encouraged to personally drive their objective and goal setting, allowing individual paths to be based on their own intentions, which is not often the case in other organisations.

This also included cementing my change management knowledge in the highly recognised APMG International accreditations. Other team members and I spent some time away from our day-to-day work to participate in a virtual workshop, which allowed for an interesting discussion on the state of Organisational Change Management in the UK and the sharing of best practices.

So overall, I would sum up my first 18 months at Afiniti as a constantly evolving landscape of new experiences. All of which have been incredibly important in allowing me to direct my next career steps in the consulting industry.

By Joseph Boyd, Communications Consultant

If you’re looking for your next business change consulting challenge, take a look at our current opportunities. Alternatively, send us your CV using our contact form for a conversation on working together in the future.