Lesley Crewdson

Age at time of shift

39

Gender

Female

Education level

Graduate

Universities attended

University of Sussex

Shifted from

Producer of Dance Performance

Location

?

Salary

£0-£20,000

Years in old career

25

Shifted to

Language and Intercultural trainer

Location

?

Salary

£0-£20,000

Years in new career

8

Year of shift

unknown

What was your role in your old job?

Producer, administrator, designer, lecturer.

What is/are your new role(s)?

Teacher, trainer and organising intercultural projects.

Why did you change?

Wanted to work in the field of intercultural communication and live outside the UK.

Are you happy with the change?

Yes.

What do you miss and what don't you miss?

I don't miss my previous life but at times I do miss my long-term friends.

How did you go about making the change?

First went to university as a mature student, then lived in Mexico, after which life could never be the same again.

What was the most difficult thing about changing?

Change takes a long time; systems can change, locations can change, roles can change, our own ideas and ideals can change but at a personal level it takes much longer (if ever) to feel wholly comfortable with a new image and identity. Perhaps the most difficult aspect about stepping into new territories is a perceived lack of control. Perceived, because the control we felt we had previously was most probably an illusion.

What help did you get?

Apart from my initial grant to go to university - no professional help - no training existed at the time for the field I wished to enter. I had to invent my own.

What have you learnt in the process?

1) the value of all implicit skills learnt from the arts world - self reliance, creativity, adaptability, patience, respect,collaboration. 2) that I still haven't learned (or maybe I won't accept) some basic money-earning principles.

What do you wish you'd done differently?

Started the process ten years earlier.

What would you advise others to do in the same situation?

Follow your instincts, be prepared to take a few necessary shifts in the direction you take, you'll get there in the end but maybe by a different route. Every step is rewarding.