You don’t always have to climb the ladder….

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I completely get it!....the world is made up of heaps of highflyers who are winging it and crawling their way up the slippery ladder of success. But why does it have to always be an upward path, just sometimes a well-considered ‘sidestep’ or ‘backstep’ can make the road to success much smoother, more fulfilling, and more importantly much quicker. I know this because I did this very thing.

Taking the leap to move away from a successful career in HR to pursue a love for Recruitment was nothing short of daunting. I’d been heavily involved in internal hiring throughout my career and the “buzz” (Fellow Recruiters – you know what I mean!) when finding and matching talent was a feeling I just needed more of. I was pretty certain I had all the confidence, personality, unlocked ability, and tenaciousness to be an incredible Recruitment Consultant, however, what I quickly learned was, yes, I do have experience, but not necessarily the tools and mindset to fully help others with finding their next career move. I’d hit a gigantic wall that I needed to find a way to break through.

Something was missing. I took some time to re-evaluate what I wanted, what was holding me back, and how I was going to get to where I wanted to be. What was abundantly clear was it wasn’t going to happen in my current role, I needed to think ‘outside the box’ and fairly swiftly.

I wasted no time in putting myself out there, armed with all my weaknesses on show, and feeling outstandingly vulnerable, hoping someone would take a chance on me. Lo and behold, I was approached, you can imagine the boost that gave me. Finally, someone listened and was willing to show me the way and plug those gaps of knowledge as a Trainee Recruitment Consultant, specialising in HR - I’d hit the jackpot! 

Soon after, the dark realisation kicked in, it was a step back, what will people think, my CV will look a mess - just some of the unwelcomed feelings whizzing through my mind at the time. For someone who is driven and motivated to ‘race to the top,’ it isn’t an easy thing to see through the fog and picture the other side. But I decided to take the opportunity anyway and fully embraced all the learning and development opportunities to better myself professionally. Fast forward seven fantastic months, and I’m now a fully-fledged Recruitment Consultant, supporting incredible organsiations and placing incredible people in their dream roles.  All because I took a step back and put myself in an environment to thrive under new leadership, new colleagues, and a clear direction. 

Sometimes we focus too much on ‘climbing the ladder’ and as a result become blinkered, missing all the opportunities that sit to the side of us. The chance to truly build knowledge, meet new people, grow connections, and explore new ventures can all be discovered if you take a chance and veer off the beaten path occasionally. I promise your future self will thank you for it!

If you are looking for support to ‘climb your career ladder’ and carve your own personal journey of discovery, get in touch, I’d love to guide you through the fog.

Emma Broomfield