Interview: Sarah Joblin

As a young industry professional, Sarah Joblin has already enjoyed a colourful and successful career. Launching from a degree in marketing and geography (a nod to her love for the outdoors), to roles in hospitality, transport and logistics and administration, Sarah eventually found her passion for events. Working in the marketing team at Winstone Wallboards Sarah has already made her mark, pulling together GIB’s hugely successful Architects’ Regatta for the past five years.

Read Sarah’s story, including what’s made her successful and who she looks up to, here.

Please provide your name, job title and company name.

Sarah Joblin, Marketing Services Coordinator, Winstone Wallboards Ltd

How long have you spent in your current position?

2 years, 2 months

What job did you have before your current role?

PA to the Senior Management team at Winstone Wallboards

To date, what has been your career highlight?

Co-organising our largest event, the GIB® Architects’ Regatta for 5 years running.

Who have you admired or learnt from the most in your career and why?

I’m lucky to be surrounded by a great team and there is plenty to learn from everyone. In particular though, Clara our Partnership Manager, she’s decisive and driven and gets me outside of my little comfort box.

Are you doing what you thought you’d be doing when you were younger? If not, what type of job did you expect you would have?

Not at all, I was going to live in Norway for a few years, then come back to NZ and work for DOC.

What do you think is the most important quality or skill you need to succeed in your current role?

Organisation. I rely heavily on our reps’ presence at events, and they in turn rely on me giving them the correct info – where to be, when and what to take. Same can be said for our website – for example, a new technical manual launch requires everything to be ready to go in the CMS, waiting for the green light on launch day.

What’s one thing you hope to achieve this year, either at work or in your personal life?

Start planning our wedding! Which you would think someone so involved in events for a living should have sorted by now… (it’s been a year…).

Do you have any tips or advice for those just starting out in the industry?

Don’t be afraid to ask questions, there are no silly questions.