I recently travelled to our London and Lancaster offices as part of SilverDoor’s international secondment scheme. It was an incredible experience, and a great opportunity for me to expand my knowledge of the UK market and gain further insight into one of our top booking locations.
Read on to learn about my time in the UK – from how and why I applied and my key takeaways, to my favourite parts of the trip!
The Application Process
When writing my application, I couldn’t think of a better place to be surrounded by the SilverDoor spirit! Having lived in the UK for three years, I was excited by the opportunity to relive this experience and reconnect with friends.
As we have a large number of suppliers in London, I knew it would be a great chance to expand my knowledge of how properties are maintained, shown and managed in the UK.
Once I was selected, I started checking out the best way to commute to each office and made plans to meet with some old friends. I also spoke to the UK team to get some more information on what kind of things I would be doing and to check how the weather was looking - I wanted to be prepared for any and all weather while I was there!
Landing in the UK…
Where I Stayed
First, I flew into Manchester and spent some time in the Lancaster office. My accommodation was next door to the office, which was a dream commute, just a couple of minutes away.
Once in London, I headed over to North Acton Serviced Apartments by MySquare – my home for the week. The serviced apartment was lovely; modern with spacious interiors and a balcony, where I was lucky enough to enjoy beautiful sunsets most nights.
Touring the City
During the first part of my secondment, I was in Lancaster. To me, a must visit while there is The Borough. This quintessentially British pub served the best full English breakfast I have ever had! Not to mention I also had the best fish and chips in town! Overall, the food was delicious in Lancaster and is definitely a must experience.
Once in London, I was straight into ‘London life’ – commuting on the tube each morning, walking the bustling city streets and of course, exploring! During my weekend there I was lucky to enjoy blue skies, so I mostly walked everywhere. Starting at London Bridge station with the majestic Shard in the distance, passing through St Paul’s to Covent Garden where I had a quick pit stop and enjoyed a refreshing cocktail. Then all the way down to the Chelsea area to continue my adventure.
Overall, I couldn’t think of a better secondment experience as a Londoner. It was great to meet my Lancastrian colleagues in person and for me London will always be a special place - I cannot thank SilverDoor enough for giving me this opportunity.
Highlights of the Secondment
The highlight of my secondment was getting to ring the famous bell in the office and celebrate when the Madrid team hit their monthly target! What a rush!
I was also lucky enough to join one of our property operators for an evening filled with mini golf and plenty of drinks.
Spending time in the brand-new Lancaster office really made my trip. I don’t think I’ve ever been in such an incredible office before.
Key Takeaways
The secondment enabled me to expand my knowledge of the UK market and gain further insight into our top booking locations.
During my trip, I attended SilverDoor’s Partner Engagement Day, where I learned more about sustainable travel, optimising traveller well-being, and overcoming challenges in the global mobility sector.
Applying my New Knowledge
Having met with a number of property partners at Partner Engagement Day, I now feel I can communicate with them more confidently - a skill I will use on a daily basis in my role as Senior Account Support.
On my secondment to the UK, I developed stronger relationships with both my Lancaster and London colleagues. I now feel I know some of them in both a professional and personal manner, and this has already helped with our day-to-day communication.
Interested in joining SilverDoor and potentially getting the opportunity to go on one of our incredible secondment trips? Check out our vacancies on our careers page - if you think you have what it takes, you can apply by sending your CV and Cover letter today!
