MEET THE TEAM: JESS NUGENT

DMR: Hi Jess. Or is it Jessica?

JESS: It’s Jess. Jessica is too formal. And my mum calls me Jessica when I’m in trouble.

DMR: Here’s a juicy topic to get started on: what kind of trouble do you usually get into?

JESS: I once damaged a fireplace when removing my belt from the loops around the waist of my skirt. It just flew out and took out a marble fireplace. Another time I accidentally locked a cat in a room, and it chewed through a cherished family rug. Those are the sort of occasions when my mum calls me Jessica. She called me Jessica when I burned a hole in the carpet trying to remove candle wax!

DMR: It sounds like you’re a bit clumsy rather than a trouble-maker, Jess. We didn’t want to open this interview by fixating on your weaknesses so let’s move on. What is your role at DMR, and how long have you been with the company?

JESS: I’m Quality and Compliance Officer and started here in October 2020.

DMR: Compliance Officer? That sounds a bit Third Reich. What does it involve?

JESS: Quality and Compliance Officer! My job involves enrolling candidates on their qualification at the beginning of their course and appying for their achievement certificate when they’ve finished. We deal predominantly with three major awarding bodies – City & Guilds, NOCN and Proqual – so part of my role involves liaising with them and addressing issues when they arise. I’m also responsible for auditing government funding paperwork and ensuring there are no mistakes when data is uploaded to IT systems.

DMR: That sounds like a lot of responsibility for someone who inadvertently annihilates marble artefacts and Ming Dynasty furnishings! But perhaps we’re being harsh – you’ve always struck us as being very focused and on the ball at work. So, what do you enjoy most about working for DMR?

JESS: I like the environment and the people. I get on very well with all my colleagues, and some of them I knew already when I first started at the company. I like that there isn’t too much stress in my job. And I find it very satisfying that I’m involved in helping people get on in their careers.

DMR: What did you do before joining DMR?

JESS: I’ve been in education and training for a number of years now, and I worked for colleges and other training providers before joining DMR. I’ve also done the typical student jobs while I was at uni – like working in a pizza shop, and selling books!

DMR: Did you enjoy university? What did you study?

JESS: I studied Geography at University of Liverpool. I enjoyed it a lot, and I felt like I was good at it.

DMR: As someone who works for a training provider specialising in vocational qualifications, what advice would you give to a 16 or 17-year-old who feels unsure about what to do after they finish school?

JESS: If you think university is right for you, and it’s something you want to do, and you’re excited about doing it – go for it! But vocational qualifications are not a fallback, and they’re equally as good, so give them some credit when making your decision.

DMR: That’s good advice. Weigh up your options but don’t buy into the myth that academic study is necessarily better than workplace learning. Moving on, what do you get up to outside of work, Jess?

JESS: I’ve two children aged six and nine who keep me very busy. I enjoy seeing friends and going out for meals. I’m also an avid reader.

DMR: What do you like reading? Novels?

JESS: Yes – I like older literature like Jane Austin. My favourite novel is Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. I’ll always choose a book over a film.

DMR: You’ve done a bit of travelling as well, haven’t you? We recall seeing some photos of you on safari.

JESS: I went to Kenya on my honeymoon. It was the ‘trip of a lifetime’ holiday that we wanted to do before having kids. We went on two safaris in Kenya – Maasai Mara and Tsavo East. We took a hot air balloon ride over Maasai Mara which was brilliant, and it finished with a champagne breakfast in the park itself, which was a strange experience but very cool. Our guides were telling us to watch out for cobras while we sat there eating our brunch!

DMR: We’d like to finish off by saying that you’re known as a bit of a bingo nut in the office. Can you explain exactly why you like bingo?

JESS: No! I don’t like bingo per se, not that there’s anything wrong with it. I like Bongo’s Bingo which is basically bingo meets nightclubbing. It’s a fun three hours of dancing, laughing, drinking with the chance to win crazy prizes. You leave with a big smile on your face.

DMR: The Kenyan Board for Tourism, and Bongo’s Bingo have got some good PR out of this interview! Jess, thanks again for speaking to us. It’s been fun, and I’m sure we could go on all afternoon if we had the time. Alas, we better get back to work.