YOUR career path isn't linear but it is connected

Personal share.

Recently, I read Viv Albertine’s memoir ‘Clothes, Music, Boys’. Maybe you remember her from the all-female punk band, The Slits? The book is full of fashion references and brought up many memories of growing up that I'd shelved.

After reading the book, a friend from university sent me a photo. It was taken in a school staffroom nearly 30 years ago when we were training to teach. This is another episode in my life that I'd put away in a box somewhere.

It's weird to think that we take all this life experience for granted and don’t honour how it’s led us to be the people we are today.

Your career path

Your career path is wonderfully eclectic; it’s rarely linear, but it is connected.

If you haven't mapped out your career story, I recommend that you do so. Connecting the dots is a powerful exercise.

Tell the real story – the one behind the scenes – not the one you'd tell a recruiter or a potential employer while they scour your CV for evidence of results and achievements. Remind yourself of your unique adventure. I’d love to read it if you do.

Here’s a highly edited LinkedIn-friendly version of mine.

What did you want to do when you grew up?

I wanted to be a pharmacist, mainly because my glamorous auntie worked at a pharmacy, and I wanted to be like her. She was stylish, wore fashionable clothes, wore butter-soft maroon leather platform boots, and drove a pale blue Escort.

Despite taking all the sciences at school, I dropped the pharmacist idea to follow my passions—art and fashion. I worked in Kensington Market for a while, selling hand-printed clothes for our screen printing technician at Art School before I got a ‘proper’ job at Hobbs and then Emporio Armani.

Then, on a bit of a whim and with a desire for more holidays, I decided to train as a primary school teacher. I was offered a place at my college of choice but always kept one foot in the fashion door.

During my four-year degree, I sold menswear at Emporio Armani. I was pretty good at that, and it was a lucrative part-time job. But when I graduated, I was given my first tough career choice: set up the recruitment and training department for luxury retail brands or take the teaching job I'd been offered.

It was a sliding doors moment. I waved goodbye to my class and set up the in-house training and recruitment department for Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani, Prada, Donna Karan & DKNY.

Dream job

Working in-house across eight brands was a dream job for me. I designed all the training material, recruited for all stores and head office, and trained the sales teams. I had a small but brilliant team. We worked hard and fast.

Club 21 was an institution, and over the years, I worked with many great people. I knew I was going to miss being part of the family that I’d recruited and supported, but after 10 years, I needed a change of scenery and wanted to develop my recruitment skills.

Career transition

The transition into executive search recruitment wasn’t easy. I’d been working in a buzzy retail head office, in beautiful boutiques with products and now I was in a bijou office in Primrose Hill.

But over time, I fell in love with my career and became married to it. I was Head of Fashion and luxury brands and worked with amazing brands and people.

It’s funny, isn’t it? We get so caught up with goals, results, and achievements that when you look back, it’s all about the people! Or is that just me?

Change of scenery

So now we’re at the point where my career had really ramped up. I had one of the best jobs in fashion recruitment and I worked on loads of interesting projects and assignments.

At the same time, I was deep into yoga and I’d trained to teach it. That was 15 years ago and whilst I didn’t ever want to be a full-time teacher I knew that I wanted my work to be more holistic.

After another 10 year stint, I needed a change of scenery (headhunters get headhunted too).

Joining the dots

So far, I’ve shared my career journey and how it’s all connected through my arty roots, fashion retail, teaching kids, sales and yoga, luxury recruitment to executive search headhunting.

Which brings me almost up to date.

While I was satisfied with my work, something was missing. I felt stuck and at a crossroads (again). Maybe it was a midlife wake-up call because the desire for change was too loud to ignore.

So, I hired a coach, and after taking a sabbatical (the best thing EVER), I set up my desk to teach what I know.

ABOUT ME

I’m Tracy, a Career Consultant and former Executive Headhunter. Through 1:1 coaching, I help senior executives and leaders land great jobs and be successful at work.

I work with clients around the world from my London-based Zoom office.

If you’re ready for straight talk and career guidance, get in touch – let's start the conversation.

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