Keep kissing frogs

In January I decided to change my approach to finding a “me” job. The first step was to publicly speak my mind and perhaps show a little vulnerability by putting myself out there; the second to pull the strings harder on my network, and the third - to sprinkle the resilience dust as liberally as possible.

The response to my article on LinkedIn was as honest as it was inspiring; perhaps turning as many off as it may have on. Those closest to me showed concern for the seemingly desperate nature of the piece, others suggesting it was brave to open myself up so publicly and chase the dream. Either way, it was a talking point and led to advice, a number of introductions, a lot of coffee, a few new friendships and the odd beer - but no solid offers.

Not wanting to sit idle whilst "waiting" for the role that would fill the gap left since leaving the Army, I applied for too many jobs - some of which I even wanted. I knew I had to remain true to myself and the direction I wanted to go in, so the jobs I really wanted were few and far between. 3 times I got down to the last round of 2 or 3 candidates, only to lose out to someone with "industry experience". Sometimes applications (often taking 3 or 4 hours to complete) were robotically acknowledged and, more times than I wish to remember, I received the regret, or unfortunately e-mail...

After careful consideration, we regret to inform you that you have not been selected for this position.

At this time, we have decided to pursue other candidates whose background and experience are more closely aligned with the requirements of the position.

Thank you for your application for the above positions.  I regret to inform you that on this occasion you have not been selected for interview. We received a number of high calibre applications for this role, which made short-listing very difficult. However, after due consideration, we found that other candidates more closely matched our specification for this position.

I talk about Resilience a lot. To my children, to those who have worked for me, to former colleagues and clients - but sometimes it's hard to keep digging deep. But there are some good people out there, many from the military or sports background, who understand how hard it to transition from such all consuming institutions. I surrounded myself with these people and I think it worked.

3 weeks ago I came across a great looking opportunity at a well renowned public school a short drive from my house. A newly established role, the job description was broad and exciting and I was confident I met 80% of the required characteristics - enough for me to back myself anyway. It all moved quickly, 3 days after I applied I was asked in for an interview. That interview turned into a full-on (and hugely enjoyable) assessment day, resulting, after a nerve-racking week, in a job offer. Movingly, when I received the call from the HR department, I was stood reading the messages of love and condolence on London Bridge after the tragic events there the previous weekend. I was stood there thinking about how short life can be... when my phone rang.

After an inspiring and hugely enjoyable week away, last Friday I earned my RFU level 2 coaching course having attended the Rugby For Heroes Transition Through Rugby course in Gloucester. That same day I signed and returned my contract of employment - with a broad smile.

On the 1st of August I commence work as the Sports Performance and Programme Manager at Sevenoaks School and I can't wait to get stuck in. The challenge and opportunity I have been looking for are there in spades, as is the potential to develop those around me, promote participation, enhance leadership through sport and encourage excellence. Once again I will be part of a great team, in a focused environment, striving to be the best we can. I hope I can do them all justice.

Finally, if you've got this far, I'd like to thank those around me who listened, bought coffee, offered advice and opened their own networks to help me out. Rest assured - I, like you, will continue to pay it forward.

Keep kissing frogs. Or poking dragons.