A career in careers? On 20 years in the sector

January is over! For those who celebrate the winter festivals, it can feel like the longest month. January is also traditionally a time to take stock and think of the year ahead. I started the year with a review of my own career, thinking about where I am at, what I still want to achieve in the careers sector and what matters to me. It wasn't just the new year that set me off. Late in 2024 I passed a significant milestone: 20 years of working in careers-related roles.

It has not been an exclusive career in careers. I have worked in careers posts, undertaken education roles that have integrated an element of career development work and combined careers activity within a wider portfolio (some connections will even remember me as a creative, rather than a careers person). Hello to everyone who has been with me on my journey; January has also been about reconnecting with quite a few of you!

What has my work in careers taught me? Readers will already have different views of what “career” means. Career development isn't just about jobs and how to get your next one (and the one after that…and the one after…), albeit for most people that’s where “career” is focused and it has certainly been the point at which friends and connections on this platform have reached out to me for support as a known careers expert.

For me, careers work is much broader (as is the definition of “career” itself; more holistic and about everything that occupies your time). My priority in the careers sector has always been around inclusive, equitable and accessible career pathways – for everyone.  And as anyone taking that as their focus will know, well, our work will probably never be done.

I hope to have another 20 years of employment to go before I near retirement age. Where am I at? I remain concerned that fully accessible lifelong career guidance remains out of reach for many adults, for a plethora of reasons. The area of career practice that has always most interested me is supporting adults throughout the lifespan (in particular, women, neurodiverse adults and those who seek change but feel trapped in their workplaces).

So this will continue to be my focus and you can follow how I get on with this here and via the other platforms I’m active on - find out where I am via my LinkTree.

Careers sector colleagues have done much research on the positive wellbeing outcomes of career guidance*. If I have been giving myself career advice over the last few months then it is definitely rooted in this area. So I will be continuing to prioritise my health, wellbeing and my family above all else in my career. 🏃🏻 As a runner, I’m hitting personal bests at the age of 45, so something is going right with this plan, even if, as my eldest child likes to remind me, the grey hairs and wrinkles are also at a personal best.

 

*Wellbeing and Career Development

If you're interested in finding out more on this, I recommend as a starting point:

Briefing Paper

Pete Robertson The impact of career guidance on the mental well-being of young people

Journal Article

Chris Percy PhD Erin Bartley Liane Hambly (she/her) Associate Professor Deirdre Hughes OBE Nikki Lawrence Embedding wellbeing in career development practice: trialling a new structure for guidance conversations in Scotland and Wales