Intentional Careers - taking control of your career with Hannah Roberts

We were really excited to be able to bring this event to our members and it did not disappoint. Hannah's calm tones, humble and human approach to the session set everyone at ease. The message she delivered was clear: we can all take steps to understand what success really means for each of us and seek to make the correct changes to achieve this success. Hannah gave an example of the classic childhood dream of being a doctor. This might drive our studying and career decisions, doing things solely because they are required for that job. She asked us to look beyond the job and into the drivers, in this case a desire to care for and help others. Framed in this way, there are many more roles that can offer this measure of success and fulfilment, so we then need to look at where our natural talents lie.

When we seek a career where we use our natural talents, that is where we will find a sense of 'flow'. This is the state where time disappears and we are completely engaged in what we are doing. The job won't feel so difficult, or the tasks unappealing. Although our natural talents vary greatly, there are many commonalities in our experiences, including the range of traps we fall into and how we stagnate — unless we take action. Hannah gave us key insights into how to overcome these seemingly locked positions, assisting us to establish the cause of our discontent, be it internal (perhaps self-doubt and low confidence) or external factors such as misaligned values or toxic work environments.

Our reactions to workplace dissatisfaction also follow some common themes: "Ostrich, Neglect, Making the best of a bad situation, Leaving (but perhaps replicating the problems in a different space)". Hannah challenged us, via analytical processes, to set out the stage we are at in our careers, the level of fulfilment we feel and how we might improve our situations. We were asked to jot down what we do and do not want at the workplace; to identify where we want to be rather than where we don't want to be — a perspective that is key to avoiding making fear-based decisions.

Hannah's Career Compass Methodology described actionable steps to redefine and achieve success, including: time and energy management, overcoming personal limitations, and working out the 'what next' and how to implement it. For many of us, it was extremely helpful to gain a deeper understanding of our own decisions, directions, and natural talents. We felt lifted out of our usual space and able to look at our careers with a fresh, more distant perspective. We could reconnect with our personal ambitions and begin shaping our career paths with greater confidence. The exercise felt freeing and energising — and in some cases, truly revelatory.

We are so grateful to Hannah for the outstanding session she delivered and would encourage you to take a look at her website and podcasts. She offers a free 30 minute consultation if you feel you would like a taster of how she might be able to help move your career in the right direction - and sometimes, that is sideways!

Connect with CamAWiSE for more information about our career events and mentoring programme. We are eager to hear from you!