Jill Pay, chairman of The Gender Index and the first female Serjeant at Arms, said it was her self-belief that allowed her to get the prestigious job in the U.K.'s House of Commons.
"The people who've taken me through this process who've interviewed me, who've invited me to come to this final interview, they believe I can do this job.
And I went into the interview in that frame of mind, and I got the job," she told CNBC's Make It.
After her retirement in 2012, Pay would go on to assume leadership roles in charities and organizations advocating for female entrepreneurship.
She is now the chairman of The Gender Index, which tracks and analyses the number of female-led companies in the U.K.Watch the full interview to learn more about Jill Pay's biggest lessons.
Persons:
Jill Pay, who've, CNBC's, Jill Pay's
Organizations:
Westminster