You may remember that a few weeks’ ago I gave a talk to a group of University of Gloucestershire students on being a copywriter and running my own business.
I found it an interesting talk to put together. I’m very bad at taking time to reflect on decisions I’ve made / paths I’ve taken so to have to do so to put this talk together was very revealing.
At their age, I was shy, under-confident and fearful about what was to come after the conveyor belt of education ended. I was struck by how many of the students in the room were feeling the same way as I had.
If nothing else, I hope my talk was able to reassure them it’s normal to feel unsure about what to do next and what’s going to happen to you. Because at twice their age I’ve come an awfully long way and I was living proof that everything turns out all right in the end.
But although my self-confidence, courage and sense have changed out of all recognition, it was a faintly disturbing sensation to share my story and be grilled on my experiences.
Because while my career path looks coherent and planned in hindsight, at the time it felt anything but! It’s only in the past few years I’ve found a sense of certainty about what I’m doing, why I’m doing it and where I’m going. And while there are a multitude of benefits to self-employment, perhaps the sense of fulfilment is the biggest gift I’ve got from it.
