I worked in corporate recruitment for 8 years, joining a business management graduate programme after university, before eventually heading up graduate recruitment for a top tier City law firm. While there was a lot I liked about working for large multinationals, I knew it wasn’t what I wanted to do forever.  I wanted to spend my working days doing something I was really passionate about, where I was pushing myself to my full potential outside of the structure of a typical 9 – 5 office job.

This feeling wasn’t unique to me. Many of my friends left university feeling the world was their oyster, and a few years after graduating were left feeling tired, bored, and uninspired about remaining on their current career path until retirement.

I knew I wanted something different, but I felt that creating the job of my dreams was a lot easier said than done. Investing time and money into chasing career goals I couldn’t even properly articulate yet seemed naïve and sometimes a little bit misguided.

The turning point for me was on a family holiday in the countryside in 2016, the year I turned 30. It was such a fun holiday, but I couldn’t shake the nagging feeling I had that I was going back to a life that wasn’t right for me.  By the last day, it was all I could think about.

Reflecting on what I wanted from my career after that trip was a long and frustrating process. Buried in the back of my mind was the idea that “someday” I might go into coaching, having really enjoyed a shorter course I’d taken a few years previously. At the time, I had been too afraid and uncertain to pursue further. I still felt a little scared, but I knew I wanted to make a change.

After a bit of procrastination, I started talking to previous contacts connected to the coaching industry, and started putting the pieces together for what I could do next. I saved up some money, immersed myself in books on personal and professional development, and eventually completed a double post-grad qualification in executive coaching.

In 2017 – a year after that holiday – I made the move away from the corporate world to focus on building a career and a business in coaching and consulting. Using my corporate experience in recruitment and team management, as well as my own experience of shifting my career, I help others get more from their career through my one-to-one career programmes.

The years since career changing have been full of ups and downs, and lots of learning through trial and error. I spent two years as a coach and consultant at one of the UK’s top business schools, and have been featured in The Guardian, The Independent, The Evening Standard, Grazia, and ITV News.

In 2022, I had my first book published – ‘Graduate Careers Uncovered: Tools and insights from a former recruiter to demystify your job search‘.

I have got here through stretching my comfort zone, nurturing my network, and by hiring a coach to ensure I maximise my own potential.

I am proud of what I have achieved, but still feel like an imposter sometimes!

You can find out more about my career coaching programmes here.