Past students helping to inspire the next generationAfter 1 year and 8 months, my dream job came up...
Transcript of Past students helping to inspire the next generationAfter 1 year and 8 months, my dream job came up...
Past students helping to inspire the next generation
Health and Safety Coordinator at Waddesdon Manor
Name: Eloize Ridgeway (nee Shepherd)
Age: 25
Year graduated from Ousedale: 2012
What qualifications did you gain at Ousedale?
GCSEs/BTECs with grades
Biology GCSE Grade B
Chemistry GCSE Grade B
Physics GCSE Grade B
English Language GCSE Grade A*
English Literature GCSE Grade B
German GCSE Grade B
History GCSE Grade A*
ICT GCSE Grade B
Maths GCSE Grade C
A Levels with subjects and grades
AS Level in English Language
AS Level in Sports
A Level in General Studies grade C
A Level in Photography grade D
A Level in History grade D
A Level in Politics grade D
Did you pursue any Further or Higher education? College/Apprenticeship/University/study while
working
After finishing my A Levels I decided university would not really be for me, I used the National
Apprenticeship website to find my apprenticeship, which was Business Support Admin at Bletchley
Park. I worked from 9-5 and had a salary of £10, 000. I completed this under the 2 years allotted, and
continued to work at Bletchley for a further one and half years. I have then completed a CIM
Foundation Course in Marketing, IPAF 3a and 3b, IOSH Managing Safely, IOSH Directing Safely, First
aid, fire warden training, and my NEBOSH National General Certificate (effectively an A Level in
Health and Safety)
What was your career aspiration while you were at school, if
your career path changed what your mind?
I never really knew what I wanted to do, and based my GCSE
and A Level choices on subjects I enjoyed, and hoped they
would lead me organically to a job, which they did! I originally
wanted to be a photographer, however this has actually been
worked through every job I’ve had, so I haven’t lost that part.
What did you enjoy most about your school life at Ousedale?
I enjoyed the classes, especially PE as playing sports with your
friends never gets old, but mostly the social aspect which
really increased in the 6th Form. I’m still in touch with most of
my friends from school, and they really do last.
Current job title and description of your role? Please provide as much information as possible to
help us inspire the next generation.
I’m currently Health and Safety Coordinator at Waddesdon Manor, but this will change to Health,
Safety and Accessibility Manager in a few months. I coordinate all aspects of H&S across the site,
liaising with everyone from the General Manager to the Gardens team and everyone in between. It
requires diplomacy, tact and knowledge most, as H&S can be quite divisive! I get heavily involved in
large scale events such as Christmas and feature films too which can be very exciting. Day to day, I
check buildings for every day hazards, ensure all departments are up to date on risk assessments,
provide advice and guidance, co-chair the H&S Committee, ensure action points from fire risk
assessments are completed, report incidents and answer emails.
How did you achieve this role? Starting job title/level, in-house training, extra study/courses/degree,
CPD opportunities. Promotion – explain each area of your career – daily role and responsibility, skills
learnt, working hour’s etc. changing organisations.
As previously, I completed my apprenticeship at Bletchley Park and
was promoted to Learning and Collections Assistant. I worked from
9-5 and had a salary of £14, 000 PA which had risen to £14, 500 by
the time I left. I assisted the Curator in all aspects of exhibition
design, cleaned the exhibitions, cleaned and digitised hundreds of
Japanese language flash cards, assisted in the creation of a Google
Cultural Exhibition, managed the Estates team on minor repair
work, photographed the project to install a new visitor centre in a
one derelict building once a week for 3 years, managed the pest
traps on site (trapping insects and recording and storing samples)
and also assisted the fundraising team one day per week with new
software and rationalising their documents. I also found time to
meet Princess Kate, appear in The Imitation Game and The
Bletchley Circle, plus an Apple training video. I completed the CIM
Foundation Course in Marketing here, which was a night class lasting a year. I also did a course on
pest recognition in heritage. I really enjoyed nearly every part of this role, and am still in touch with
colleagues, who have themselves gone on to amazing things. Here I really learnt the importance of
teamwork and listening to others.
When I left Bletchley Park, I went to work as a receptionist at the VW flagship showroom in
Kingston, MK. When I was offered the job, they asked if I’d like to take on health and safety too, for a
pay rise to which I said yes. I was paid £17, 000 PA (with £1000 of this being made up of a quarterly
bonus of £250 for doing a good job at H&S!) and worked from 8-6 with a 1 hour lunch break. I turned
health and safety around, took a practical approach, and rationalised all stored documents, and took
the whole dealership through a successful audit after 7 months. In my role as receptionist, I
answered phone calls and emails, greeted customers, directed them to the right areas, and kept the
dealership neat and tidy, organising things like lighting maintenance, plumbers etc. I left VW for a
higher paid role with shorter hours after 1 year.
My next job was at Elavation, a plant hire company based in
Bleak Hall, MK. I started as Hire Controller on a salary of £19,
000 PA and worked from 8-530 with a half hour lunch. It was
a steep learning curve, but I really enjoyed this role as it was
quite sociable and very informal, my colleagues were very
casual and it was a happy environment. I obtained my IPAF
qualification, which enables me to operate booms and scissor
lifts. I went on to be promoted to Hire Controller and Service
Assistant, which came with a salary of £21, 500 PA. Daily, I
attended the morning briefing to let the engineers know what
was needed and when, answer phone calls and emails
relating to hire, check the previous days contracts were all
correct as any incorrect ones could lead to
under/overcharging and also missing specified off
hire/collection dates or any other special info. I would then
move to the Service Manager’s office, where I would update
the board with any repairs and breakdowns, organise engineers to attend jobs, order parts which
required liaising with Niftylift and other companies, and also manage the weekly workshop parts
order on a Thursday. I’d then move back into the main office to assist with the afternoon’s tasks
such as contracts for the next day, designing the lorry loads, and phoning customers for collections
the next day. Here I completed IOSH Managing Safely. The top skill learned here was conflict
resolution, both with customers and staff. I’m still in close contact with the team here, and regularly
use their machines at Waddesdon!
After 1 year and 8 months, my dream job came up at
Waddesdon Manor for Health and Safety Coordinator. I
applied, and after 2 interviews was told I was the
successful candidate. I work 8-430, and earn £25, 000 PA
with a 1 hour lunch break. My role is fairly flexible and very
active, and I work with a great team of people here, but
above all I’m my own boss, I don’t have any reporting staff
and I answer to the General Manager and HR, so I feel
quite autonomous. I completed IOSH Directing Safely and
my NEBOSH NGC in 2019 here. I’ve learnt here the
necessity of confidentiality, and how to approach some of the less tasty parts of H&S with managers
who may be resistant to it.
What advice would you give our current students about the world of work?
If uni doesn’t feel like the right choice for you, don’t feel pressured into going. Not having a degree
has never held me back, I don’t have any student debt and have just bought a house. Most
importantly, don’t give up. All jobs give you experiences that translate to others, and sometimes the
opportunities that arise are both unexpected and fantastic! Without cleaning exhibitions of dead
insects, I wouldn’t have been in The Imitation Game, or met Princess Kate.
Apprentice Dealer Services Officer
Name: Harry Mundye
Age: 18
Year graduated from Ousedale: 2019
What qualifications did you gain at Ousedale?
GCSEs/BTECs with grades:
Nine GCSE’s grade A-C
A-Levels with subjects and grades:
English Language- B
History- B
P.E- C
Did you pursue any Further or Higher education? College/Apprenticeship/University/study while
working
Alongside my apprenticeship, I am also working towards a degree in Business Management and a
Chartered Management Certificate at Birmingham City University. This is a perfect combination as in
my place of work I am surrounded by topic experts that can help me in my degree (such as HR and
Account Managers); it is also so helpful to be applying the things I’m learning in a classroom to the
real working world which gives me a huge advantage over other students.
What was your career aspiration while you were at school? If your career path changed what
changed your mind?
When I was at school I always wanted to be in the Royal Marines, however I did not have a clear
career path until this opportunity at MBFS came along.
What did you enjoy most about your school life at Ousedale?
I loved the social aspect of school and seeing my friends’ every day. Within my time at Ousedale, I
built great relationships with pupils as well as teachers and I will always appreciate how the school
gave me the opportunity to gain a job like this.
Current job title and description of your role?
In my apprenticeship, I will rotate around different departments in the business and learn different
skills in each one. Currently I am working as a Dealer Services Officer in the Dealer Services
department. In this role, I communicate directly with Retailers to ensure customer contracts and
invoices are in check and finance is ready to be paid out. This role is interesting because each
contract is unique and different ranging from large Limited Companies financing a fleet of vehicles to
celebrities getting the latest models (paying out David Beckham’s Mercedes in my third week!)
I also am lucky to have been put into a team with a great manager and team leaders who are helping
me in my development by trusting me with my own projects and allowing me to present to the Field
Operations Managers in my first month here. These are opportunities that I am so grateful for as I
am learning key skills that will help my career.
How did you achieve this role?
To achieve this role, I first had to send in my CV along with hundreds of other applicants. These CV’s are checked and 70 are selected for video interviews (this was the stage that I dreaded the most as it feels very unnatural to do for the first time). From the video interviews, 30 applicants are chosen to attend an assessment day. The assessment day is a combination of group and individual interviews, and written and verbal tasks. While this sounds daunting, it actually was a very relaxed environment and you quickly learn that MBFS are much more interested in your personality and work ethic than your resume and experience. I was lucky enough to be selected as one of the five successful degree apprentices and then all that was left to do was to achieve BBC in my A Levels to get onto the University Course.
What advice would you give our current students about the world of work?
As cliché as it sounds, my best advice would be to just throw yourself into any opportunities that
comes your way and just be yourself. Throughout the selection process, I never tried to pretend to
be somebody I was not and when I arrived at the assessment day, I quickly realised that some of the
applicants were much more qualified for the role than I was. However, by staying true to myself (and
a little bit of luck) I managed to achieve this degree apprenticeship, which will shape the rest of my
life. I also would advise students that may have not had the perfect time at school (like myself) that
it is not too late to turn things around and teachers are there to support you if you require it.
If you are looking for a career in Business, I really advise people to apply for this apprenticeship and I
hope to see some faces I recognise at next year’s assessment!
Group Vehicle Logistics Manager for the Volkswagen Group UK
Name: Jack Harrison
Age: 30
Year graduated from Ousedale: 2007
What qualifications did you gain at Ousedale?
GCSEs/BTECs with grades
3 A*, 1 A, 3 B, 2 C
A Levels with subjects and grades
History B, Psychology B, Philosophy and Ethics C
Did you pursue any Further or Higher education? College/Apprenticeship/University/study while
working
I attended the University of Liverpool and read Modern History and Politics BA(Hons). After three
years at University I received a 2.1. After this I attended Liverpool Hope University and took a Post
Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) for Secondary History.
In February 2020, I intend to enrol at Cranfield University to study an Executive Logistics and Supply
Chain Management (MSc) mastership. This is a part time master’s degree supported by the
Apprentice Levy and my employer.
What was your career aspiration while you were at school, if your career path changed what your
mind?
I was adamant that I was going to become a Secondary school teacher in History. I love the subject
and thought this would be the right path for me. This is a credit to Ousedale who’s fantastic teaching
staff influenced me during my secondary education. During my time training as a teacher I learnt so
much working in some challenging schools in Liverpool and I appreciated the hours of work and
dedication required to manage a classroom.
However, after being in a classroom or a lecture hall for the best part of 15 years I was not sure if
this was the right career for me. During this time, I took a temporary role with DHL Supply Chain as
an Administration Clerk to take stock of what I was doing and where I wanted to go. This was a
challenging time for me as this was the first time I had decided the path I was taking may not be the
right one.
I had never looked at logistics and I never thought a career in this industry was for me. However, I
was managed by some brilliant people who showed me the opportunities that DHL Supply Chain
could offer as a global business. This led to me applying for the graduate scheme and a successful six
years in the business working on numerous contracts up and down the country.
What did you enjoy most about your school life at Ousedale?
My school life at Ousedale was highly enjoyable. I have friends from that time who were with me in
Portugal this summer for my wedding. My best man is a school friend that I met from being in the
same English set in Year 9 (that is somehow 16 years ago!).
Further to this I had some fantastic teachers that supported me during my journey and have
influenced my life as an adult. For example, Dr Price is the reason I host a Philosophy in Pubs night at
my local in Bedford on the first Tuesday of every month. Furthermore, the History Department is the
reason I love Berlin – I have visited the city numerous times and even organised a trip when I was at
Liverpool University for 35 undergraduates!
Current job title and description of your role?
Group Vehicle Logistics Manager for the Volkswagen Group UK.
I work for the Volkswagen Group - we comprise of 5 automotive brands: Volkswagen Passenger Cars,
Audi, Skoda, Seat and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
I am responsible for the delivery of our £155m supply chain moving 550,000 new cars per annum
into the UK.
In my role I manage the suppliers who move our
product from our consolidation centres in
Germany, Spain and Portugal right through to the
dealer who sells it to a customer.
My suppliers are varied and this makes sure my
day is always different. I manage port authorities,
transport carriers, port handlers, insurance
brokers as well as liaising with the five brands that
we support.
To give you an understanding of our scale our supply chain delivers one car to our customers every
minute.
How did you achieve this role? Starting job title/level, in-house training, extra study/courses/degree,
CPD opportunities. Promotion – explain each area of your career – daily role and responsibility, skills
learnt, working hour’s etc. changing organisations.
I achieved this role due to my academic attainment and my work experience.
Whilst on the DHL graduate scheme I was in three placements which gave me an introduction to
inventory management (how much stock we hold in our warehouses), operations management
(managing a shift of people to deliver goods for our customers), transport management (learning
compliance and how to run a fleet of vehicles).
During my time with DHL I worked across the business and gained a breadth of operational
experience on the graduate scheme.
At times it was hard work and very early starts. For a year I would get up at 1am in the morning to
drive to Coventry from Milton Keynes for my shift preparing the 4am drivers to get on with their
deliveries for the day.
As I progressed in my career with DHL my roles became less operationally focussed and more
strategic. My first year out of the graduate scheme I was asked to write the proposal to win a £22m
contract for a rail customer – this led to a year of long nights, hard work and countless drafts. Luckily
our hard graft secured the business and DHL won a seven year contract with the customer.
After six years with DHL I decided that it was time for me to look for another opportunity. I looked
into what type of company I wanted to work for and then applied for roles that suited my skill set
and experience. The role at Volkswagen was a large jump in responsibility but I demonstrated at
interview that I had the potential to step into this role.
What advice would you give our current students about the world of work?
I always wanted to be a teacher and never thought I would work in a corporate environment. It is
okay to take a different path and you have a long time to make a success out of it.
Three tips if you want to get on during your career:
Work hard and listen to those around you – my career has been based upon the guidance and
mentorship of great managers and colleagues. You may be the smartest person in the room (I never
was!) but chances are there are people around you that will have more experience. Cash in on that
experience and take time to listen and learn from your colleagues and managers. Building strong
working relationships are easy when you have taken the time to listen to the views and opinions of
others.
Work hard and challenge the status quo –
the most success I have had has been when
I have tried to think differently about how
we work and what we do. We are all busy
and you will always have the day job to keep
you preoccupied. Thinking differently and
working smarter are key to demonstrating
you are a candidate more likely to operate
at a more senior level.
Work hard and remember why you are
doing it – life is short and we do not know
how long we are here for so make sure you go home on time, take your annual leave and enjoy your
time away from work with friends and family. Anyone who thinks that 12-14 hour days earns success
has never understood the concept of quality over quantity. Your significant other will be your boss
and not your line manager!
Digital Project Executive
Name: Laura Stevens
Age: 27
Year graduated from Ousedale: 2008
What qualifications did you gain at Ousedale?
Business and Enterprise Award (ASDAN) – Pass
Religious Studies – D
DT: Resistant Materials – C
Math – C
English Language – D
Core Science – D
English Literature – E
Level 2 First Certificate BTEC in Art and Design – Merit
Did you pursue any Further or Higher education? College/Apprenticeship/University/study while
working
Bletchley college:
Level 2/First Diploma, BTEC - Art and Design – Distinction (Grad 2009)
Stone Bridge College:
Level 3, ABC Awards – Animal Care – Distinction (Grad 2015)
Level 1, ABC Awards - Managing Performance – Distinction (Grad 2016)
Level 2, ABC Awards – Conflict Management – Distinction (Grad 2016)
Level 3, ABC Awards – Project Management – In progress
The Knowledge Academy:
AgilePM, APMG – Agile Project Management Foundation and Practitioners – In Progress
What was your career aspiration while you were at school, if your career path changed what your
mind?
Whilst at school I never knew what I wanted to be, where I might have liked to work, or whether I
wanted to further my education. May of my friends had aspirations or at least some sort of plan,
some of whom wanted to work in the industries their parents worked in, others wanted to be
midwives or police officers, but I simply had no idea what my future might be. Truth be told, I only
figured out what I wanted to do at the age of 27!
What did you enjoy most about your school life at Ousedale?
School life was a very tough time for me, and there wasn’t a great deal about this time in my life that
I enjoyed. Unfortunately, I struggled with anything that required an academic approach. With that
said, sports were a fantastic way for me to relieve my stress, and design tech was a great
opportunity to use my creative skills. Likewise, I also enjoyed drama, music and art, all of which
nurtured my creative side.
Current job title and description of your role?
Digital Project Executive:
My job is to manage projects in the Digital and IT sector. Managing a project can be done in four key
stages.
Initiation – Taking a really cool idea and seeing if we want to build it
Planning – Figure out what we need to make the idea happen (materials, resources, people)
Implementation – The fun bit, where we build and develop the idea for the project
Evaluation – We look at whether the project worked, what was good about it, and what we can do
better next time we do it
Because I project manage in the Digital sector, I help build technologies such as AI (Artificial
Intelligence) and Apps for devices. It’s a really cool and fun job, and I enjoy almost everything about
what I do, especially the team I work with every day.
How did you achieve this role?
Before I became a project manager, I was a customer service team leader. My role was to lead a
team of trained and skilled customer service representatives, and help them to do their job to the
best of their abilities. When I wasn’t training or guiding my team, I used my time to support my
employer by helping to improve the way we worked. This meant that I needed to undertake minor
projects to help make life easier for everyone.
I worked very hard, because if I could improve things for my manager and my team, it would help to
make my life easier too. My hard work didn’t go unnoticed, and I received several recognition
awards at work for being collaborative, innovative and agile.
Our company’s ED (Executive director) asked to meet with me. She noticed I was very good at
identifying ways to improve the business and that the changes I made were very helpful to people.
She offered me a secondment to try project management in another part of our organisation, to
which I accepted. At the end of the four-month secondment, I was offered the opportunity to stay in
the new role I had recently been seconded to, and I accepted!
I am now a permanent member of staff in the digital project team, and my employers pay for me to
receive further education. Not only that, I was also offered to sit on the Board of Directors to help
my ED and nine other directors implement real change across the entire business!
My work journey has so far been a very interesting one, from someone who didn’t know what they
wanted to be, to someone being very successful. I started as a temporary member of staff for 12
weeks of work, but I ended up staying for 10 months. I was then offered a permanent position
within the company, and 3 months later I was promoted to team leader. 15 months later, I was
offered a secondment, promoted into the role on a permanent basis, and was successful in become
part of the Board of Directors, acting as a NED (non-executive director).
I’ve been fortunate to experience team management, staff training, recruitment, content writing,
managing conflict, presenting and project management. I’ve also been able to identify and use the
skills I am good at, like being results focused, thinking critically, strategic mindedness,
persuasiveness, creative, collaborative, self-organising, agile and enthusiastic.
What advice would you give our current students about the world of work?
If I could share anything with my younger self, it would be to not over-stress myself about achieving
high-hitting GCSE’s, to take hold of any opportunities that come my way, and to not be afraid to ask
for help.
I didn’t do well in school, and I didn’t have many friends, but the real world is a very different place.
It can be tough, and it can surprise you, but you have the opportunity to do what you love, to re-do
your qualifications if you’re not happy with them, to achieve new qualifications in subjects you
enjoy, and to make friends and build relationships with new, like-minded people.
Volunteering & Participation Consultant with the National Trust
Name: Rebecca Sherriff (nee Brown)
Age: 30
Year graduated from Ousedale: 2007
What qualifications did you gain at
Ousedale?
GCSEs: Geography (A), English Literature
(A), D&T: Graphics (A), RE (A), Maths (B),
Art (B), English Language (C), Double Science (CC), French (C)
A Levels: Geography (A), Leisure Studies (B), Photography (B)
AS Levels: World Development (A), Art (B)
Did you pursue any Further or Higher education? College/Apprenticeship/University/study while
working
After a year out to work and travel, I went onto the University of East Anglia to study BSc
Environmental Geography and International Development. Since starting work I have also attended
many professional development courses through my work, and some online courses on Future Learn
to keep up to date with relevant subjects or improve my skills further.
What was your career aspiration while you were at school, if your career path changed what
changed your mind?
I was never really sure what I wanted to be at school. I went through a phase of wanting to be a
window dresser and a dance teacher. I think my ambition was defined though when I went on a
school trip to a school in India. That trip encouraged me to take on an extra AS Level in World
Development and my interest in International Development started from there. I followed this
career path through university and this has merged into a career working closer to home in
community development. Now I work to support people to fulfil their potential and break down
barriers to ensure people get equal opportunities.
I’d say you never really know what you want to be, but your experiences help carve the way for you.
What did you enjoy most about your school life at Ousedale?
I think I most enjoyed sixth form and the chance to focus my time on fewer subjects that were of
most interest to me. I also made new friendships and got involved in more activities. I loved being in
the Jesus Christ Superstar production!
Current job title and description of your role?
I am a Volunteering & Participation Consultant with the National Trust. Within the Trust we work on
lots of different areas of work such as conservation and heritage, but my focus is around people,
primarily supporting National Trust properties to manage volunteers and involve communities in
their work. The organisation wants to be more inclusive and relevant to a wider range of people, so
my role as a consultant is to act as a specialist and advise people on how we can improve.
How did you achieve this role?
I worked in several organisations in the charity sector before joining the National Trust, where I built
up my experience of communities and my understanding of the challenges people face in their lives.
This meant I had specialist knowledge about the local community which suited the role I applied for
with the National Trust. I started off based at one property (Stowe) and since then have been
promoted to support across the whole of London and South East.
Volunteering has always played a very important role in developing my skills and experience for my
career. I am still volunteering now in order to learn new things and prepare me for future
opportunities.
What advice would you give our current students about the world of work?
Do the things you enjoy and take every opportunity to learn and develop. The experiences you have
will help influence the opportunities available to you. People who are passionate and driven can
achieve great things and have most impact.
Business Owner
Name: Sophie Lamming
Age: 39
Year graduated from Ousedale: 1998
What qualifications did you gain at Ousedale?
GCSEs/BTECs with grades; 7 GCSEs A-C
A Levels with subjects and grades;
GB and US Politics (B)
English Language (B)
Sociology (B)
Did you pursue any Further or Higher education?
College/Apprenticeship/University/study while working
I studied for a degree in nursing – but realised halfway through it
wasn’t for me! I instead decided to find a career that would allow
me to travel. I started as a holiday rep and quickly progressed to resort manager for First Choice
Holidays earning lots of qualifications. I spent 7 years living abroad in countries such as Egypt,
Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Spain – and more! When I returned I worked in a nursing home to earn
some money – and wanted another string to my bow so studied and qualified as a hairdresser in my
spare time. It was a career I was looking to pursue at the time – but wanted to gain as many new
experiences and qualifications as I could.
I then moved to Brighton training as an accounts manager, working my way up within the industry,
earning great money and then progressed further and moved back to MK to further my career
helping big well-known brands make better decisions in their customers’ experiences
What was your career aspiration while you were at school? If your career path changed what
changed your mind?
I actually had no idea. There was very little support back then – we saw a careers officer, was given a
ring binder of suggested jobs – advised to pick one, and then was told the career path. I’m sure
today you are given more inspiration, advice and experiences!
What did you enjoy most about your school life at Ousedale?
I mostly enjoyed my time in Ousedale – there were some great teachers, I had a good group of
friends. I really enjoyed 6th Form – I think that was my favourite part of my time there
Current job title and description of your role?
I own Baby Sensory and Mini Professors MK. Two businesses.
Baby Sensory – we run baby development classes with a difference! A
sensory experience of sights, sounds, scents and sensations – we take
the babies to experience rainforests, space, desserts, under the sea – so
much fun and so incredibly beneficial to their development – so much so
that we have won Best Class Leader in South of UK by a big national
company – myself and my team are very passionate about what we do!
We run 23 classes across MK a week – I have two other class leaders that
work with me Hayley (formerly also a former Ousedale Graduate!) and
Lian. Ive had the pleasure of many old class mates from Ousedale come
and join me with their babies – including Mrs Montague your Careers
Leader!
I also run Mini Professors – this is a science club for 2-5 year olds,
we run 8 classes a week – I run this with the help of an old school
friend Emily (formerly Smith), we were back in touch when she
brought her son Jake to me in Baby Sensory! Our professors study a
new topic every single week (for two years!) from dinosaurs to teeth
to space to Polar Regions to electricity and so much more! They love
getting stuck in with experiments every week!
How did you achieve this role? After I fell pregnant with my daughter Willow-Rose (now 5), I
decided that the long hours, long commutes and demanding role was just not going to fit in with my
new life – but I wanted to find something that really put something back into the community. I
wanted to find something that would challenge me, but also allow my new family to come first. I
decided to completely retrain, and take a huge risk in starting my own business – but it wasn’t a silly
risk – I had worked out what would happen in each eventuality if it didn’t work out. I had ‘left doors
open’ in my previous career should I need to return. I worked really hard on a business plan, spent a
long time retraining and attending lots of courses – especially around how our babies brains work! I
loved it – I knew if I put the work in, was passionate about what I was doing, held high standards –
then it would work. I spent lots of time on social media, and out and about in towns handing leaflets
out to build the brand up!
What advice would you give our current students about the world of work?
Try everything! Always leave a great impressions – even when you leave a job –
you never know when you might meet those people again in other companies!
Work hard – set yourself apart – maintain high standards, whatever you choose
to do
No job is too small, and nothing is beneath you.
Follow your passions – life is short – if you work hard at something you love, work
seems a much nicer place to be!