“I really wanted to align my personal values with my work.”

What work were you doing previously?    

I’ve had a bit of a squiggly career. 

I started off working in the art world in more administrative type roles.

An exciting managerial opportunity then came up at a print studio. That role developed into a business development & sales position - an area which I stuck with, in a variety of industries (including F&B, art, print, and more) for 8 years.

What are you doing now?    

I’m now the People Project Manager at Access – Social Investment Foundation. 

In my role I work closely with the core team and the organisation’s governance on their people strategy to ensure we put people at the centre of the work the Foundation does.

Why did you change?    

I really wanted to align my personal values with my work.

In my day to day life I was a vegan, I would shop local wherever my budget allowed it. I was very conscious about the concept of community and the idea of voting with my wallet; for every penny I spent, I wanted to know where it ended up and who it was helping.

I made certain lifestyle and spending decisions based on my values, for instance, I stopped shopping at Amazon. But then I would go to work on Monday morning and would do a big shop at Amazon to order all of our stationery and pay using ‘bad banks’.

I realised that I needed my 9-5 to contribute to my personal beliefs and the way I was living my life.

I also wanted to explore what else was out there. 

Are you happy with the change?    

Absolutely!

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

I can’t think of anything I miss!

I definitely don't miss the culture around sales and the attitude of making more money, whether that’s for the company or for the person sitting at the top.

How did you go about making the shift?   

I’d been working in the corporate world for a long time and didn’t really understand the social impact space and what kind of roles I could do. 

So I decided to join the On Purpose Associate Programme, as I felt it was going to be the door to understanding the space and my role within it a lot more.

My first placement was at the World Obesity Federation where I was the Campaigns & Communications Manager for the organisation’s annual World Obesity Day. It was my first time working in marketing, however my sales background really helped me with the project. 

My second placement was at Life Moments, who I would best summarise as an educational fintech. My role there was People Director & Purpose Lead, which included developing a people strategy and respective policies, to ensure that people were at the centre of the organisation.

I also worked on projects that focused on Life Moment’s impact, such as the business’ impact report, aligning with the organisation’s mission to create tech for purpose as well as profit.

I vocalised quite early on during my second placement that I really enjoyed working with the organisation and that, if the opportunity came along, I would like to have the conversation about extending my contract.

We ended up having the conversation and they were able to extend it to the end of the year.

For my current job with Access, I made sure my application was of a very high standard. I asked other people if I could read their CVs and cover letters, which was super useful! I also did a lot of reflection on how to sell myself confidently. And it paid off!

How did you handle your finances to make your shift possible?    

I consider myself very lucky to own my flat which meant I could get a lodger to live with me during my year as an Associate.

The lodger ‘paid’ for basic survival and compensated for the lower pay. 

I also used the year to tap into the world of free fun, like going for a social walk with friends where you bring a coffee or picnic outside somewhere. 

I furthermore tended to buy stuff from charity shops and followed pages on social media that would tell you about discounts and sales.

What help did you get?

A ton! 

There were the supporting elements offered as part of the Associate Programme, like my two mentors. I met with them every two weeks and they gave me lots of guidance and practical advice. I also benefited from a coach who was wonderful! 

I also very much appreciated having Fellows working within both of my placements, which was super helpful.

What have you learnt in the process?    

I never realised that organisations thought of people as humans, rather than just robots.

It seems so obvious now…but it really didn’t seem obvious to me at the time. The programme really catalysed that thinking for me, that I’m a person with human emotions, with a certain capacity and a desire to learn. And I can bring my ‘whole self’ to work.

Many training sessions were about humility and human reaction to change and uncertainty, and I don't think I expected that. This realisation about work and people led me to work within HR and ‘people spaces’.

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

Whenever you make that change, approach it with curiosity! 

Because you don't know what you don't know. You don't know what you might learn, who you might meet and how it will impact your life until you do it.

To learn more about the On Purpose Associate Programme, visit www.onpurpose.org/en/associate-programme.

Also, find out more about On Purpose in our Retraining Directory.

What lessons could you take from Alex's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.