Hi! My name is Anita Chagar, and I joined Heathrow in 2019 on the graduate programme. I completed three placements throughout the programme, which has given me a great breadth of insight into how the airport functions – although there is so much more still to learn! I have now rolled off the graduate programme into my first permanent role as Stakeholder Engagement Support for Airline Engagement.
My first placement was in the Airspace team as part of the Expansion programme. My team worked on designing the new flight paths planes would take when using the third runway at Heathrow, and I helped engage the community about this change process. My second placement was in Campus Security, where I learnt about the processes involved with keeping the Heathrow estate secure outside of the terminal buildings. I enjoyed working airside and being based so close to the planes! My final placement was in Process Improvement, where I helped identify and implement solutions across the airport, most especially how to ensure our COVID safety measures in the terminals maintain a high standard throughout the pandemic.
Having been a secondary school teacher before joining Heathrow, within each graduate placement, I found many opportunities to utilise my transferable skills and stretch my skillset and behaviours. Each day I was learning something new, meeting new colleagues and working on new tasks and projects. This helped me improve my ability to think strategically, build my networking skills to develop professional relationships, and take ownership of numerous responsibilities. A particular highlight for me was co-leading the Heathrow Emerging Talent Network, a network dedicated to connecting our graduates and interns and other colleagues. This experience gave me the confidence to apply for the lead role of one of Heathrow’s four diversity networks. I am delighted to share that I was successful and have recently been appointed as Network Lead for en-haNCE, Heathrow Airport’s Network for Culture and Ethnicity.
I chose Heathrow because I wanted to work somewhere that was dynamic and had a global outlook. Also, as a local resident of the airport – I have grown up watching the planes fly over my home and school – I have a vested interest in the success of the largest employer in my local area. This became even more prevalent for me as the COVID-19 pandemic made its impact on the aviation industry. I am now determined to do my part in helping Heathrow see its best days once again. I am not the only one with this mindset, and I think this is what makes Heathrow a great place to work. Everywhere you look, there are colleagues who genuinely enjoy working at the airport, contributing to ensuring our customers have the best passenger experience, and willing to support new starters such as myself establish themselves in the business.
Starting the graduate programme in 2019, no one could have predicted the challenges and changes 2020 would bring our way. However, as I worked through each of my placements with the pandemic as my backdrop, I was welcomed warmly into each team, challenged and supported to be my best self, and built long-lasting relationships with colleagues from across the business – even though I have yet to meet some of them in person! My cohort of graduates has mainly been a constant source of knowledge, encouragement and laughter. In this way, I think the graduate programme has provided me with the ideal foundations for building a successful career at Heathrow. I feel confident that I can make a positive impact at the airport and enjoy myself whilst doing so.
