A Day in The Life of a Business Development Coordinator

We spoke to one of our candidates Katie Adams who studied History at University of Warwick and now works as a Business Development Coordinator. She has written a ‘day in the life’ piece about her day-to-day activities at her job. 

What made you become a Business Development Coordinator? 

After leaving university equipped with a 2:1 in History, and experiencing three years of studying my passion, I was excited to utilise the skills I had learnt in the world of work.

How did Inspiring Interns help you and what do you do now?

Through Inspiring Interns, I secured a role within a regulatory services company, who provide compliance advice for food and consumer products manufacturing and retailer businesses. My role is to develop new business for the company and maintain a good relationship with clients for existing business.

What is an average day like at your job? 

8:30am

After the short walk from the station across the scenic Holborn viaduct bridge, I make my way to our office. The first thing I do is check my emails, for new client requests and update on existing ones. Usually, I deal with these emails first before looking at my to-do list from the day before, as prompt responses to new client requests are vital to develop relationships.

10:30am

On a Monday morning we have a pipeline review meeting.  The objective of this meeting is for the team to sit together for an hour and discuss all the projects still in the ‘pipeline’, and what actions we need to take to progress them. It is the responsibility of my team to resource projects and get the quote to the clients, so the more in the pipeline the better! This time is used to have a quick catch up too and update each other on any new big client wins or important upcoming client meetings.

11:30am

Back to the quote inbox now to build my relationship with my current clients, as I reply to new client requests and resource the work with our regulatory team. Sometimes, it is not clear what services a client requires and so I will give them a call to discuss what we do, and to help translate what can at times be pretty abstract. This part of the job is always challenging, as sometimes language barriers mean clients find it hard to understand, or they are unclear on some of the terminology we use. However, it is always rewarding when a quote is signed and a happy client thanks you for the effort you put in to get it to that stage.

1:00pm

Lunch time, and time for my team and I to relax and switch off. We often eat outside if the weather is nice, or in our staff kitchen. The conversation is always lighthearted and relaxing, as my company are firm believers in taking your lunch break and switching off every day.

2:00pm

Back to work and back to the clients, I spend my afternoons building on client relationships and quoting as many clients as I can. Although, my role in this team is not just about quoting. The work I quote for ultimately ensures that people are protected and informed about their food choices. I find this very rewarding to be a part of, as in extreme cases, such as with allergens; our work can save people’s lives.

3:00pm

Time for a quick tea break and a snack, and then I usually spend an hour or so clearing up the quote inbox and doing general admin. It is vital that folders are all in the correct place, and that excel spreadsheets with project information make sense for the advisors to do their work correctly.

4:00pm

Time to round everything up for the day. I chase clients or advisors I have not heard from that I need to hear from, and make sure that I have recorded any new projects in my spreadsheet to keep track. This job challenges my multitasking and prioritising skills, as I will always have several projects on the go that I need to deliver outstanding customer service and satisfaction for.

5:00pm

I head home for some relaxation, exercise and hot food, and to prepare for work again tomorrow.

Do you want a career in Business Development? Here is a role that might interest you. Visit InspiringInterns to browse more roles like this.