Solicitor toFounder of Challenges Worldwide

Eoghan Mackie

Age at time of shift
25
Gender
Male
Education level
Graduate
Universities attended
University of Edinburgh; University of Aix-Marseilles

Shifted from

Solicitor

Location
?
Salary
£0-£20,000
Years in old career
2

Shifted to

Founder of Challenges Worldwide

Location
?
Salary
£0-£20,000
Years in new career
3
Year of shift
unknown

What was your role in your old job?

I worked as a commercial lawyer. Work included Information Technology and Intellectual Property, Corporate Finance, Banking and Commercial Property.

What is/are your new role(s)?

I run a charity called Challenges Worldwide. My responsibilities are diverse, ranging from strategic planning and fundraising to growth into new countries.

Why did you change?

I wanted to feel inspired when I got out of bed in the morning. I needed to feel that I was learning a lot in my work and I wanted to control that.

Are you happy with the change?

Extremely.

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

There is nothing that I missI certainly don't miss clocking my time in units of 6 minutes - the software ironically called ‘carpe diem'!!!

How did you go about making the change?

This is the short answer - I knew I wanted out, so I tried to figure out what was important to me. You can't pick something to do until you know what is going to tick the boxes for your own blend of wants.

What was the most difficult thing about changing?

Starting from scratch and having to learn everything all the time.

What help did you get?

Various people in the Mezzanine in Elizabeth House UnLtd Personal contacts.

What have you learnt in the process?

An enormous amount about:Running an organisation - this is a huge category, which I won't detail nowMyself - it has been tough and in that climate you have to front up to a lot and focus hard on developing a lot.

What do you wish you'd done differently?

I am a big believer in the hard times being the most valuable learning experiences. That said, I do think that being a little more decisive in some of my decisions around staffing would have helped. People are the hardest part of any business.

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

Perseverance pays off. You can do anything you want, you just have to decide what you want to do. That is more about who you are and where your strengths and interests lie.



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What people are saying about Careershifters

“After attending a Careershifters workshop I had the energy and drive to start researching how to get into teaching. I applied for a course, had an interview, got a place and left my old job in less than a week. It was so easy when I finally decided to go for it.”

Nikki

"Careershifters helped me realise that there were many small steps I could take towards improving my job satisfaction. Gaining greater focus has given me a renewed enthusiasm for my work, giving me the confidence to negotiate a one year sabbatical."



Cath Rooney

"The Careershifters workshop started me on the path to changing from the Practice Manager of a GP Practice to Community Engagement work that meets the needs I identified at the workshop."

Diane Cassidy

“As of yesterday, I officially have a new career and start my new and exciting role next week! So a massive THANK YOU to all of you at Careershifters for your support. You really do deserve every success in what you're doing.”

Liz

"I had a career in sales and now I run my own sales training company.  The Careershifters workshop gave me the motivation to get on and do things, as well as some good direction with regards to the sort of activities I needed to put in place."

Matt Hayden

“Thanks to Careershifters I'm shifting my career! Have been thinking for a while about the direction I'm going in and after looking at your website and reading some of the advice I realised that I've got to go for it.”

Justine

"This website has been a lifesaver for me over the past year!"

Lindsey

"For 17 years I worked in the travel industry. In the period of unemployment and after attending the Careershifters workshop I retrained and am now employed as a trainer and coach. I'd recommend the workshop to anyone who may not know what they want to do."

Paul Kensett

"The Careershifters workshop helped me realise that it’s never too late to change your career, that these advances take time and, I am confident that if I stick with my ‘plan’ I won’t make another wrong career move."

Claire Coveney

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