Oh no I CAN’T, Oh yes you CAN

Oh no I CAN’T, Oh yes you CAN

“There is no way I can get to Theale.”

“There is no way I can learn a new role.”

“There is no way I can sit an exam.”

Well, that’s it then – there is no way I can take this fantastic opportunity given to me by this company called Macbeth.
Except seven years on, I’m sat here writing this blog from the fab Macbeth Theale office, because I decided to go out of my comfort zone and turn those “Oh no I cant’s” into “Oh yes you cans.”

Redundant at 47 – I’m too old for this

Being made redundant at the age of 47 from an organisation I had worked at for 31 years was daunting. The thought of starting all over again, trying to understand a different industry, learning new systems, processes, and being the newbie (when I was usually the most experienced), was enough to blow my mind. And the mention of exams to obtain the Certificate in Insurance? Well, I hadn’t been in an exam environment since the tender age of 16 – this was all a bit too much. Not to mention the fact that I’d have to get to Theale (although I passed my driving test at 18, I didn’t have my own car and hadn’t driven since my late 20’s.)

So did I accept the challenge – yes I did!

I accepted the great offer and was placed into a team of 4 very experienced insurance brokers. I undertook training in a support role and took any guidance I was given from the team. The IT system scared me and I remember a colleague saying ‘it’s ok, you can’t break it’. She was right, I haven’t, yet! Seven years on, there have been some team and working pattern changes for me and I’m still in the support role which fits really well with my work life balance.

When it came to exams, I had somehow managed to escape them in my previous organisation and progressed through experience, but this was different. All I knew about insurance was that my partner’s car was insured, and we needed house and travel insurance. This made me realise I needed the knowledge. So my next challenge was to sit my exams, meaning I had to study and all those daunting memories of being 16 and revising came flooding back. But within 2 years of joining, I had passed 3 insurance modules, making me certified in the Chartered Insurance Industry.

The driving was another level – I had avoided this for years. I had to get to Theale so it was a case of walk, bus and train which I did for a year. The journeys were never the best and I always felt so rushed to finish work, then one particular evening I had an awful journey getting home and knew I had to do something. That weekend, I booked refresher driving lessons, I went out a few times with an instructor and although I could drive, the clutch control got me! “An automatic car it is then” I decided and treated myself to my first car. Since then I’ve never looked back – I had a new-found independence and the road was my oyster and all because I took on the challenge!

Advice for a new challenge

1. Go a bit out of your comfort zone – but not too much that it will scare you.

2. Don’t be afraid to speak up – everyone’s career path is different, it’s ok to say if you want to progress but also if you don’t. Every team needs a stable foundation and if that is your preferred career route, make it known.

3. Stick with it – I’m not going to pretend that I found it easy. If I’m honest, I would say it took a good 6-12 months before things seemed to click into place and even now, I learn something new every day.

I think my own big learning is – you are never too old, fight your fears, grab that opportunity, you can do things you never thought you could.

That decision to accept the challenge may well be the best thing you ever did!

As well as offering top notch insurance and risk management advice, we also have a knack for developing and building relationships (both internally and externally). If you’re interested in joining our team head on over to our Work with Us page. And if you’d like to pick our brains on all things insurance give us a call on 0118 916 5480