From Bedford to Dubai. Find out more about Mike and where his career adventure with Costa has taken him.
We had the pleasure of spending time talking to Mike about his career adventure with costa and where it has taken him. What started as a part-time then full time role as a Barista in Bedford whilst he studied to complete his final year of his Business Management degree and fuel his passion for travel, has led him to a Global Move to Dubai to take up the role of Brand Excellence Coach in the region. It has not been without hard work, finding your cheerleaders and having an ambition and a plan
How long have you worked at Costa?
I’ve been at Costa for nearly 5 years, across multiple stores and have enjoyed both the challenges and opportunities presented to me each step of the way.
The biggest thing you have learnt during your time at Costa?
Costa, is more like a family of people then just people you work with.
If you are a people person this is
the environment for you.
What’s the best career decision you’ve ever made?
To try. When I first started in stores, I was not keen on making the coffees so would stay on the Till. I soon realised that Costa was a place I could have a career in and would give me the opportunity to fulfil my ambition of a global move before I was 30. That meant stepping out of my comfort zone and carving a path for myself.
What do you think is your greatest strength?
I am a people person. I love chatting to others and building strong relationships which has always been one of my greatest strengths. I also enjoy solving problems, providing guidance and making things the best they can be for the team and our customers.
What do you think are the secrets behind getting to where you’ve got to?
I have always been clear in my ambitions and tried to have a plan on how to achieve that. But I have done this by giving 120% and having the support of my Learning Partner and Area Manager who have helped me navigate each new career change and learning opportunity. They have also shown me when to be patient and know when the time is to make a move or not, both personally and professionally.
What is one thing that surprised you about working for Costa?
Everyone at Costa has time for you. In preparation for my interview for this role in Dubai I reached out to many senior leaders across the business who didn’t know me but all gave me their time and talked about the business and that helped me prepare for my interview, project and finally get the job and my goal of an international move.
How have Costa supported you in your move to Dubai?
The whole process has been seamless. Costa has supported me with the transition and settling in process with the team here have been checking in with me daily to make sure I have what I need. The support which I received is outstanding.
What is the thing you are most looking forward to in Dubai?
From personal side – to get again out of my comfort zone and to meet and live in the new culture.
From
career side – I want to see and develop how business (which I know very well from UK side) works around the
world and to see how I can add value with my experience and positive attitude. Really want to share the passion
for what we do in Costa and inspire the world to love great coffee.