Career Development - Personal Success Stories...

Jes Paine's Story: Jes had endured the worst year of his life. Find out what Jes thought of our Full Day Career Transition Workshop and how he has since transformed his life! Helen O'Dell's Story: Helen was  facing redudancy from her employer. Read how  attending our Full Day Workshop helped turn Helen's life around and why she decided to start her own Soft Furnishing business. Jo's Story: Find out how SMP helped Jo develop a winning CV and interview strategy and regain her work - life balance Heike's Story: Read how SMP helped Heike regain her confidence and move forward with her career Alan's Story: See how SMP helped Alan make the transition post redundancy and into successful self employment Shann's Story: See what  impact the Full Day Workshop had on Shann! Lynda's Story: Read how Interview Skills Coaching helped Lynda get her dream job as a Matron with the NHS. Veronica's Story: Veronica becomes ‘the architect of her own future’ to get the job she really desired!.

  “Following the darkest year of my life where my career and personal life were in tatters, I contacted Steve Preston, a former boss of mine, who had been very influential earlier in my career.

Steve invited me to attend a career transition workshop that he was running a few days later.  My immediate inward reaction was ‘You must be joking.  My football team has an important relegation battle that afternoon.’  But I quickly realised that in having asked for Steve’s help, I was being given an immediate opportunity to do something positive about my life.

There were just four of us at the 'One Step Beyond' Workshop. Although we all came from different backgrounds, we all had a similar reason for being there, looking for some inspiration and direction.   

My career and life really went into a new era following the workshop and I haven't looked back since. Soon afterwards, I applied for the BBC’s Lottery Jet Set quiz programme and subsequently appeared on prime time TV with my twin brother for three successive weeks. It was a fabulous experience and turned out be very productive in terms of job interviews.  Appearing knowledgeable, calm and collected in front of five million people live on TV was probably quite an asset! 

Following my TV appearances, I started doing some work for a company that reviews luxury hotels worldwide.  Since then I have travelled regularly to the Middle East and also reviewed some of London’s top hotels. I have also done some interesting consultancy work for an Australian Travel company and been asked to consider various special projects.  

The Full Day Workshop is for people from every conceivable background, who may need to give their career and/or their life a boost. It is for anyone who is stuck in a rut, have lost their way, or are frustrated by what they are doing, or maybe struggling to see anything positive ahead.  It is for people who need experts to coach and guide them in the right direction, to assist with career or life choices and to instill confidence where it may be lacking. 

Thank you Steve and Debbie for all your help and support"

 Jes Paine

Success Update - As a result of Jes building an excellent reputation through his self employed project work, he has now been snapped up by a UK Hotel Chain as their Sales & Marketing Director! 

Personal Success Story - Helen O'Dell Helen attended our ‘One Step Beyond’ Full Day workshop in April 2007. She was extremely unhappy with her management job with the local council and her work life balance and it was clearly affecting her whole outlook on life. Her role was also under the threat of redundancy due to restructuring but Helen could not see a way forward so came to our 'One Step Beyond ' Full Day Workshop to help find inspiration and focus.

 It became obvious to all of us at the workshop that Helen had many skills which she could utilise to her benefit and that maybe self employment might be a good option, which could also help her achieve her work-life balance goals. Helen did not have the confidence or belief that she could possibly run her own business.

In fact, the very thought of starting her own business frightened her so much that she came up with every reason 'why not to'!

The rest is history and her story is an inspiration to us all. This is her email she sent to us a few weeks after attending our 'One Step Beyond' Full Day Workshop:

"After the workshop I spent some time thinking through the outcomes of the day, talking with family and friends. The workshop had clarified that I was really a round peg in a square hole with the council and that I was actually relieved to be being made redundant !
 
I came up with some options, talked them through with family and friends and started making enquiries while waiting for the council to sort out when I would be made redundant"

 "The council suddenly decided that it would try to redeploy me to another role and redundancy would only happen if the redeployment failed! The new role was definitely not for me but under council policy since I had the requisite skills I would be expected to take the position.

At that point I decided that enough was enough -  since redundancy seemed unlikely and the amount I would be entitled to receive was minimal  - I resigned. 

I have considered a number of options and am down to 2 to start with - firstly I am going to set up my own soft furnishings business - curtains, cushions etc and along side this I am starting a City & Guilds in Soft Furnishings so I have a formal qualification in the 'trade'. 

Secondly I am going to study an OU course for 10 months.  In the meantime thoughts and ideas of horticultural options are in reserve for now until I see how these ventures go, but if a plant nursery comes up for sale in the local area......who knows!"
 
So, in summary, your workshop.....

• Helped me to realise that I had not been happy in my job for a while and that me and the council 'were not suited'
  
• Gave me the confidence to realise that there were other options I could take up, could enjoy doing and do so without compromising my family
  
• Gave me the confidence to take control and walk away from the council
  
• Helped me realise that I could use my interests to take me forward to doing something I enjoy
  
• Helped me realise that I didn't have to do 'just one thing' and could have a 'portfolio career'
  
• Has given me back an enthusiasm for what I want to do and a belief that I can do it
  
• Since I resigned my friends comment that I 'seem much happier and back to my old self'. I had not realised how badly the job had affected me over the last 6 months!
   
  So..... THANK YOU and I will keep you posted!
   
  Helen O'Dell

Success Update - Helen did set up her own soft furnishings business and it is proving a great success and she has many months of advance orders!  She is now energised, thriving, fulfilled and has her life back with time for her family. Helen really has become 'the architect of her own future!’

 

“Having worked within the same industry for the last 20 years, not only was I feeling totally demoralised by the changes that had occurred, I felt completely trapped.

Steve enabled me to look at my skills and strengths and realise how transferable they were and gave me the confidence to pursue my dreams and move into a totally new career by developing a winning CV and interview strategy.

Result - I have a new job with excellent career potential, job satisfaction, regained my work – life balance (I have become a Mother again rather than a 'slave to my job') and I have the challenge I was looking for!

Thank you as I don’t believe that I would ever have achieved this career transition on my own”

Jo

"Having had a previously successful management career, I then experienced the two most difficult years of my life that had left me with little confidence, outlook or sense of direction. It was around this time I met Steve, as I clearly needed help to move me forward.

Steve helped me to dig deep to make me see and understand my skills and strengths and has re-instilled confidence and belief in myself. In spite of personal hiccups along the way, Steve continued to support me and with his positive and creative approach helped open doors for me that set me on the road to where I want to be.

I now have a much clearer focus and belief in realising my new career goals. If you believe in fate, as I do, you were my 'angel of fate'!

Great commitment and personal endeavour. Thank you!"

Heike

“Steve initially mentored me post redundancy and was the only person who understood my work-life balance requirements.

I was encouraged down the road of self employment and after a year again met with Steve to refocus my objectives.

This proved extremely beneficial as another year on I have achieved all I set out to do and am now reaping the rewards”

Alan

‘I’ve achieved realisation that I can do what I want to do. There is no limit to my possibilities and what I can achieve. My goals and future are limitless!

 'Extremely good and rewarding and exceeded my expectations. I feel that I have moved more than ‘One Step Beyond’!

 Shann

Success Update - Shann now has the confidenece and belief to embark on a self employed portfolio career utilising a number of her key skills in various aspects of teaching, training and consulting!

“I had always felt that being a Matron was my ideal job and that I was qualified to further my NHS career and step into the role. After 2 unsuccessful attempts I was feeling demoralised and unsure whether I was following the right career path so decided to attend the SMP ‘One Step Beyond’ Evening Workshop.

The evening definitely helped me focus on what I really wanted to do. I decided to take a sideways step, as an interim measure, with the view to following my dream of a Matron’s role in the future.

Another Matron opportunity came up much sooner than I expected so I applied again and was delighted to be short listed.

I decided to enlist the help of Steve to coach me to improve my interview approach and technique, as on the previous occasions I had been very nervous and lacked confidence in my own ability.

Steve coached me through a very intensive and challenging 2 hour session and really honed in on my mindset. He very quickly picked up that I was constantly using negative language, which could be perceived that I doubted my own ability to do the job!

I had not realised how strongly this was coming across and knew this was at the root of my previous failures. By the end of the session I felt so much more confident in my own ability and to express myself in a positive way. He also taught me some relaxation and positive mindset techniques to help on the interview day.

I am delighted to say that I overcame my ‘demons’ and was successful at the interview and have now achieved my dream role as Matron!

The combination of the Evening Workshop with Debbie and Steve then the follow up Interview Skills coaching made all the difference to my outlook. I could not have achieved this job without their assistance and guidance, especially Steve, as he made me realise that I was good enough to do the role but it was only my mindset that was holding me back. I cannot thank you enough”.
 
Lynda Filby

Veronica’s situation was typical of many SMP clients. Unfulfilled, frustrated and not realising her true potential, due to the lack of opportunities with her employer.

She attended our ‘One Step Beyond’ Evening Workshop and quickly realised that she would really benefit from attending our Full Day Workshop and she has never looked back!

Veronica says “Coming on the workshop helped transform my life. Meeting other people from completely different backgrounds who had similar needs and the support of SMP coaches Steve and Debbie really motivated me, giving me the confidence to take action rather than staying in my comfort zone.

Everyone at the workshop encouraged me to apply for a role that I wasn’t confident of achieving and made me realise that I did have the skills and attributes required to be successful. This made me determined to prove them right!   

I wasn’t confident with my interview technique and had previously found it extremely difficult to provide good examples to support my interview answers, especially as English is not my first language. Steve suggested that I use the follow up session from the Full Day Workshop for coaching to practice sharpening up my interview skills and boost my confidence.

The result- I beat off all the competition and now have a new public sector role with great opportunities for both career and personal development! 

I cannot express in words how the ‘One Step Beyond’ workshops and Steve and Debbie’s coaching has changed my life!” 

Veronica P