Case Study

Assistant to CEO

Jessica Knowles of Good Energy
Information about Jessica Knowles
Name Jessica Knowles
Location Wiltshire
Company Good Energy

"There’s nothing new about my role as an assistant, but the work I’ve been doing is new and exciting because of the nature of the company!"

Jessica Knowles

Overview

I’m Jessica Knowles, Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Good Energy.
I appreciate my job on two different levels; being the CEO’s assistant means I get involved with most aspects of the company and it’s great to get such a broad overview, plus I love doing something that feels so worthwhile.  My role is really diverse – I cover everything from basic support to PR to HR, and at times I’m heavily involved in our projects such as wind farms.
Although I’ve always been interested in the environment, I never had a plan for when I finished studying.  For a while I did a few jobs that weren’t particularly right for me, but I gradually developed and got to where I discovered I wanted to be.  All experience is good experience; it helps you learn and make decisions.

Tell us about your job – where do you work and what do you do?

I work as the Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Good Energy - the UK’s only supplier of 100% renewable electricity.  Good Energy supports around 1000 small independent renewable generators, by buying electricity from them as well as from other larger scale renewable generators.
As the CEO’s assistant I generally help to manage her time and support her wherever she needs it, as well as getting involved in the PR side of things; interviews, panel discussions, etc.
From time to time, I also get heavily involved in our projects – such as the re-powering of our wind farm in Delabole, Cornwall, replacing the 10 existing turbines with 4 larger ones.  This exciting project means that the site – the UK’s first commercial wind farm - will be able to produce more than double the amount of renewable energy it currently can.
When I started I also took on the role of HR manager; helping with policies and procedures, hiring, any employee issues, etc - although, as the company grows, we may need an extra pair of hands on this.

What inspired you to do what you do?  How did you get into it, did you have a plan?

I didn’t have plan.  Some people are great at that and it works out really well for them, but I was quite a late developer and feel I’ve only recently found my niche.
I have always had an interest in the environment.  I grew up in the countryside, so I think it started with a healthy respect for both the wildlife and my surroundings.  That developed into habitat management, which was a big part of my university course – and I was already fairly ‘in the know’ as my brother is very up on environmental issues and they formed a good portion of family discussions!
On leaving university I have to admit that, with debts to pay, I got the first job I could.  I don’t think it's a bad idea; I gained experience that proved helpful in future jobs, and I was able to think about what I wanted to do - which aspects I was good at and where there was room for improvement.  I spent a few years feeling not very fulfilled, then got into a job helping farmers with new legislation on agricultural waste.  About a year and a half later I came to Good Energy.

Why is your job meaningful?  Both to you personally, and in how it benefits the wider world in terms of climate change and other environmental challenges.

People get inspired by Good Energy and I feel genuinely proud to be working here.  We are a voice for change - a small UK-based company doing something really positive that anyone can be part of.
What I love is that by becoming a customer you help a growing number of generators to produce their own power, as well as cutting emissions in your own home - about 40% of all carbon emissions come from electricity, so it’s one extremely important problem to overcome.  Getting the message out there and letting people know that doing something as small as changing electricity supplier really can make a difference, then bringing them on board with our wider aims and goals – reducing consumption, perhaps generating your own energy - is something that the whole company tries to work towards.  I love that we, the employees, present a united front.

Many jobs in this sector are very new, how long has your job existed?

There’s nothing new about my role as an assistant, but the work I’ve been doing is new and exciting because of the nature of the company!  I've been here for 3 years and in that time my role has grown and changed significantly.

What personal qualities do you think have got you where you are today?

Enthusiasm, passion, interest; talking to people about what I am interested in has proved a good way of opening doors.
Also, not getting down in the dumps when I wasn't where I perhaps thought I should be in my career at a certain age. 

What are the essential skills for your job?

•  Versatility - the ability to muck in wherever necessary
•  Focus
•  Multi-tasking
•  Learning as you go
•  Communication is very important, as I talk to a lot of different people
•  Not getting panicked if I don’t know the answer to something - never being afraid to ask
•  A helpful and can-do attitude

What qualifications do you have? Are these typical for people in your role?

•  9 GCSEs, grade A–C
•  3 A-levels; English, Social & Environmental Biology and Classics - and I failed General Studies!
•  HND in Countryside Management
•  Degree in Environmental Science & Landscape Management

I chose to do the HND in Countryside Management when I was on my gap year in Nepal, keen to get stuck into something more practical.  I’m really glad I did it; I learnt an awful lot and did loads of fieldwork.

What do you think most helped you get where you are now?

•  My parents and talking to people in social situations about what I’m passionate about - at times it’s a
    case of who you know…
•  Saying yes and making sure that I did things, no matter how little, to the best of my ability.
•  Not giving up when I found myself doing jobs that weren’t right for me, treating it as good experience
    instead.
•  I think that having a boss who trusted me and wanted to develop me has probably been the biggest
    stepping stone and allowed the greatest progression.

Please describe a typical working day

There is no typical day.  At the moment a lot of my time is spent working on the re-power project - liaising with the council about planning, as well as solicitors, landowners, and other stakeholders involved in the project.  Community engagement is a really important element - making sure that the people in the local area are involved in what we’re doing.
I still help out with HR issues as well, and I liaise with PR about things like which conferences my boss should speak at and what interviews she should do.

What do you enjoy most and least about what you do?

I enjoy doing something worthwhile, trying new things, being part of a growing company.  Working closely with the CEO means that I get involved with most aspects of the business, and I feel really lucky to have had such a good overview of so many areas.
I’m not sure that there is a least.  I used to find working on my own (because of the uniqueness of my job) quite difficult, but I now realise that it’s actually a good thing to be able to do - and I still have a lot of interaction with the various different teams.

What kind of people do you meet through your work or do you work alone?

All sorts; landowners, customers, councillors, members of the press, interviewees, lawyers, people from like-minded companies, and other inspiring people in business – a huge range!

Do you feel well paid for what you do, or is it not about the money?

It has to be about the money on some levels; I need to get a cheque at the end of the month or the rent doesn’t get paid.  I think my wage is fair at the moment - hard work and commitment is recognised.  That said, I’d be prepared to be paid less than someone who's doing something similar but not working for an environmental / ethical company.

Finally, what do you know now about jobs, careers and the future that you wish you’d known when you were at school?

I found it difficult at school, and immediately afterwards, to relate what I was learning at the time to any potential career.  I would have paid more attention to maths and science if I'd known how handy they'd be, but back then I couldn’t wait to get to a point where I didn’t have to do them anymore!  Now I wish I had concentrated harder on the basics so I didn’t have to spend too much time figuring things out.
I don’t think I really came into my own at school - I needn’t have worried so much about not being at the top of the class.  I feel that I’ve done well in my career and work has taught me an awful lot; I guess I'm ready to learn now and am excited about the topic - something which concentrates the mind!

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