“Rather than chasing a salary or title, I wanted my work to feel useful and aligned.”
What work were you doing previously?
I worked at a small, independent grocery shop in Bermondsey.
I’d just moved to London and needed some stability after a short term failed consultancy role that was almost comically bad match for me. The grocery shop was a great way to get settled, but after a few months I was ready for the next step.
What are you doing now?
I’m a Senior Learning Designer at Apolitical, the world’s largest network for public servants.
I joined three years ago and have been there ever since, working on the Government Energy and Climate Campus. My role involves designing learning with leading institutions like Oxford University, the World Resources Institute and government partners across the world.
Why did you change?
Values were the biggest driver for me.
I’ve always wanted my work to feel useful and aligned with making a positive impact, rather than chasing salary or titles. On Purpose, a programme combining training with placements in purpose-driven organisations, really spoke to that, both in the types of organisations involved and in how the programme creates space for learning and reflection.
I hoped it would help me get a clear sense of where I could put my skills to best use. And it did.
Are you happy with the change?
Yes.
I’ve been able to stay, grow and develop in the same organisation for three years. I’m now working in a role that combines learning design, sustainability and public-sector impact, and I have a much clearer sense of where I can add value.
What do you miss and what don't you miss?
Since completing my Masters in Sustainable Development, I've been surrounded by lots of wonderful people.
These people had an infectious passion for and incredible depth of knowledge of the topics that are close to my heart. I miss every one of them and the energy we had as groups.
What I don’t miss is the lack of stability that came with lots of fixed-term contracts earlier in my career. I’m really grateful to now be in a role where I’ve been able to stay, grow, and develop over several years.
How did you go about making the shift?
The Associate Programme gave me the opportunity to test out different kinds of work through two placements.
My first placement was at Oddbox, where I worked as a Customer Insights Manager. I led a research project and also supported project management for launching a new saladbox.
My second placement was at King’s College London as a Student Transition Manager. I looked at postgraduate students’ experiences, from starting their degree to what happened afterwards, and explored why some students took breaks or dropped out. The goal was to identify and prioritise interventions that could better support them.
These experiences helped me understand what kind of work I enjoyed – and didn’t enjoy – and where I could add the most value. I was very selective about my job search. I decided to apply only for jobs I genuinely wanted, rather than sending out lots of applications.
In the end, I applied for just two roles and got the second one. When I decided to apply, it felt like the right time for me.
How did you handle your finances to make your shift possible?
I was in an unusual position – my income actually increased when I joined the Associate Programme.
I was previously working in a small grocery shop and I was already used to living within my means. This meant that I didn’t have to make big changes.
One unexpected benefit of joining the programme was being around people who were more financially literate than I was. Conversations with my cohort helped me build my understanding of personal finance, which has had a lasting positive impact beyond the programme itself.
What was the most difficult thing about changing?
A big challenge was the uncertainty that comes with making a change.
When you’re considering a big change, you always have a clear idea of what you’re giving up, but not of what you might gain. That uncertainty can make change feel riskier than it really is.
The programme itself helped reduce some of that uncertainty by giving me real experience in different environments and helping me understand what I wanted.
What help did you get?
The biggest support was the cohort.
That became an informal support network we built ourselves, within the space On Purpose had created. My cohort is wise, insightful, supportive and fun – often even more so because of the range of perspectives.
We spoke about the things we found difficult as well as sharing the things we enjoyed. We talked about work but also life beyond work, which created a strong sense of belonging. That made it easier to have honest conversations and have fun – often moving between deep reflection and being completely silly.
I’m still very close to quite a few people in my cohort and I feel very fortunate to call them my friends.
What have you learnt in the process?
I learned that I’m capable of doing many different kinds of roles.
I had lots of transferable skills I could bring into new positions. The programme gave me a justified confidence – built from real experience I gained at my placements – that I could step into roles I might not have considered before.
It also helped me get much clearer on what kind of work I enjoyed (and didn’t enjoy) and where I could add the most value. That clarity made a big difference when applying for jobs afterwards, because I could articulate both what I wanted and what I was good at.
What would you advise others to do in the same situation?
When you’re considering a big change, you always have a clear idea of what you’re giving up, but not of what you might gain.
That uncertainty can make change feel riskier than it really is. In my experience, when I’ve felt compelled to make a change and followed through on it, it’s always been worth it.
Of course, this depends on having the privilege to be able to take those chances. But if you do, using that opportunity to move towards more meaningful work can be incredibly rewarding.
To learn more about the On Purpose Associate Programme, visit https://onpurpose.org/en/associate-programme.
Also, find out more about On Purpose in our Retraining Directory.
What lessons could you take from Oliver's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.
