The next chapter: why I’m going freelance
After more than a decade of working directly inside the trenches of tech recruitment and adult reskilling, I officially changed my professional status today. I am not currently pursuing permanent employment whilst I am launching my own freelance practice as a Career Consultant.
I built this practice because I am genuinely passionate about helping people uncover the immense value they can bring to a business. Moving into the freelance space gives me the freedom to do exactly that, entirely on my own terms. Most importantly, it gives me the time to work one-on-one with individuals, focusing deeply on their specific situations and tailoring practical advice directly to them.
After years of teaching people how to actively network, put themselves out there and use LinkedIn to advance their careers, it is about time I put my money where my mouth is and took my own advice.
To prove it, the photo I am sharing to launch this business is about as unpolished as it gets. It is me at my kitchen table with no makeup, messy eyebrows and the undeniable beginning signs of grey hair. But that is exactly who I am in real life, and that is exactly how I intend to run this practice, grounded, real and completely free of corporate fluff - anybody who knows me personally will understand how much of a cringe moment this is for me!
When I look back at the career path, a few distinct pinch-me moments stand out. The job market is really tough at the moment; and examples like these are what keep me doing what I do.
My pinch-me moments:
I had the privilege of helping a mother secure her very first role in cyber security. She called me to tell me she got the job and was so excited that her kids could now learn whatever instruments they wanted. It was a really touching moment and a reminder of the real-life impact that changing and advancing your career can have on your day to day life (I am pretty sure most of us work to live, and this fabulous lady was looking forward to her and her kids doing just that)!
I worked with a lady who had been out of work for over a decade due to health issues. She has a lot more life experience than me, is very capable and somebody who I looked up to a lot (I still do). When she called to tell me she had got the job (two job offers if I recall), she became very emotional, sharing that she genuinely did not think she would ever be good enough to go back to work after being sick for so long. We both cried on that call, and I was amazed that somebody as impressive as her could ever doubt her abilities. It was an honour to be part of that journey.
A very bright, technically capable and painfully shy individual started working with me, he really lacked confidence when it came to talking about himself and the mere suggestion of an interview question would send him into a freeze response. I was privileged to work alongside him, slowly building on interview experience and developing his confidence until he landed his dream job. Seeing the contrast between our first meeting and the call where he told me he had got the job was honestly a joy to behold.
A very passionate aspiring GRC professional. He started with absolutely zero knowledge of this subject and very little work experience to back him up. To help with this, he became a total student of the game. He continually refreshed his knowledge, built his own hands-on projects to solidify what he was learning, sought out advice and repeatedly forced himself out of his comfort zone by posting his journey publicly on LinkedIn. This consistent hard work and continual personal development eventually yielded his first role in GRC, it was so exciting to see all of that hard work finally pay off!
All of these individuals were exceptionally talented and strong in their own unique ways. Being a small part of their success was a complete privilege and it completely solidified my purpose.
Bridging the gap: people and companies
Whilst my core focus is helping individuals navigate the job market, my move to freelance is also about changing how companies view talent. Alongside my one-on-one client coaching, I am keeping my door open for part-time corporate consultancy positions.
Long-term, I am incredibly keen to partner directly with organisations to help them implement strategic skills frameworks. I am currently learning a lot more about the SFIA Skills Framework and hope to continue developing my knowledge whilst gaining some hands on implementation experience so I can help companies implement this themselves.
I truly believe that skills-based hiring is the absolute key to the future of work. It is how we properly diversify talent pools, shift away from outdated traditional background requirements and create much more fulfilling careers for people. It will allow companies to “fish” in a much bigger pool, and should open the doors to more satisfying careers for individuals, which should in-turn increase retention within companies.
What you can expect from me next
If you are following my journey or looking to step up your own career, I am rolling up my sleeves to give back to this community. Over the coming weeks and months, you can expect a steady stream of practical support:
Weekly Strategy Blogs: I will be publishing articles right here every single week, breaking down the core pillars of successful career management, from CV design and building a personal brand, to active networking tactics, interview preparation, additional learning and sharing any resources I know will help you with your next career move.
Free Downloadable Resources: I am currently developing a suite of free, practical tools for my website to help job hunters organise, track and optimise their search strategies.
Community Events: Watch this space. I am planning to host free community events both in person and online to bring professionals together, share insights and build networks.
Let’s work together
Whether you are a professional trying to figure out how to articulate your value to recruiters, or a business looking to build a more resilient, skills-first hiring strategy, I am here to act as a grounded, down-to-earth partner.
If you are feeling stuck in your current search or want to find out how we can work together to map out your next move, let’s just start with a chat. Book a free, casual conversation through my site and we can figure it out together.
