It wasn't a career choice, infact I don't really remember thinking about work at all. I am afraid I did fall into the category of pretty much living in the moment. Work was all about money for going out, drinking and generally having fun (I had given up horses by this time). I assumed I would be married by 30 with children. Again, something I didn't really think about... it was just going to happen! I was a Thatcher child, I lived in Essex, getting a job was something that happened, didn't really require too much thought!
So whilst having far too much fun at school, generally being incredibly social and misbehaving (in a good way by today's standards). I decided I was going to be a hairdresser, despite my maths teacher going apoplectic when I told her this (even if I do say myself, I was bloody good at maths) I got a job at Vidal Sassoon in London. Looking back now, despite thinking I wasnt that interested. I was very determined to get into Sassoon's and wouldn't have gone into hairdressing at all if it meant working in a local salon! The best or nothing really, so out of about 200 applicants I was one of the 15 juniors picked for that tranche (trust me they go through a few). To cut a long story short I had a great time at Sassoons for about 18 months because as well as working in the salon you also got to go to the London College of Fashion one day a week. It was a blast, very intense and I was quite good (its a good mix of technical and artistic) but fuck!!! it was dull. The people who worked at Sassoon live, breathe and eat hair. Seriously.... there are more important things in life! So shortly before qualifying I left!
There are many things in between... I left to become a stylist, then changed to model (I was thin) and got accepted at LCF for that (best feature - hands LOL) but thankfully a friend who was a very successful model talked me out of that, worked at a fashion house ordering and calculating quantities of buttons, fabric etc to get designs into production (this was owned by an Iraqui who suddenly dissapeared, so did the company. 2 weeks later the 1st Iraq war broke out), business travel agent (to find the day I got made redundant my dad was a director), mortgage administrator (office of 50 people, 48 were woman LOL, that was fun NOT), Lloyds Stockbrokers (best job for 9 years, all through my 20's and had a great time for the best boss and great people), then finally into the Equities Floor of Investment Banking at 28.
There are many things in between... I left to become a stylist, then changed to model (I was thin) and got accepted at LCF for that (best feature - hands LOL) but thankfully a friend who was a very successful model talked me out of that, worked at a fashion house ordering and calculating quantities of buttons, fabric etc to get designs into production (this was owned by an Iraqui who suddenly dissapeared, so did the company. 2 weeks later the 1st Iraq war broke out), business travel agent (to find the day I got made redundant my dad was a director), mortgage administrator (office of 50 people, 48 were woman LOL, that was fun NOT), Lloyds Stockbrokers (best job for 9 years, all through my 20's and had a great time for the best boss and great people), then finally into the Equities Floor of Investment Banking at 28.
I have worked at only 2 more companies since that first job on the floor. i cant say that I took my job that seriously up until about 3 years ago. It's taken me a while to work out what my talents are and to utalise them in the correct way. It is exceptionally easy for me to coast along very efficiently in the eyes of others on about 20% brain power. It takes a good boss and a lot of pressure to get me up to about 70% and then i am unstoppable. Previously having worked for a great boss, who has turned into an even better friend. I switched and my new boss had massive faith in me and gave me huge responsibility. Its probably at this point i acknowledged I had a career and not just a job. Ironically, I then got my old boss back and it was a win, win! Confidence, responsibility and I had a great time.
My current title is Head of Middle Office and Settlements, also I am Company Secretary (more by luck than judgement). This means that at the age of 41, having left school at 16 with very ineffective GCSE's (although I did get 9 of them. Didn't bother turning up for 1 as it was sunny and I couldn't be arsed) to be a hairdresser. I am sitting on the Board of an Investment Bank.
How the fuck did that happen?
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