ROB – 18 Months On

ROB – Floor Installer at Calder Valley Flooring

One year ago, I decided to leave my position as a teacher in a secondary school. It had come to that point in life that I realised I needed a change, a new challenge in life. I had told my friends and family that I was leaving my job and that I was looking for a new venture in my work life. This is when Lee and Sarah approached me asking if I wanted to join their business. Determined to challenge myself, I decided to join Calder Valley Flooring as an Apprentice Floor Installer.

My old job was stale, I had plateaued, and following on I needed a new opportunity to expand my knowledge and experiences. I knew I needed to fulfil the creative side of myself and find something that I would enjoy whilst working. So when I was offered the chance to learn a plethora of new skills from someone as experienced as Lee, in a completely new field to that which I had known, the decision was easy. Now every day brings new challenges, with the variety of flooring we offer being so vast, I’m constantly gaining new information, ideas and skills which make the jobs I’m sent on always interesting and never the same.

I am a self-proclaimed perfectionist who studied Art to A-Level standard, so being able to create things that are aesthetically pleasing is something that gives me great pleasure in doing, especially when I can stand back and see the finished product knowing that this is something I have achieved as a skill set. When I finished a fitting job for the first time, flying solo, that really was one of those amazing moments, couple that with the satisfaction I get from transforming a customer’s dreams into reality and the result is a truly rewarding feeling.

I now regularly go out to jobs on my own as I am at a level where I’m fully trained in the installation of carpets and laminate. Equipped with the knowledge and skills to perform installations to the highest of standards. I can confidently discuss ideas with the customer and provide an insight into the options available to them to bring their individual wishes to life. I’m lucky enough to say that I truly love my job, and when you can say that, is it really a job!?