New Chapters

By LizH

             I’ve known for a while that my current job’s not the one for me. It was around this time last year that I first started contemplating doing something different and I’d like to share my journey so far.

             Two years ago, I qualified as a chartered, certified accountant while working at a small accountancy firm. It was my first job and seven years down the line I’m still there. When I first joined, fresh from A-levels, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life beyond the fact I didn’t want to spend any more time as a full time student. When I was offered the job it seemed like a good choice – the training was part of the package. So I went for it.
 
            All in all it hasn’t been a bad job, even quite enjoyable at times and I loved the challenge of learning new things. But ever since I qualified and stopped that learning process I find I’m very much doing the same things over and over again, with little potential to develop any further. I ended up becoming bored and frustrated.
 
            When I first started looking for a new job, I was still searching within the accountancy sector. To start with I looked only for specific jobs; first jobs in charity accounting, then music accounting. They sounded great; interesting and different. But things were slow; I seemed to send off hundreds of applications yet heard very little back.
 
            It’s no secret that the job market hasn’t been at its strongest this year, but part of me now wonders if my lack of success wasn’t at least in part down to my lack of commitment to a career in accountancy. My hunting was so specific I really was limiting my options, and I wasn’t even sure that these were jobs that would suit me any better than my current one. At this point I think I was still tied up with the notion that I shouldn’t waste my qualification but instead was trying to merge it with my other interests – I do voluntary treasury work for a charity and love music.
 
            After many job applications and lots of soul searching, I came to a realisation - I didn’t have to stay in accountancy. I started asking myself what I really wanted to do and the answer was so obvious I’m not sure why it took me so long to figure it out – I wanted to be a writer.
 
I tried to think of the times that really made me glow with pride and fulfilment. I remembered getting published as the star letter in my favourite magazine, coming runner up in an online fiction competition and even simply getting praised for letters I’d written at work. Those were the things that made me smile.
 
I took up writing again in a big way – I went on courses, bought books on writing and practised in every spare hour I had. Rediscovering my creative side has led to lots of positive changes in my life and one of those is that I’m no longer content to stay in a career I don’t enjoy. It’s going to be a long-term shift with lots of little steps, but my goal is to become a full time writer.
 
Last week I took the first step towards this goal. I handed in my notice without having another job lined up. It felt scary, but also liberating. My energy levels immediately went up and I started to visualise my future as something to get excited about rather than endure. I have an eight week notice period so I will be looking for a low-stress, possibly part time job during this time in order that I have more time and energy to write. I’m also relocating back to my home town in order to have a solid support network around me.
 
It’s a time of big changes – but also of excitement and hope.

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Liz

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