Sarah Bridgehouse

Age at time of shift

35

Gender

Female

Education level

Graduate

Universities attended

Michigan State University; U. of Freiburg

Shifted from

Director Equity Sales

Location

?

Salary

£100,000+

Years in old career

9

Shifted to

Head of Corporate Marketing

Location

?

Salary

£100,000+

Years in new career

1

Year of shift

unknown

What was your role in your old job?

Selling European Equities to Institutional Fund managers.

What is/are your new role(s)?

Head of Corporate Marketing for European Equities.

Why did you change?

I was looking for a new challenge and a better work/life balance.

Are you happy with the change?

Yes.

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

I miss my old clients! But I don't miss the pressure of trying to think of something new to phone about every day and the paranoia associated with client reviews.

How did you go about making the change?

I took a life coaching course at the Coaching Academy. I was originally considering becoming a life coach but the changes that I made to my attitude and the goals that I set as a result of learning about coaching led to an internal promotion (to a job I now enjoy much more).

What was the most difficult thing about changing?

The patience required -once I decide to make changes I want everything to happen yesterday! My career change wasn't a quick fix -it took just over a year. I decided it was best to prepare for a new career (coaching) while staying gainfully employed and improving my performance at my old job so I could leave from a position of strength. However, I think by having a long term plan it gave me a light at the end of the tunnel and allowed me to enjoy my old job more -knowing that I wouldn't be doing it forever. And the more I enjoyed it, the better I did. One can have an upwards spiral too -they aren't always downward!

What help did you get?

I had an internal mentor. Otherwise, I used my own initiative.

What have you learnt in the process?

Mentally it is very important what you focus on -focus on the good things in your old job while you are preparing for your new job -it will make the who transition process less stressful. It is also important to really analyse what you want in life, set specific goals and network.

What do you wish you'd done differently?

I wish I had done it sooner!

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

Spend some time analysing what you'd like to do and write down some immediate actions you can take to move closer to your dream job -do something everyday -even if it is just phoning someone for a contact number. Speak with a career coach. Be positive. Network -ask friends and family if they know anyone who would spend a few minutes with you talking about their relevant job/career. Find a mentor (someone you can trust internally -or someone external who can give you pointers on how to best prepare for your new role.