I've Been Through It Too

I’d always wanted to help young people and really believed that working in a charity would be the right place for me to deliver the impact I wanted. So, when I took the job in a youth charity, I had no idea that it wouldn’t fulfil my ambitions.

I couldn’t face the fact that I had made a wrong decision, that I was doing something I’d rather not be doing in a place I’d rather not be doing it. I looked outside of me for the cause of the problems I was experiencing. It was the organisation, my colleagues, the building, the office, the culture, the policies, and procedures. This led me to very poor mental health.

I started applying for jobs, getting interviews but not getting job offers. It soon became apparent I was not invested in a career that was more of the same. I knew I craved something different, but I didn’t know what or where to start.

My partner presented me with an opportunity to travel in Southeast Asia for six months. I jumped at the chance and applied for a sabbatical. We sold up, packed up and flew out. When I returned to the UK, it was with an action plan for a fulfilling new career and a way to help young people that was meaningful for me.