Just interested - how did you all end up in your your current role ? Did you study for a career, go into it and stay there? Did you completely change career paths ? Do you just go for the money ( as in , just a job that pays what you need ) , are you in your dream role? Did you massively change career paths ?
I am currently in a role that I absolutely adore . I never dreamed I could be in a role I love so much. But it’s not the path I set out on. I’m not earning as much as I thought I would at this point and I trained for years then changed ! It took me to age 40 to get this, I think back on my journey and realise I was kind of directed to this in a way.
So , I’ll share mine.
I always wanted to be a teacher. I went into an office role, simply for money and then decided to go down a TA route. I began placements and then I fell pregnant. Never finished . When my son was 2 I decided to train as a social worker and went to college to do an access course . Looking back I don’t know why I did it. Then my son was diagnosed with autism so I didn’t finish that either as he needed a lot of care . Time went on and I had another child , then in my early 30s I did go for my teacher training. I did an access course, re took GCSEs and did a degree and a pgce. I was so looking forward to teaching - I was so full of hope. I got a job after my pgce in an amazing school.
Then … I just hated it. Not teaching itself but the school , I was so stressed . But I had the best class , so I decided I would stick it out. I felt I couldn’t give up as I had sacrificed so much time with my children when I was studying and the wage was worth it. I then had something quite difficult happen in my personal life that was the final straw and I couldn’t cope, I had no life and I wasn’t coping mentally. I won’t go into detail but what happened in my personal life broke me and it caused me to leave my job. I never thought that what happened could have a positive spin , I got through it but it was still a really difficult and traumatic time. However I look back now and genuinely believe everything happened for a reason as if I had not left that job I wouldn’t be where I am now. For a long while I just did agency work, then I applied for 2 more roles and didn’t get them. I eventually applied for my current role. It was a risk - the salary was not great , they had a salary range and even the top end was lower than what I had been on but at this point I was working 2 jobs - one term time and one in the holidays - and I thought well , if they offer me the highest and a term time contract I can do that, I would manage on the money and I would still have the time with my children. I went to the interview last minute as i was going to cancel thinking they wouldn’t offer what I wanted and worrying it would just be the same as the first school I worked in - a vile, bullying SLT - and I just thought this from researching the company . But I had nothing to do that day so thought why not.
The rest is history . I went and I fell in love. The people interviewing me ( one now my line manager ) were lovely, my values aligned with theirs .., but the job description was vague and it was a new role in a FE provision for SEN learners with high level need. The setting was really lacking and that’s why they were employing a teacher ( well a tutor , so they weren’t specifically looking for a qualified teacher ) . I was offered the job within 2 days , I was offered the highest of the bracket and term time only. I was immediately put at management level with responsibility for education and it has just spiralled. I love every single day, I have now been here a year and I can see a career path mapped out, I have no one to answer to on a day to day basis , full autonomy , the most amazing co workers and the absolutely most amazing bunch of students. From the beginning I have consistently been praised for what I do - from co workers , my line manager , the people at the top and most importantly the parents constantly tell me the change I have made for their students.
This was not my plan, I thought a key stage one teacher was it and where i would belong but it wasn’t , this is. I didn’t study this or train for this but I found my calling . My work life balance is fantastic and there is not one single negative. That point where I felt my life fell apart - I will always be thankful for in a way because it led me here ❤️