“I’ll always remember where I started – as the young girl from the council estate writing to ask for a job in the City. I don’t know where I’d be if I hadn’t been given a chance.”
By Julie Carruthers, Managing Director, UK Finance
I always say that I’m a product of social mobility. I come from a working-class background, having grown up in a council house in Liverpool in a home full of uncles and aunts. My mum lost her own mum at 21 and kept her brothers and sisters from going into care by taking them all in, including a disabled sibling and all in the early years of her marriage. So, you can see early on where I learned my sense of team ethic – we all had to muck in and even though times were hard, it was a very happy and fun household.
I was always bright and studious, and I was offered a scholarship to a brilliant private school – the best girls’ school in Liverpool. But I couldn’t consider it, I wouldn’t dream of asking my parents. I knew they wouldn’t be able to afford it even with the bursary as they were already supporting my athletics endeavours, which was costly as I ran for Liverpool Harriers and my county.
Great sponsor
After I finished school I had a place at Lancaster University and thought I would go there to do Business Studies. But a friend of mine moved to London and got a job at Phillips and Drew – later acquired by UBS. I started spending time in London and having been told by my family that I could do anything, in 1989, I decided to be bold and write a letter to UBS to convince them to give me a job – and it worked.
The constant theme through my career has been having a great sponsor. My first boss was a fantastic woman called Allison. She saw something in me, and she pushed me because she could see my potential. She taught me tough love, and when I lost my £1,000 railcard and she knew I couldn’t afford to replace it, she lent me the money. That meant a huge deal to me.
I didn’t have the university degree or the talk that others had, and I knew that I was different, but I had drive, great work ethic and sense of team that I’d learned growing up. Allison and I are still in touch, and I will always be grateful to her and the many other wonderful people who have seen something in me throughout my career.
Potential
I never felt discriminated against because of my background, but I didn’t always feel like I fitted in, and I know that can be a barrier for a lot of people. I remember going to a business lunch and being served smoked salmon – I had no idea what it was – I thought it was goldfish! I’ve also heard “mind your hub caps, there’s a scouser in the room” so many times I’ve lost count. But I don’t let those comments get to me.
I’d like to think that nowadays where you come from, what you sound like and the way you dress matter far less than they used to. Like my sponsors did for me, I always look for the potential in people regardless of their background. If you do that, you will find great people from all walks of life.
Role models
Socio-economic diversity in the workplace brings new perspectives and ways of thinking, different experiences and broadens the pool of talent hugely. I also care about social mobility because of what has happened in my career, I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t been given a chance.
I think about the young girl from the council estate writing a letter to ask for a job. Now I’m a Managing Director of the UK’s top Financial Services trade body and I’m a Non-Executive Director on another Board. All the way through my life, from my mum to my first boss Allison and beyond, I’ve always had really strong female role models who lift others up, and I strive to be that person for others too.
Julie’s advice for managers
- See the potential in your team and the candidates you’re hiring – I always say that talent is not a finished article. Spot potential talent and help foster it.
- Invest in people, it’ll be the best decision you make.
- You can teach skills, but you can’t teach work ethic, personality or drive. Remember that you will find these qualities in people from all walks of life.
