A Day in the Life of – Jodi Spreadbury

I assist clients with all aspects of getting a mortgage, whether it be remortgage, selling, first purchase or buy to let.

What does your morning routine look like? 

Very different as at the time of writing, I have a 5 month old baby. Last year, I’d be up at 6, and at my desk by 6.15am, but now its feeding & changing the baby, and packing the 20 bags we both need to be able to leave the house! I love how happy and chatty she is in the mornings.

Once she is dropped off at nursery / Nana’s then I can dive into my day. Clearing my emails is always the first job as I cannot concentrate when I’ve got emails off the page, so I sort through the various queries, documents etc. that have come in overnight, and send out any research enquiries asap as they take a few hours to come back.

What does a typical afternoon look like?

Talking! Discussions with clients, which may be a new enquiry, or finalising some numbers with an ongoing client. Keying applications with lenders, and hoping to get it finished before you get a dreaded “we are changing rates” email. With the ever changing market, sometimes lenders give us a day’s notice that they are withdrawing rates from the market – however, some lenders only give us an hour or two notice, which makes for a frazzled hour trying to secure rates for clients.

What do you find to be your most productive time of the day?

Mornings are definitely my best. I am lucky that the baby sleeps well, so I am fairly fresh to start the day. I do find I lack any sort of brain power early evening.

How do you manage your time to ensure you have a good work / life / home balance?

Safe to say this is a new normal that I am trying to figure out. I took my work emails off my phone, which was a great start so I am only working when I am at my desk. This means I can be fully present when I am with my family. I procrastinate far less now as I simply don’t have time to waste during the day.

What is your favourite part of your working day in your role?

Any part of it where I am speaking to clients and you hear the little uplift in their voice when they realise that buying a home is actually possible.

What does a typical dinner time look like in your household?

Chaos. I plan our meals for the week on a Sunday, and do any prep that I can so that our week dinners are easy. Stir fry is the dinner of choice in our house, as it can usually be ready in 10 mins. Healthy and quick, but with everything prepared – otherwise I am tempted to order in.

What do you do to unwind?

Sleep. Long walks with the baby so she sleeps. Every month I will go and have a massage and a facial, so I get a bit of me-time.

If you could give one piece of career advice what would it be?

Work hard, it is worth it. Nothing will be handed to you on a plate.

How important has your support network been in helping you through your role?

I’m so lucky to have such a great support system around me – I am self employed hence the swift return to work after having the baby, but I have the best husband, and colleagues who have made it a smooth transition for me to return.

I have recently taken advantage of the Working in Mortgages mentoring scheme and have a great mentor. I find that our monthly sessions keep me accountable when I say I am going to do something, so I am slowly achieving the goals I set for myself.

Does your job require a degree?

No. After completing my GCSE’s and then one year of A Levels, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, and studying for years to realise I didn’t like a particular career path seemed pointless to me. I spent a year travelling and then fell into a “trainee mortgage adviser” role aged 19, where I did all of my exams as well as working and learning the job.