From House Keys to Key Person Cover – how I became a Mum and changed careers at the same time

It’s possible to become a Mum and start a new career path at (almost) the same time.

I’m writing this blog because I want people to know it’s ok to juggle more than one change at a time and feel completely stretched in all directions but still have a career you love. Your career is a huge part of your life, so choose wisely, it will strengthen you.

Scared?….No never…..

I worked in a full-time, fast-paced job that I knew like the back of my hand for nearly a decade.  Then I became pregnant and people asked: ‘Do you feel nervous?’ or ‘Are you scared?’. And of course I was, who wouldn’t be? Who wouldn’t feel scared to start a new chapter not knowing what was ahead of them.  But I was lucky enough to have an easy baby and adapted to mum life quite quickly. Maternity leave flew by and, even though I dreaded the thought of being away from my baby and wondered how I would get back into a routine with the confidence to just be me again, it was time to find myself again & start back at work. However, I knew that I needed a new career path.  So I started juggling a new routine with my child starting nursery, my Husband starting a new job and me starting at Macbeth all in a very short space of time…..

New opportunities

Before maternity leave, I worked long hours, some weekends and had no childcare or flexibility in my role to accommodate family life. So, after a lot of encouragement from friends and family, I made the decision to put myself out there and applied for a job as a Financial Administrator at Macbeth. Vikki called me after receiving my application and from that day, I knew this was the place I wanted to start my new chapter. The thought of changing career after 10 years and starting something completely new (with no experience) was an extremely scary thought. But then someone reminded me that I had done something even scarier 10 months before by starting a family and raising a child.

I was offered the job at Macbeth after meeting with Simon and Vikki, and soon after that was my first day. I walked into the office feeling like a bag of nerves but still had a smile on my face because I knew this was the start of something good and positive. I was introduced to my team and those nerves very quickly turned into a feeling of safety, happiness and belonging. I knew I had made the right decision, especially after meeting Saurav and Mark who I have come to know well and really enjoy working with.

Never looked back

I work alongside Vikki & Simon and started learning about life insurance as well as all the different covers, pensions and investments, I very quickly started navigating my way around the systems, industry jargon and policies. I’m still learning so many things from them every day; the knowledge they have really inspires me to be the best I can be. I quickly felt like part of a big family and started to learn what it was like to want to come to work every day and to work at a company that gave me a feeling of purpose and enthusiasm.

Having supportive employers and the flexibility to be a mum gave me peace of mind, and I’ve never looked back. The work/life balance is now something I will not take for granted. I’ve also taken the plunge and signed up for my exams, pushing myself out of my comfort zone once again (it’s been many years since I did exams). Macbeth is a great place to work, with amazing people and so much support. As well as giving me new opportunities, it’s brought out the best in me personally and in my career. It really is like working with a group of friends every day.

So, it’s ok to feel out of your comfort zone.  But remember to always be unapologetically yourself because everything you do contributes to your reality.