What work had been you doing beforehand?
I used to be working as a contractor in finance, dealing with PPI complaints for numerous excessive road banks.
What are you doing now?
I now work as an employment advocate on a help programme known as Households Into Work, which is a part of Liverpool Metropolis Area Mixed Authority.
I’m additionally finding out an element time diploma in psychotherapeutic counselling.
Why did you modify?
After I accomplished my college diploma 18 years in the past, I struggled to determine a profession that I truly needed to do, and located myself going from meaningless job to job, which paid the payments however didn’t actually supply way more.
I ultimately wound up as a self-employed contractor, dealing with PPI complaints for prime road banks corresponding to Lloyds, Barclays and Clydesdale Financial institution.
The cash was nice, however the final contract I labored on was an evening shift up in Scotland, which concerned travelling up there and again every week, working 12-hour nights till 6am.
The nights had been lengthy, the climate was chilly and the work was boring! I at all times struggled with regulating my sleeping sample too, which made the work all of the extra tougher.
Circumstances had been marked to a excessive normal, and quite a lot of failed circumstances (reds) may lead to you being placed on a efficiency plan, or worse, eliminated completely from the contract.
I nonetheless get e-mail anxiousness in my present position every time I take annual go away, anticipating to see quite a lot of handed and failed circumstances in my inbox!
Given how a lot the night time shifts and travelling was affecting me, I knew I needed to discover one thing completely different.
I at all times appreciated the thought of working in a task the place I may give again and make a distinction, fairly than simply being a replaceable cog in an enormous machine.
When was the second you determined to make the change?
When the primary pandemic lockdown was introduced.
I used the chance to half methods with monetary companies altogether, and determined I used to be going to strive one thing utterly completely different, even when it meant taking a pay lower.
I used to be fortunate in that my outgoings had been comparatively low on the time, blissfully unaware of how the pandemic was going to have an effect on issues…
Are you proud of the change?
Leaving the world of finance was tough.
The cash was nice, nevertheless it provided no job satisfaction, and the night time shifts had been actually affecting my psychological and bodily well being.
Nonetheless, I can say now that I’ve by no means been happier in a task. I’ve the very best crew, glorious working situations and most of all, my sleep sample is again to regular!
What do you miss and what do not you miss?
A number of the individuals I met contracting are a few of my greatest pals at the moment.
I feel lots of people simply fall into that type of job, so you actually do meet people from all walks of life. I additionally positively miss the cash!
That being stated, the lengthy hours, the night time shifts, the e-mail anxiousness over marked circumstances, the living-out-of-a-suitcase, the Scottish climate, the lengthy commutes and the boring work – they will all do one!
How did you go about making the shift?
A few yr earlier than I left the Scotland-based contract, I volunteered a day every week with a housing affiliation, who had a contract supporting Liverpool residents with housing-related points.
This meant that I grew to become a well-recognized face within the workplace, and it gave me the chance to be taught concerning the sector which might ultimately grow to be my new area of employment.
About three months after the primary lockdown, the housing affiliation provided me a task as a reduction employee in a lodge which was getting used to deal with homeless people through the pandemic.
This was a little bit of a shock to the system having simply taken three months off – the atmosphere was typically chaotic, and I used to be thrown into the deep finish from day one. The lodge skilled many points together with common evictions, alcohol and substance misuse and even a suicide try.
The 4 months spent working right here had been a few of the most difficult of my life, nonetheless, once I realised the constructive impression I may have, and after receiving my first card saying “thanks for not giving up on me”, I knew this was what I needed to do for a residing.
When it was introduced that the lodge would begin for use for its meant functions once more, I used to be profitable in turning into a everlasting floating help employee.
This concerned supporting shoppers with housing points together with tenancy sustainment, resettlement and acquiring grants and funding to clear arrears or pay for furnishings.
This was on a one-to-one foundation, which I discovered a lot simpler than within the hostel, and meant that I may give my full focus and a focus to at least one particular person at a time.
Following this, I utilized for my present position with Households Into Work final yr, which provided a greater wage, higher working situations and much more help.
How did you develop (or switch) the abilities you wanted in your new position?
In my present position, we’ve to handle giant caseloads, which we additionally needed to do within the complaints dealing with position.
I used to be subsequently in a position to switch my sturdy organisational and time administration expertise throughout to the brand new place.
All of my earlier roles earlier than shifting into well being and social care concerned the heavy use of computer systems, so I had a strong basis of digital expertise, that are integral to my present job provided that we’ve a number of admin.
However my new position could be very completely different, and I’ve needed to develop many new expertise corresponding to energetic listening and being resilient.
What didn’t go effectively? What incorrect turns did you are taking?
The reduction employee position was extra completely different than another job I’d executed.
A lot of the coaching was on-the-job, which was onerous to get used to as all of my earlier finance roles concerned weeks of coaching earlier than even touching a case.
It additionally took some adjusting to the decrease wage, as I used to be now taking house a 3rd of the cash I used to be making earlier than. It was positively a lesson in cash administration…however one I used to be glad to be taught!
How did you deal with your funds to make your shift attainable?
I positively needed to make a number of sacrifices.
I had some financial savings I used to be in a position to stay on for some time, and had simply moved into a brand new place with my accomplice, so splitting all of the lease and payments helped. She was in the midst of her PHD, so we needed to go simple on all of the small luxuries like takeaways.
The pandemic had additionally put a cease to nights out and holidays, in order that was a bonus! The lodge was recurrently brief staffed, so I used to be in a position to choose up a number of extra time once I received the reduction employee position.
What was probably the most tough factor about altering?
The lodge was typically a chaotic and full of life atmosphere, and there was loads to be taught.
This meant that the shifts would fly by, however would typically go away you feeling a bit burnt out (emotionally and spiritually) on the finish of every day.
There have been generally conditions that might additionally make it tough to change off after work, corresponding to when a resident took a drug overdose. After I labored in finance, you left your work on the door once you left the constructing!
What assist did you get? 
I spoke with my supervisor who taught me about reflective apply which actually helped.
I additionally learnt to recognise when issues had been getting on high me, and take a while out the place I may.
What sources would you suggest to others?
The Nationwide Careers Service on-line expertise evaluation is a good place to start out (attempt to hold an open thoughts with a few of the ideas!).
And when you’d wish to try to get into the NHS, they’ve a ‘Discover Your Profession’ quiz you possibly can take to get you impressed and knowledgeable.
What have you ever learnt within the course of?
Some issues are way more vital than a wage, like your well being, your happiness and your working situations.
What do you would like you’d executed otherwise?
Solely that I’d made the change sooner!
What would you advise others to do in the identical scenario?
Get as a lot details about different profession prospects as you possibly can.
For example, in case your objective is to arrange your individual enterprise, see in case your native authority has a enterprise help service you possibly can contact, or possibly you could have a buddy who runs their very own enterprise – ask when you can shadow them for a day.
Completely think about performing some volunteering! It appears unbelievable in your CV and is a good way to discover different profession paths, even when it’s only for a few hours every week.
Take into account seeing a profession advisor who can present an alternate perspective than your individual.
What classes may you are taking from Michael’s story to make use of in your individual profession change? Tell us within the feedback under.
