The pandemic hit us all hard in one way or another and we are all still feeling the knock on effects from it.
During 2018 my husband and I decided to explore the idea of relocating to the beautiful inner Hebrides, an area we had frequented many times for our annual holidays. After much planning and researching, we made our move in 2019. This meant I gave up my long standing career at Liverpool University and my husband gave up his career as a television news cameraman. Most people said we were either mad or brave, I’m still not sure which applies!
After several months of house searching, we found the perfect house, with a self-catering annex which allowed us to buffer our income, that was until, covid hit! We were now faced with no income and were very isolated in a new location having not had the chance to meet any of our new neighbours. The following period of time while we were locked down caused us all to have a rethink about our futures.
My career as a veterinary nurse had spanned over 30 years and I had loved it dearly however, times had changed, and a new career was ahead of me!
Carrie and I have been close friends for over 20 years, and she too had decided on a change of direction during the pandemic. White willow partners was born and became instantly successful meaning Carrie needed extra assistance with her day to day running of the business which is where I came in.
I worked for the first 12 months as an assistant to Carrie and have since joined the company as a full time member of staff.
Carrie wanted me to feel I had a defined role and purpose within the company so encouraged me to enrol on an apprenticeship to retrain and achieve an HR recognised qualification.
As of this month, I am now officially a student again and am studying for a level 3 diploma in HR support. This will allow me to add value to my role and support Carrie in further projects we embark on.
So, the moral of the story is, its never too late to make a change. I turned 50, moved to a totally new location and navigated the pandemic. Changes needed to be made and that for me was my career. A lot of the skills I’ve developed over the years including managing small teams, mentoring students and communication are the very core of HR and I feel confident that these skills will stand me in good stead to embark on this new career.
Carrie thrives on coaching and learning and development so I couldn’t wish for a better mentor (and boss!).
Its never to late to reinvent yourself!
