I’m a career coach for women changing direction AMA

[Angliski]

Hello

I’m a career coach with 15 years experience of heaping women find the right rile and change direction. I also have a newborn cluster feeding so am pretty bored. Ask me anything!

@Angliski I would love some advice! I went back to work last March after a few years out raising children.

A secondment has now come available that I'm sure I have a good chance of getting but I'm unsure if I should take it?

It's a step up from my role so more responsibilities and could be made perm. But as a secondment won't be more pay yet which doesn't sit right with me as it's a lot more responsibility.

I'm in financial services so already VERY busy all the time... but I would like to progress in my career pretty quickly! The extended maternity leave has made me feel I'm behind.

The area I'm in is essentially administrative and I would prefer to make a sideways move (to where I don't know).

So do I go for the secondment and then make the side step or wait for a better opportunity??? Argh!

what are your qualifications and how long does it take to qualify?

@GypsyLee did answer similar question a bit upthread - but it's a long thread so...

I took a diploma in coaching in 2004, when there weren't many to come by. I also trained over several years as a personal development facilitator - running discovery and self insight workshops of various kinds all over the world.

I designed my own method over the last 16 years and now teach it to other coaches, mentors and managers and train them to coach using it. It is super practical so you don't need ages to learn it. We teach it over 3 days plus a couple of months of supervision and follow up.

@CoffeeTeaCoffee

What experience are you actually looking for? It's hard to advise without you exploring the Equation process and defining what success really means for you right now.

1. Why not ask for more money on the grounds that it is a lot more work?
2. If it's admin and you don't want to do admin, why do you want to do it?
3. Which areas of the business fuel your passion and interest? If you don't know and need to research more, what actions could you take to find out more about how the other parts of the company function and what other roles are out there? Could you schedule some chats with folks in different divisions?

BTW, the newborn I mentioned when I started this thread will be a boisterous 1 year old next week! How fun to have had a live thread for a year! Keep em coming and happy to help!

@angliski, congratulations on your baby's upcoming birthday! you're doing an incredible job to support us here and take care of your baby.

If you get the chance, I would really welcome your thoughts on my dilemma up t'thread. Sorry, you are spinning a lot of plates already, I realise...

Thanks for the reply @Angliski !
I guess I would apply for it as it would be the next natural progression and would give management/leadership skills.

I also don't know which area I would like to move into but the team I'm in now is great. I'm enjoying it and able to balance it with home life etc. So the new role would be with the same team etc but different responsibilities.

I guess I feel more ambitious than just the administration sector.

@isaidbednow sorry I missed that - it was at the bottom of a previous page. Sick and sad doesn't sound good - can you say some more - freelance can be wonderful - so tell me a bit more about that.

Sounds like the environment isn't great and is a bit jobsworth/career limiting. What do you see as the alternatives?

Sorry for more questions but it helps me be more useful in the end... usually!!!

What training did you do yo be a career coach? What is your background and do you enjoy it?

Oh and congratulations on your new baby

Whoops, didn't RTFT -not a baby now .

@Angliski, thank you for getting back to me. I really appreciate that. Just to say, I've realised I'm not in the right place at the moment to make changes or think in detail about the future, so will take a short break. But appreciated your help and your insightful questions, as they helped me come to this conclusion.

Can you think of any roles that could be done in evenings and weekend from home? I’ve been a stay at home mum for five years but previously worked in a similar sector to you but have lost my confidence with regard going self employed and would love a role that fits around my children.

Congratulations on your baby!

Wondering if you can help me...early 40s but I want to shift to a new career or possibly back to my first one (15+ years ago). However, I'm currently in academia (very unhappy but the main breadwinner so I can't quit before I find a new job) and I look so look overqualified (PhD etc.) and unsuitable for most 'regular' jobs. I could do online part-time freelance teaching and tutoring in my subject, but that's my least favourite part of the job right now. I'd like to be a transcriber or editor but not sure how to go about it, with my CV and background/experience. Any advice?

@Rainbowsandstorms how about offering your services via a company that works in a different time zone? Then you can fit the work in with your availability?

@moimichme let’s start at the other end. What skills do you enjoy using? What are your areas of passion and interest? Don’t pursue something you are over qualified for... instead ask- wheee do my skills really fit that I could be rewarded for being me?

Hi there @Angliski - thank you so much for starting this post and offering your support.

I'm at a bit of a cross road with my career and trying to work out how to move forward. I'm mid-30s and have worked with my current company for 12 years. I had a year off on mat leave and started back in 2019 doing 3 days a week. Before going off I was in a senior management position with a decent amount of responsibility and good progression prospects but feel like working part time I've lost a lot of this and am now just drifting along.

I'm now more than ready to move on from the company but not really getting anywhere with the job hunt - I've had 2 interviews with relatively positive feedback but no offer. I've had 2 miscarriages over the last 8 months which have really knocked my confidence and I've found the rejection really difficult to handle.

My background is in analysis and insight and i've got decent project management experience as well. I'm finding that some of my hands-on skills are a bit out of date with all the progression over the last few years in data science although I know I could remedy by taking a few short-ish courses.

However...I'm starting to contemplate whether I should leave my current job to progress a master's in analytics. I'd likely do it part time so I could balance childcare and also do some volunteer work. I'm a bit apprehensive to make the leap in case I find it even harder getting back into work after what would be a 2 year break.

Sorry for the long post but any advice would be much appreciated!

@Lozza3221 firstly, I am sorry for your loss. I had a missed miscarriage and it was a really miserable experience. Sending love.

Second, it's fab that you have had two interviews - you are on the way! What were the roles and what did you do brilliantly? What would be your coaching tips to yourself about what could be even better next time?

Gaps can be filled - the short courses available in specific niches these days are terrific and reasonably priced.

OK, let's look at the Masters through this lens. What experience are you looking for? Is it the joy of the study? Are you hoping to take your career in a particular direction as a result of it? Who would you hope to work for? Have you asked them what they want to see qualification wise? Some employers might pay for your qualification - have you considered finding the right role first and then studying part time? I'm in no position to TELL you what to do, you are the expert, but i will say that sometimes, clients go back to study to delay decision making - which I think isn't ideal as a reason. BUT if they go back because they are longing for the stimulus, can afford to do it and genuinely know it to be stepping stone toward something ideal, those are all good reasons to revisit.

What say you? Does that help?

I just wanted to pop on and say this has been an absolutely inspirational, lovely and kind of love-of-people affirming thread. So much of what so much of you say is so helpful, I am facing whether to take my old company to tribunal and simultaneously confront them with a previous breach of contract, been feeling so tired and despondent and needing a change of direction from what has been my life’s work and seeing other peoples stories and @Angliski’s advice has been so helpful and cheering somehow.

@Pinkappleblossom that’s so lovely to hear, thank you :) I’m still about if I can help anyone with anything, ask away!

Hello I’d love some advice please!
I really want to retrain as an occupational therapist but I’m struggling to figure out the best way to go about it. I’ve got two young children so whatever I do it would have to be part time.
I have an unrelated degree - do you know if I stand a chance of getting onto a course, I’m worried it’s really competitive. Is there anyone I can talk to about bursaries/funding etc?

Great thread! It's got me feeling motivated. I haven't worked since I had my now 6 yr old DD but at 33 I was doing ok for myself as a local government commissioning manager. I now suffer from anxiety and depression but I think feeling bored and lonely are a huge part of that. I recently started online volunteering but I'd love some help to think about returning to work. I'm not sure what I want to do or how to go about it but I so want to feel useful again! Where do I start? Would be grateful of any resources you can point me in the direction of.

@gingerbreadfred I’m sorry for taking so long to reply, I didn’t get an alert! I’m no expect on courses etc but let’s look at how you could find out.

1. Contact course leaders direct and ask for a chat
2. Is there a professional body/ Association for occupational therapists? Can you check in with them?
3. Find someone with a long pedigree who has your dream job, message via linked in. Meet for virtual coffee.

A qualification in one thing doesn’t preclude getting a qualification in another. Universities are really very keen for students atm!

@gingerbreadfred found it! www.rcot.co.uk/about-occupational-therapy/become-an-occupational-therapist/hcpc

@rainbowninja it’s so hard to tell whether our perceptions of our capability are accurate or if we are doing ourselves down sometimes. I find the best place to start is to work on mindset about what could be possible. Maybe you have lost confidence, maybe you aren’t sure where to start, but let’s try with a more useful thoughts experiment.

1. What can I imagine myself really enjoying?
2. What kinds of environment sir subjects really inspire and energise me?
3. What do I have going for me that I’d like to put to ‘work’?

Start here.... reply and we can talk some more!

Hi @Angliski,

Thanks so much for the reply! Funny how even me finding your thread and leaving a message got the ball rolling. Since then I've started some new training with a new career in mind so things have sort of taken off organically!