Can I just shamelessly boast and gloat and bask in my own amazingness for a minute?

[SmuggyMcSmuggerson]

I didn't work for almost 8 years when my DC were little (apart from weekend pub work etc). Had no career to abandon in the first place (v good A Levels but dropped out of uni for various reasons) and then DH (now ex) earned enough to make it doable (Looking back I was an idiot to leave myself vulnerable being unmarried etc but thankfully I ended up being one of the lucky ones whose ex didn't try to shaft them).

When youngest DC started school in Sep 2018 I started applying for NHS admin/reception jobs as had always fancied a career in NHS. Got hired as a receptionist and quickly moved upwards through various roles in the surgery.

I've just been successful at interview for the role of Assistant Practice Manager 😲🤗.

I am so bloody proud of myself after a lifetime of failing to live up to my potential (and being reminded of it every turn by my mother 🙄).

It's SO monumentally huge for me and my DC.

<passes round 🍷 and 🍰>

Well done OP. I love a happy story of post-kids time out of workforce return to workers. I know it must have seemed a big challenge getting that first job in 2018 and look where you are now. You're a role model!

Good on you. Well done. It must feel very satisfying. Good luck in your new role.

Massive congratulations, and good luck in your new job!

Fantastic fantastic fantastic.

What a great post to read 👏👏👏👏👏

Well done, OP. That's a fabulous achievement 🤩

Nice work @SmuggyMcSmuggerson
Interviews are horrid

Brilliant news op! Bloody well done! 🥳

Ah you're all lovely 😍

For those posters in similar positions my advice would just be to learn as much as you can and be as flexible and willing to jump in and help as possible. I think my bosses recognised pretty early on that I was smart and capable but I had no direct experience so had to be given time to build on that.

My other roles (in particular my most recent one which was patient facing) really allowed me to hone my soft skills and I am someone who can handle people with compassion and empathy even if we can't always deliver exactly what a patient might want in any one particular moment.

I've made my desire to progress known to the powers that be throughtout my career and I think that with time I've proved myself to be someone who they could rely upon and who was up to the job.

If I can do it, you can too 💪

Well done, enjoy the new role!

Amazing! Well done and so nice to read something so lovely here. But don’t stop there - clearly you are very intelligent and capable. The world is your oyster!

That's bloody brilliant! Congratulations to you. Bask away! Xx 

What a lovely post. Well done OP

You're amazing, well done! 🤗

Congratulations! 🥳

Fantastic and well done! You will be brilliant

Congratulations 🎊 and thanks for sharing .Enjoy

Congratulations, and well done,👏

I love threads like this. Bloody well done OP ❤️

Go you! So nice to read such a lovely and positive post 😊 congratulations! Xx

Amazing news, ,very well done 👏

Superb news

I'll drink to that 🍸🍸🍸

Well done OP!🤗
Hard work and detemination !

I'm having a glass of wine and a big slice of cake for you :))

Woo hoo...congratulations!!

I love hearing stuff like this! Congrats.

I honestly think you'll be brilliant. You won't be able to fix everything but a bit of compassion goes a long long way. My dad wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for the practice manager at his surgery. He had a "cough" and she happened to be hovering in reception and was concerned. A doctor was called out of their consult, then an ambulance was blue lighted, he was sedated in the hospital critical care unit within 15 minutes of arriving at the practice. He's the sort of man who only goes to a doctor when it's really bad and she noticed that immediately.

That's so good to hear. Well done!