I'm Sophie, a graduate delivery lead in the Go to Market community. I've been at Auto Trader for almost a year now and have loved my time on the grad scheme. I've learnt so much and improved my discipline already.
It's important to note that I'm visually impaired and registered partially sighted. This impacts everything I do in life. Whether it be managing in the workplace to watching football at the weekends. Whilst I don't need a guide dog or a white cane, I rely heavily on accessibility tools and support. I try to make sure this doesn't get in the way of life. It is something that is always there and I have to consider every day. Thankfully, here at Auto Trader, I am in an environment that gives me everything I need to reach my potential and the support I need isn't a barrier for the business.
When I saw this role advertised, I thought to myself, 'that is something that I can see myself loving'. After this realisation I began to dig deeper into the business and what Auto Trader was all about. As well as the amazing culture, I was struck by the commitment to diversity and inclusion in all its forms. I saw that they were recognised with various accessibility accreditations and I saw a video of someone who had gone through the application process and needed adjustments. This hit home for me that Auto Trader was a welcoming and understanding place to work.
The feedback provided on this video was what made me decide to request the adjustments that I would need for the application process. I was open and honest about what I needed, and this was met with unwavering support from the recruitment team. They worked with me at every step to make sure that I had what I needed. For example, for one assessment, an external provider was used, and the test was in a format that was inaccessible to me. So, the team worked with me and helped by removing the time barrier for the questions. This support continued when I came into the office for my assessment day. Whether it was larger text resources or giving me time to read notes. This is something that allowed me to excel in the process.
The support I needed continued as I started my role. My manager was determined to understand exactly what I needed when I needed it and was always prepared to try new things. The Culture and Environment team who look after our office space helped to find a good workspace for me with the right lighting. In addition to all of this, my colleagues are always open in understanding what I need and will always support with anything that they can.
The culture that I read about at Auto Trader really does come through on a day-to-day basis. This isn't just something they say on the website or a tickbox exercise. It's a genuine way of working. I feel I have found a home here and I'm very excited about my future.
You do not need to have a formal diagnosis to ask for reasonable adjustments. We will work with you as much as we can with what you feel would help you be at your best.
To find out more feel free to contact the recruitment team, recruitment@autotrader.co.uk