My Story: 2021

Sometimes life gives you a nudge so hard you spin to face a totally different direction, staring at a view you’ve never considered. And sometimes, after looking at that new landscape a little while - studying the terrain, scoping out what challenges and opportunities might lie ahead, deciphering what may be on the horizon, imagining what view you'll enjoy when you get there - to your surprise, you find you prefer what you see.?

Earlier this year exactly that happened to me.

Like many people, I really struggled through 2020. A mix of circumstances, mainly personal - but work too - ultimately meant I started this year feeling really low and without a job. After about a month I started making better use of my time, deciding to self study; spending a large chunk of each week educating myself on all the topics I had always claimed to care about, but had never really gone out of my way to look in to: What alternative economic models exist that support the move away from fossil fuels while addressing the widening rich / poor divide? How might it be possible for big business to unpick the ‘profit at any cost’ mentality and start to weave in metrics that support people, community and planet? What will it take to remove the plastic from our oceans and incentivise a serious shift in attitude towards deforestation? I watched lectures, interviews and talks, took notes and researched things I didn’t understand. My mum spent the best part of her late forties trying every trick in the book to get me to study. Her reaction 'who are you and what have you done with my daughter?!' I became quite obsessed with learning, so I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when the algorithms worked on me.

Via social media I was pushed an ad for The London Interdisciplinary School . It spoke of a brand new degree that focussed not on studying one siloed subject, but real world problems and how to tackle them. It caught my attention. It wasn’t just the degree that was brand new though, so was the institution. No prior graduates; your application would be for the ‘Founding Cohort’. I was sceptical, so naturally did what any trained sales person would: went into full stalk mode. I researched every individual I could find listed as an employee, investor, or even associated on LinkedIn. Looked at companies house records, prior ventures of the CEO and leadership team, the career paths of faculty, and much to my annoyance, couldn’t find anything that substantiated my mistrust. After attending a virtual open day and unapologetically grilling Ed Fidoe with questions I knew had no perfect answer, I wasn’t just convinced, I wanted to go. I’d so enjoyed sponging up information about things I truly cared about, the thought of heading back to in to a corporate job that wasn’t trying to actively tackle these issues made me feel uneasy. "If I’m going to work 40+ hours a week for the next 40+ years" I told myself, "I’m going to be damn sure it at least attempts to leave the world in a better place." I recognised that this degree might enable me to pivot my career, either way, I was sold. There was nothing else I could see myself doing.

Thanks to the support of my family, friends and other half at the time during what was frankly the most challenged I’ve ever been with my mental health AND the space my impromptu circumstances had lent me, I had the openness to consider something that I never ever had before: uni.?

Roll forwards 7 months (and an application, interview, 8 week open university quants course and short essay later), I find myself proudly identifying as 1/66th of LIS’s ‘Founding Cohort’, about to embark on what will be my first ever experience of higher education. And if last weeks induction was anything to go by, I think I’ll reflect on this choice to be the best of my life so far.

I want to say a massive thank you to every colleague, client and mentor that has been part of my working journey thus far; you’ve taught me so much. Every interaction has been instrumental in leading me to this place. I hope you know what an incredible impact you have had on me and that I truly am grateful for where I have ended up. I wouldn’t change a thing.

It does feel like the end of a chapter, so if I didn’t do the following it would be totally remiss.

I want to specifically thank Tim Alden who dragged me out of a David Lloyd reception, saw potential in me and got me in to tech. Chris Friend for employing someone with next to no relevant experience in to his consultancy. Catherine Doherty and Chris Parry for pushing me to do better and Christina Lewis for supporting me through some really tricky personal times. Andrew Bisset , Richard Spokes , Mark Greasley and Christopher Parr for encouraging me to make bold choices and subsequently Alessio Stellati , Andrew Spakouskas and Emanuele Oliveri del Castillo for taking a massive chance on me in bringing me to the Large Enterprise division, as well as their inspiring leadership. My LE team mates and wider department colleagues and the incredible L&D staff. Really there are tens and tens of people I could mention - and I definitely have some favourite clients too - but I think you know who you are! I’d also like to say sorry to anybody I never got back to earlier in the year. It’s likely I read your message and the mere fact you took the time to reach out likely made me either cry or smile depending on the day.

I hope sharing my journey can show others that things don’t always have to present as smooth sailing, glossy, or disguised as a string of flawless achievements to have value. I'd argue more is to be gained from taking wild and unexpected leaps - or perhaps the other end of the spectrum - a bloody break! In my humble opinion, it should be encouraged that we pause and think about what we truly want out of this short life. Regardless of whether it's career or another important subsection of our existence. If you don’t like the landscape you’re heading towards, be brave, look around and consider others. We’re all so different, it’s madness to think we should be hitting milestones in lock step. And one more thing: it is perfectly fine to change your mind! A year ago, and for ten years prior, I would've said with conviction that I wasn’t a ‘uni person’. Heck, I even waved the flag for ‘you can do well with out uni’, and gave career talks at my old school to that effect! Not only that, but I fought incredibly hard to be promoted in to my last role and loved my work for 99% of it, but towards the end I questioned it. That’s ok. It wasn’t for me anymore and in some respects I wish I'd done everyone a favour in realising that sooner. But, it certainly gave me invaluable experiences and shaped me to be ready and equipped for what came next.?

So what is next?! Well, term starts today. You are likely reading this as I'm walking to campus. The degree is a BASc in Interdisciplinary Problems & Methods. This term we are studying inequality, and next term sustainability, alongside numerous quantitative and qualitative methods (skills useful for problem solving). It is a full time, three year course, and in my opinion it’s pretty cool. You can check it out here , read a recent article about the uni here , or equally feel free to drop me a message! I will be looking to take on interesting and inspiring internships to further my experience and put my learnings in to practise during the summer months and welcome any opportunity to connect or have a conversation on that front. Ultimately, I'm really excited and passionate about what LIS are attempting to achieve and am incredibly grateful for the timing of this new venture.

I guess all that’s left to say is watch this space! I'm going to attempt to blog my journey which will include the odd LinkedIn article or post. But if you're ultra keen:

?? @graduatingatthirty ?? @graduatingat30 ?? @graduatingatthirty (yes, I'm attempting TikTok, God help me.)

Oh, and here’s to #graduatingatthirty ??