As you hit forty years of age, you begin to think about entering the next stage of your professional career. The learning curve is over; you have earned your wings and feel that you are in a position that you have rightfully deserved. So here you are about to run down the final third into the twilight years.
As I approached this, I thought about continuing in a safety net or taking a risk. It was something that I had been contemplating for a while. Is it worth taking that one big challenge? Certainly in my career, I had the opportunity to take some incredible opportunities. Somehow I turned them down (why I turned down the chance to work in Barbados at 26 was one I still regret!)
So three years ago I found myself packing up my bags and uprooting my life from the busy streets of London to the more chilled our Archipelago of Stockholm. Here I was thirty-eight years old in a country where I could not speak the language, bucked the Nordic trend by not drinking coffee, and I won’t even mention my cinnamon allergy.
Something inside me was saying “Do it, take that challenge.” So one wet weekend I started to apply for some jobs similar to those I had in London. My Swedish was rusty to say least so I was relying on Google Translation for as accurate a cv as I could.
Two weeks later I had two interviews and two job offers. Everything suddenly felt real. This was not something that I could just debate. I had given up my life and job back home. Left my friends and family behind, moved 900km away to a strange land.
Fast forward two years it was certainly the best decision I had ever made. I have had the pleasure of working for a fantastic company in central Stockholm that is a giant and leader in their industry. My colleagues have been polite, wonderful to work with, and I am grateful that they have been patient with my Swedish, which I am happy to say is not so rusty now.
I have even become a lover of coffee and liquorice!
The moral of this little entry is never be afraid to take a risk in your career. At some point, we all feel the need for change. It does not have to mean moving overseas; it could be leaving a company you have had a long association with or a change in profession. Yes, you will go through uncertainty, feel afraid and unsure. But that is human nature.
The real feeling of achieving the sense of satisfaction is one that will never be forgotten.
