Wise Wednesdays

Recently, I spoke to two women who’ve worked with the UN and have had similar experiences to mine. They’ve both had to take big career leaps including leaps into the UN and out of it. I wondered why some people were OK taking these leaps. Was there something different about them? One of these women is Allyson Scammell who worked with NGOs and intergovernmental organisations before setting up her own intuitive business coaching practice. This aligned better with her true passion and also gave her more time with her family. We dug into the subject of Imposter Phenomenon/Imposter Syndrome and you can hear our conversation on her podcast here . We discovered that we both worked in South Sudan. And, that we both had to develop ways to deal with various fears – even now.  Overcoming the fears that hold you back seems to be one big pieces of the puzzle. Embodying a feel the fear and do it anyway mindset seems to be an important key to taking career leaps.   It’s unfortunate that our e...

So we finally got some good news this year with the US election results. It’s a hopeful message that bullies can be displaced from their perch… One of my very intuitive career transition clients wrote to me last week saying she found it strange that I would work for a someone who mistreated me. She’s right, I haven’t so far. She was referring to the story of the professor who floored me during an informational interview that I shouldn’t be too disappointed if I didn’t get the job during an informational interview. I clarified that after getting the job I never had anything to do with him. As the top candidate, I chose to work in an entirely different organisation. I was lucky to have a choice and not work with someone who could potentially have been a bully. Of course, people sometimes find themselves trapped with a bully. They feel they can’t leave the job. It might be due to finances or lack of suitable opportunities. However working for a bully usually has a cost that is ultimately ...

It was mid-afternoon that I sat in the big professor’s office trying to look confident. I wanted to convey my enthusiasm for the role I had been short-listed for. The pre-interview conversation was meant to be informational. But I left with a big dent in my confidence instead. As the prof sat down, I thanked him for the meeting and said “I’m excited to have been shortlisted”… He retorted: “Don’t be disappointed if you don’t get the job.” I was floored. How could he say that?!...Did he not understand this had been my dream for six years since my second year at medical school? That I’d worked night and day, living and breathing everything to do with this job? That I’d gone to 3 different countries including a war zone constantly relocating to get the best experience and qualifications for this job? Nope. I went home devastated and got on the phone to my family, barely holding back the tears. As it turned out, I got the job. Not only that, I must have done pretty well as I got a...