Independent Woman Part 1: Launching My Career

Dear readers,

As I’ve now been in my new job for over 2 months, I thought that this would be a perfect opportunity to stop and reflect on my career journey. The truth is that I’m living a life which I once thought completely unachievable, and I want to talk about how I achieved it. I’ll share my advice for career success too, and if nothing else, I hope that it changes people’s perspectives of chronically ill and disabled people in the workplace.

When I first became ill, I was an optimistic and ambitious teenager. I envisioned myself in a high-powered role in either politics or the charity sector, and I was determined to make it happen. When I was hospitalised, I occupied my long days doing extra revision, despite the pain I was in and the medical treatment I had to go through. I knew that a career involving physical work wasn’t going to be possible for me, so I had to do well academically to fit into a role where I could use my mind more than my body. So that’s tip 1: work out what your new limitations mean, what you might not be able to do, and stick in at school to carve out an alternative path.

Despite the odds, I earned the grades I needed to study Politics at Glasgow University. This was the culmination of everything I had wanted since I was a kid, and I was elated. But once I got there, I quickly became overwhelmed. I was anxious all the time, struggling to focus through the fog created by constant pain, painkillers and nervousness. Thankfully, the people around me (including my doctors and the University’s Disability Services) noticed that I wasn’t myself, and referred me for counselling. After a few rounds of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, I was ready to face my third year of university with a new sense of confidence. I could have easily fallen behind on my work and failed if I didn’t seek psychological help at the right time. So tip 2 is as follows: seek out help when you need it. Don’t be ashamed to tell people you’re struggling, and look for support.

The one thing which has always worked in my favour is my ability to plan for the future. Before I finished my undergraduate degree, I already knew what I wanted to do, and had applied for a Masters degree in Human Rights Law. Then, a few months before my Masters finished, I started to look for jobs in the third sector. In this respect, I was just extremely lucky; I came across the Oxfam Trainee Scheme in Campaigns, Policy and Influencing. This trainee scheme was amazing, as it’s a paid, full-time role in a high-profile organisation. But I would never have found it if I hadn’t been actively looking for jobs long before my course finished. Tip 3: keep planning and organising. Plan for the future you want, not the one the doctors tell you is possible.

I grabbed the opportunity at Oxfam with both hands, moved to Oxford and threw myself into my new life. As my traineeship reached the half-way mark, I started planning my next move, and applied or a raft of third-sector roles all across the country. And got rejected from all of them. When my contract finished, I had to return to Scotland. I was unemployed for 5 months. I persevered though, applying for over 50 jobs and attending around 17 interviews. My break came when an organisation which had previously rejected me called me up with an offer for a different role! So tip 4 is this: persevere. You’ll inevitably come across bumps in the road, but keep going, and keep making a good impression. You never know who might remember you and offer you a new role!

And now here I am, in my current role in Network Engagement for a national charity. It’s a very exciting time for me, as I’m doing so many things which I was told might not be possible when I was first diagnosed. I work full-time, often putting in extra hours. I travel extensively. I even live on my own, looking after my little flat and running errands. When I was that sick kid sitting in hospital, I had really big dreams, but wasn’t sure if they’d ever become a reality. So here’s my last tip: don’t stop dreaming big. You might need to change your plans as a result of illness, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t still be ambitious and exciting goals. Let what society perceives as your ‘weaknesses’ become your biggest strength.