A Day in the Life - Julie Greenwood, Receptionist

The first in a new series of ‘day in the life’ blogs about employees at Wilkinson Woodward, we start with Julie Greenwood, who has been a receptionist at Wilkinson Woodward since July 2017.

Julie discusses her experience, hobbies and what it’s like to be a receptionist at a busy law firm.

Julie had a variety of roles before joining Wilkinson Woodward. Initially, she worked for an insurance broker, where she progressed from office junior to personal assistant, before moving to insurance sales.

After having a family, she retrained and qualified as a teaching and special needs assistant in a local primary school. Looking for a career change, she subsequently retrained as an estate agent, finally settling in her current role at Wilkinson Woodward, when she became the main carer for her elderly parents and could no longer work weekends.

A receptionist’s role appealed to Julie because she could use the skills and experience she gained in her previous jobs, particularly her communication skills. Julie also finds dealing with the general public rewarding and believes that everyone who walks through the door deserves to be looked after in the best possible way – also a core Wilkinson Woodward value.

Having worked for a family business before joining Wilkinson Woodward, Julie had always been drawn to the firm by its reputation in the local community for being friendly and making employees feel part of ‘a family’.

Julie’s main job is to welcome people through the door. She is the first person people speak to, ‘the face of the firm’. First impressions can be critical, Julie’s job is to make clients and visitors feel comfortable, while displaying the professionalism expected from a long established, trusted legal firm. People can often feel nervous when visiting a solicitor, but Julie’s friendly approach makes people feel immediately at ease.  

As part of her job Julie can frequently also be seen working behind the scenes, on admin tasks, like deed storage, record filing and uploading documents to the IT system. Her aptitude for handling all these tasks comes from working with her predecessor, Ann, who Julie explains, “Taught me everything.”

While the public face of the firm’s reception always portrays a quiet calm, Wilkinson Woodward is a very busy practice, which means Julie’s work can be challenging and fast-paced, requiring her to think on her feet. Not only are no two days the same, but the days fly by.

“Every hour can be different, you can’t sit back and take your foot off the gas.” Julie said. As Julie enjoys being busy and meeting people, it’s no surprise she loves her job.

Julie also has to be adaptable, she has to understand what’s happening in the world at large, not just in the practice, as it can often impact on her daily work. Whether it’s school holidays, changes to legislation, or something more drastic, like the pandemic, Julie is keen to keep her finger on the pulse and having a good memory is essential.

Having a good work-life balance is important at Wilkinson Woodward, which gives Julie plenty of opportunity to enjoy a range of activities. Balance, too, sums up Julie’s interests. She is equally happy reading newspapers in bed or watching football on TV and is a supporter of Leeds United. She’s also frequently up for 5K charity and park runs and long walks - as long as there is a big piece of cake at the end of it all! She also enjoys spending weekends away with her family and grand-dogs.

“We are genuinely made to feel we are part of a family at Wilkinson Woodward. The management team is particularly understanding of personal circumstances, which has been hugely appreciated by me during some difficult times.”