Anna S. E. Lundberg

Coach, Speaker, Writer

Why we could all do with a cheerleader who’s on our side

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cheerleaderI was going through some boxes of old photos and mementos the other day and among all these things I found timetables and competition information (as well as some super sexy green pants) from my cheerleading days. Well, I say “my cheerleading days” as if this was some kind of golden era – I was never any good at it really, I’m not naturally flexible and gymnastics was not my best sport. I do still remember some of our cheers, though: “We are the Cougar team and we’ve got style…” … C, C-O, C-O-U-G-A-R-S, the Cougars…” … “B-E aggressive…” …

Now aside from reminiscing about how rubbish my splits were, I’ve also been talking to my business coach about how to get even more focused in what I offer as a coach; and she picked up on the fact that I tell my clients that I’ll be their “cheerleader” (along with other things like a sounding board and an accountability partner). For me, since I first started to experience coaching myself, this “cheerleading” aspect has always been really important.

The reality is that the world in which most of us are operating is overwhelmingly negative when it comes to taking risks and choosing a more alternative path. Teachers, parents, ‘society’, peers – most people are risk averse and when you talk to them they will voice their own concerns and speak from a place of their own fears and insecurities. This negativity is not just external, and in fact our inner critic can be the loudest voice of all.

So for me, the positive, smiley, “you’re awesome!” cheerleader vibe is rare but much needed as we embark on major changes in our lives. It’s a voice that acknowledges your desires, takes your dreams seriously, and doesn’t ask you why you want to do something but supports you in working out how you’ll do it.

Paradoxically, there is actually a lot of talk of the importance of a positive mindset when it comes to being successful. We’re told that we need to have a growth mindset (rather than a fixed mindset), viewing challenges as opportunities to learn and get better; that we should get out of our comfort zones (yay, my favourite concept) and push ourselves further than we imagine to be possible: and that we should not be afraid of making mistakes. Then there’s that argument that we become what we surround ourselves with and that we therefore need to seek out positive influences. (In fact, these points are all summarised in this one article.)

This is not about being naively positive about ridiculous ideas. There is a time for being pragmatic, for recognising obstacles and working on minimising risks; but the point is that someone is always going to make sure that you see the negative sides of an idea – so what you need to do is make sure that you find someone to help you see the positive!

When we’re little, adults will tell us that we can do and be anything we want. They’ll admire our magnificent artwork, watch our singing and dancing performances with rapt attention, and gush about how wonderful we are in every way. Somehow that gets lost as we grow up and become adults ourselves. But that doesn’t mean we need that support any less!

So my tip to you: find someone who will be your cheerleader and provide you with unconditional support in amidst all the other negativity swirling all around you. The cheerleader can be a personal life or business coach, or perhaps mentor; it can be your partner; or it can be a good friend. Just find someone who will wave those pom poms and never stop smiling as they cheer at you from the sidelines.

Wooooo! You can do it! Gooooooo you!

Working on a big project and need a boost? Let me know in the comments what you’re up to and I’ll give you your own personalised cheer!

So you want to be a coach? Here’s my advice to you…

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so you want to be a coach?There’s a lot of talk about coaching these days. Partly I notice this because I’m in that area myself of course, and so I follow many other coaches while I also get a lot of people asking me about my work; but there’s no denying that it’s an industry that’s growing.

I think a lot of us are drawn to coaching as we go through our own transitions and we’re keen to support others in doing the same. There’s also maybe less of a stigma when it comes to getting support from other people, and even the top CEOs and entrepreneurs (not to mention athletes) work with coaches to become even better. And ultimately coaching is about helping people and it’s fantastic that so many want to devote themselves to this profession!

In my case, coaching was something I came to very organically. I’ve always been interested in personal development, and before and after I quit my job in 2013 I devoured books and blogs about how to create a life and career you love. In doing so, I came up with the idea of training as a coach. I had some experience in coaching from work, where we as managers had learned the GROW model in order to coach our direct reports; it’s also something that fits with my natural “Socratic” approach to issues.

Initially it was purely out of personal interest and curiosity and I didn’t necessarily have plans to become a coach – but through my studies and through practising coaching I quickly came to love it and it’s now an integral part of what I do.

Is coaching something that you’re considering as well? I’ve had so many people asking me about this lately that I thought it might be helpful if I shared my five tips, based on my own personal experience as well as everything I’ve devoured over these past few years:

1. Understand what “coaching” is

Coaching as an industry is relatively young and it’s not regulated in the way that other related fields like psychiatry are. Anyone can call themselves a coach, whatever their training (or lack thereof). This gives rise to a broad spectrum of styles and approaches, in addition to all the modifiers that give you life coaching, career coaching, business coaching, executive coaching, leadership coaching, etc. There are also internal coaches and external coaches; as well as many different formats in which coaching might be delivered, such as one-on-one or group, on the phone or in person, online programmes or face-to-face workshops. In a way, coaching is just a tool; one that you can use in a great many professions, without necessarily even having the official title of being A Coach.

The International Coaching Federation, which I believe to be the most credible international body in the field, defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximise their personal and professional potential”. A little “bla bla” but there are some key concepts in there:

  • “partnering” – the coach is not superior to the coachee, instead they are equals who are working together
  • “a thought-provoking and creative process” – the coach will be very present, listening actively and asking open-ended questions to discover new insights and create plans and results together with the coachee
  • “inspires them to maximise their personal and professional potential” – the coach will provide support and help the coachee to set ambitious goals and create the action plan and structure needed to achieve those goals

I won’t get into all the differences between pure coaching and therapy, or coaching and consulting, and other fields, but my point is: before you go further in your desire to be a coach, make sure you understand what that entails! A good place to start is Become A Coach by the ICF.

2. Know your “why”

Now that you know what coaching is: what is it about it that appeals to you? When I advise people on their career choices, I always highlight that one of the most important drivers of job satisfaction and fulfilment is that the work is meaningful to you.

What is the impact you want to have with coaching?

What problem do you want to solve, what is your vision for what you can achieve with coaching?

Do you care about helping people and, if so, what do you want to help them with?

Are you looking for something that can be done virtually, as a location independent business?

Will this be one of a number of roles in a portfolio career that you’re creating, or do you want it to be your sole income stream?

What does success look like for you?

Understanding why you’re coming into this, and what you’re working towards, will guide you in making the right decisions for you as well as keeping you motivated, especially through the inevitable tough times

3. Develop the relevant skill set

The first question to ask yourself is whether coaching as a profession is a fit for your innate preferences and personality strengths – are you naturally curious, do you enjoy solving problems, are you good with people, do you really listen when people talk…? Some of these skills can be developed, but it helps if you have that natural tendency already.

It’s not just about the coaching process, either: if you’re thinking of starting your own coaching business, are you suited to being self-employed and all that this entails?

Finally, as a coach who is supporting your clients to be their best selves, the pressure is on for you to do the same: you’ll be a (potentially) inspirational role model and this will require a lot of work on yourself and on breaking down your own blocks and overcoming your personal fears.

Given the lack of regulation, you can simply put up a website and declare yourself to be a coach without any kind of training or qualification; you may even be a good coach without any training. Personally, though, I believe that a good training programme is crucial in equipping you with both the confidence to really support your clients and the techniques and tools you need to be effective, as well as making sure that you’re informed of the ethics and ensuring that you’re really setting yourself and your clients up for success.

I chose to do an ACTP (Accredited Coach Training Program) with the International Coach Academy, ICA. The Certified Coach Training Program included 125 hours of training and was run via teleclasses on a flexible schedule (different sessions in different time zones). It included a large practical element of actually coaching people, not only theory, and it felt much more international than many other programmes that are more US-focused. I particularly appreciated the peer coaching element, the access to different mentor coaches, and the requirement to develop your own coaching models and materials.

If you’re not ready yet to invest in a full programme, I’d recommend starting with a book such as Co-Active Coaching: Changing Business, Transforming Lives.

4. Get a coach

The best way to understand and learn about coaching, not to mention the best way also to support yourself in achieving your own personal goals, is to get a coach! Also, how can you possibly expect clients to pay you for coaching if you don’t do so yourself? In working with different coaches, you will get a taste of their different styles and ways of working, you’ll identify what you like and don’t like, and you’ll (hopefully!) experience the benefits and see the results that you can achieve in your own life.

When I first started on my coach training, one of the requirements was to get a certain number of hours of coaching. I didn’t really feel that I “needed” coaching and signed up simply to tick the box. Not only did I get to see how other coaches behave, however, and fulfil that course requirement, but I also made a number of breakthroughs in unexpected ways.

Today, I’m investing in a professional coach and seeing huge benefits, and this is definitely something I plan to do as a matter of course from now on!

5. Start coaching!

For all my talk of understanding coaching, looking at your skill set, and getting the proper training, don’t let this stop you from doing what all this is about: coaching! The best way to learn if it’s something you really want to do, and to get better at it, is to actually do it.

Now I wouldn’t recommend that you coach your close friends and family as they can easily get annoyed and you may find it hard to separate your feelings as a friend and as a coach – at least make sure to ask them permission before you do so! You can, however, let people know that you’re training to be a coach and that you’d like to offer free sessions to people who are looking for support in whatever area you’re thinking of specialising in.

Coaching is an incredibly powerful approach, and can be an incredibly fulfilling job – just make sure that you really consider if it’s a fit for you personally, weigh up the pros and cons, and, above all, go out there and experience it so that you can decide if it’s really something you want to pursue.

I hope that helps to shed some light on the mystical and alluring field of coaching – I’d love to hear if you have specific questions, so go ahead and comment below if so and I’ll make sure to answer them!

How to be Single (from someone who’s done it successfully)

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Heart-shaped hedgeI was doing some keyword research on Amazon the other day and on entering “how to” into the search field I was amused to see one of the most popular entries being “how to be single” (the others included “how to grow a baby” and “how to murder your life”…). Now in fact “how to be single” is the name of a book and a film so maybe people are searching for those specifically – but it doesn’t change the basic theme of the query: the need or desire to understand how to “do” singledom successfully.

This must stem from our deep-rooted expectations of how life is to be lived: we meet someone, we marry, and we have children, so that they can grow up and then go on to do the same. This is a basic prerequisite of the survival of the human race and as such a core expectation in our society. “How to be single”, then, must be about coming to terms with not following this expected path, either temporarily (until you find someone and slot back into the “right” order of things) or permanently (should the worst case scenario happen and you never meet Mr Right and instead die a tragic spinster). In my own experience and in that of many of the people I’ve coached, the question of a possible relationship or family is inevitably tied up in other life goals and it’s hard to speak about career plans without also considering these aspects.

Given my extensive past experience in this field, and compliments I’ve received as to how “well” I pull it off, I thought I’d share my thoughts; so, here you go, my five top tips on How to be Single!

1. Make a plan but stay flexible

Maybe the toughest thing about being single while knowing that you want to meet someone – especially when you’re a bit older (tick, tock!) – is how to manage this in terms of planning your life. If you know you want to build a home and family with a partner, you want to travel and have shared experiences with that partner; do you put that life on hold and hang around waiting for Mr or Miss Right? Or, if you make plans without that person, are you then giving up on your dream and ruling out the future possibility of meeting that someone?

You don’t want to be putting the rest of your dreams to one side while you wait for that partner but you still want to be open to the possibility of doing so. So I say: if you want to travel, do it! If you don’t want to go alone, go with a friend or find a group trip. If you want to move to a different city or country, go ahead!

The truth is that you’re more likely to meet the “right” person if you’re living the life you want to live. If you’re true to yourself, working towards your goals, and feeling happy and fulfilled, then first of all you’re going to be much more attractive to any potential partner and second you’re more likely to be putting yourself in the situations where the right kind of person – in the sense of someone who shares your values, who appreciates you for who you are – might be found.

2. Make time for you

You might expect a single person to be selfish and to some extent that is true, but also true is that the single one is likely to often put their own needs last and simply through being more available and more flexible they will find themselves in situations where other people are prioritised. This might involve being that unfortunate “third wheel” in the back of the car with another couple, or being the one who’s relegated to the single bed in the smallest room when you’re on holiday, or the one who’s always there for other people since, unlike everyone else, you don’t have someone waiting for you at home.

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t spend time with couples, or go on family holidays, or help other people out when you can! But it’s important that you still carve out your own physical and emotional space, and set boundaries for what you want to put up with. Make time for you to do your own thing, whatever that entails – grab a book, go for a walk, go on a little solo shopping trip. And make time to see your single friends, and go on dates – adult “me” time essentially, that doesn’t revolve around other people’s children or lifestyle choices.

3. Question your beliefs

In coaching, we often talk about “limiting beliefs”. These are basic notions that are largely sub-conscious and have been created through our own past experiences but also through those of our environment, for example, our parents, our friends, and society as a whole. Our behaviours are a reflection of our beliefs; and changing our beliefs will change our behaviours and, ultimately, can change our lives. Common limiting beliefs for single women might be:

  • All men are arseholes
  • I never meet nice guys
  • I’m never going to meet someone
  • There must be something wrong with me
  • I have to meet someone to be ‘whole’
  • I don’t need a man
  • etc.

In order to challenge these beliefs, you need to first ask yourself: is there any evidence that this statement is true? Even more importantly: does this belief serve me? Do I want to continue to believe this? And, if you want, you can choose to believe something else: turn the belief into something positive, and look for evidence instead that this new positive belief is true. Then act based on the new belief and, before you know it, this will be part of your fundamental belief system.

So, for example, if your belief is “All men are arseholes” then start by questioning whether that’s really true (presumably you do know some nice men, even if they’re not single or even attractive to you); then think about whether it serves you to continue believing this. To some extent, it might: having this particular belief will make you more aware of the risks and so will help to prevent you from getting hurt; however, if you actually do want to meet someone, then this belief clearly does not serve you as it means you will never meet a nice guy. Now decide that you want to believe something else, and transform it into something positive; e.g. “There are men who are arseholes but there are also men who are great guys”, turning your attention now to look for nice guys rather than arseholes. Makes sense, no

4. Acknowledge that you want to meet someone

Single women have often been portrayed as being needy and desperate and this is, of course, unattractive; but I also see a danger of going too far in the other direction. If you move away from the neediness of clinging onto any man who shows even a little bit of interest and declare that you don’t need a man at all, then it’s likely that this message will also put those dreamy men off, given that you’re basically saying that you don’t want to be with them.

Going back to those limiting beliefs, the one that says “I don’t need a (wo)man” can be an important one to look at. As much as those sexist comments about independent women being intimidating to men can be irritating (and, I suppose, there is an equivalent pressure on men to be strong and not to admit that they feel lonely and want to meet someone), you have to recognise that it’s not exactly an invitation to the poor prospective partner when you declare that you don’t need, or want, them.

There are times in your life when you don’t want to meet someone (maybe you feel you’re too young to settle and you’re having fun with your single friends), and other times when you probably shouldn’t (you’re going through difficulties or perhaps some major life changes and you need to focus on yourself first and foremost). There are other times, though, when you do feel ready and you really do want to meet someone. The trick is to find that delicate balance between living your own life and having fun on your own on the one hand, and being honest about the fact that it would be nice to meet a partner on the other.

5. …and be open to doing so

It can often seem like meeting someone is one of those things that’s almost completely out of your control – unlike other life goals like, say, quitting your job to pursue a passion or moving to a different country. It’s definitely harder to put together a romance action plan in Excel! That doesn’t mean, though, that there’s nothing you can do.

First of all, there’s the mindset and I really wouldn’t underestimate this. Challenging those negative beliefs and being open to the possibility of meeting someone is vital. Second, knowing what you’re looking for. Especially when you’re older, you have a much clearer idea of who you are and what you’re looking for in a partner – compared to when you were 18 and you didn’t care as long as he or she was hot – and as with anything in life, having clarity on your goal is crucial to ever having a chance of achieving it. And, finally, exploring what you might do to make it more likely that you’ll meet such a person – where to spend your time (online and offline), what kind of activities to do outside of work and which trips to go on, and so on. It’s not an exact science but there are things you can do – and it’s not limited to joining Tinder and going on lots of dates!

Observing some of my single friends, men and women, a lot of them are filling their calendars with work and travels to the point that any potential partner would really struggle to fit into that life. A friend was trying to meet up with a guy and he said his next free weekend was in May! So while it’s great that you’re keeping busy and having fun, it might be worth allowing for a bit of flexibility in that schedule to give another person the chance to spend some time with you.

So there you go! Some thoughts on how to be “successfully” and happily single – while staying open to the possibility of being happy with *someone* as well. I clearly have a lot more to say about it… but what about you? Any tips or reassurances you want to share? Comment below!

This is to some extent a counter-post to the 2015 Valentine’s Day edition: The 7 Deadly Sins of a 30-something Singleton.

Mini-road trip to Bath (via Castle Combe and Lacock)

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When my friend initially suggested a weekend away, my mind immediately went to warmer climes – could we go to Spain, Portugal… maybe the Canary Islands? Mostly through lack of decision-making capabilities and the postponing of any organisation at all, we eventually ended up with just one night away, and in England. We quickly booked an Airbnb (all hotels in the city were full on booking.com) and off we went with little idea of what to expect. After our little trip, though, I’ve come away with a newfound appreciation for mini-trips and above all for staying in the country!

I’ve always wanted to go to Bath. In fact, I did go there for a weekend many years ago to visit my sister, who was studying a semester there as part of her masters, but she had already done the touristy things so many times that the only thing I remember from that visit was going to buy some fudge! Most famous of course are the Roman baths, but Bath is also known for its link to Jane Austen – so the two of these things were definitely enough of a draw for me to come back and see the sights!

Before getting to Bath, though, we made a little stop along the way in Castle Combe. Voted the prettiest village in England, it wasn’t exactly at its best when we arrived in the rain but it was still well worth the stop and it really is very picturesque. This is also where scenes from War Horse were filmed, with Steven Spielberg bringing in 300 extras and 30 horses for the filming.

Baked goods in Caste Combe
What better indication of going back in time than this little bakery where sales are made on trust (you simply take what you want and leave the money)…
The Old Rectory Team Room
The Old Rectory Tea Room, one of the few places that was even open when we arrived for Friday lunch!
Castle Combe war memorial
The effects of the war must have been particularly felt in such a small village. The names on the war memorial read:
Ernest Young
Harry Melsom
Rowland Pullin
Arthur King
Eustace Watkins
Fred Purbrick
Richard Neate
Stanley James

I found the city of Bath itself to be a beautiful place, a World Heritage Site set against the hills of Somerset and with a dominant Georgian architecture seen throughout.

The Circus
The Circus is a ring of townhouses (‘circus’, as I’ve learned, comes from the Latin for ring or oval), one of the great examples of Georgian architecture and a Grade 1 listed building. Fun fact courtesy of Wikipedia: it’s the same diameter as that of Stone Henge.
The Royal Crescent
The Royal Crescent, a row of 30 terraced houses, is another Grade 1 listed building with an impressive Georgian stone facade.
Pulteney Bridge
It’s impossible not to think of Venice when you see this and, indeed, Pulteney Bridge was designed using early drawings for the famous Rialto Bridge.
Bath Abbey
Bath Abbey with its characteristic Gothic architectural design. My friend and I were so inspired by the architecture we saw that we’ve both just signed up to an online architecture course at Harvard!
Bath Abbey
The Abbey can be viewed from inside the baths, making for quite a spectacular sight

The baths themselves were constructed by the Romans around 70AD, built on England’s only hot springs. There was a caldarium (hot bath), a tepidarium (warm bath) and a frigidarium (cold bath) alongside a Sacred Spring and Temple. Confusingly, for me, there is a mix of the Roman ruins within the museum and the later buildings and statues that exist above street level, which are rather from the 19th century – though of course that’s just common sense, that the building could not have been in such good condition if it had been 2,000 years old!

The Roman Baths, Bath
The baths would have originally have had a roof on top, making the room echo like a modern swimming hall.
Julius Caesar at the baths
Julius Caesar looks on from above (though, of course, this statue dates from long after the Romans, from the 19th century)
The Sacred Spring, Bath
The steam rises from the Sacred Spring, dedicated to the goddess Minerva; this one was not for bathing.

On the way back from Bath, we made a second little stop in another quaint though slightly larger village (we counted four pubs!). Lacock (pronounced lay-cock rather than the more French “la coque” that I wanted to call it) has also been seen in Hollywood, appearing in Harry Potter (the Abbey provided classrooms for Hogwarts in the very first film, while the village itself provided Slughorn’s house in the Half-blood Prince) as well as in Downton Abbey and the BBC’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.

Lacock Abbey
Lacock Abbey, founded in the early 13th century
Lacock
This “quintessentially English” village has lovely houses dating mainly from around the 18th century.

The practical bit

Castle Combe

  • Find out more about this little village on the website. It’s about half an hour from Bath.
  • We had lunch at the Old Rectory Tearoom, where you can also choose to have afternoon tea or cake (okay, we had some cake too – each portion was two slices!!).

The city of Bath

  • The Roman baths are definitely a highlight. If you want the modern-day equivalent, visit the Thermae Bath Spa, Britain’s original natural thermal spa.
  • Bath Abbey is stunning from the outside and if you’re interested in visiting the interior as well there is a suggested £4 donation that they take on entry.

As far as Jane Austen goes, we ended up not doing anything at all. If you do end up in Bath, though, there are plenty of things to be done – especially in 2017, the 200th anniversary of her death:

  • You can in fact stay in Jane’s family house from the early 1800s, in a self-catering apartment at 4 Sydney Place
  • There’s the Jane Austen Centre, a small museum that also offers walking tours around the city
  • You can visit the Assembly Rooms, where there would have been many evening balls where young ladies would hope to dance with eligible bachelors

Lacock

  • Lacock is part of the National Trust – read more on their website. The parking is just a short walk from the village. You can stay in one of the old houses (it was open for a free visit when we were there) or have coffee and cake in one of the tea rooms.

Money first and meaning later? Choosing the right career path

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career crossroadsI gave a talk the other day about the importance of defining what success looks like for you as an individual, and finding a career in which you can really make a meaningful difference. After the talk, a number of people approached me with their own thoughts on this. Several of them – and these were people who were doing a job that was definitely in the ‘meaning’ camp – told me how much the message had resonated. They were thrilled with their personal choices, which had often been difficult, and observed the disillusionment and burnout of their peers who had gone into the more conventional ‘money’ choices of banking, consulting, and so on.

Of course, I’ve been working largely with that latter group, just a bit further along in their careers: after ten years or more in that environment, they are now looking for the meaning that’s been lacking to date. In my monthly Fearless Fridays interview series, I talk to individuals who have taken the leap from their corporate or at least more ‘conventional’ jobs into the unknown of following their passion, doing something more creative or altruistic, and often starting their own business.

That’s also been my own path: I followed the conventional route after school, university, corporate job – and then I quit to try to find my way back towards some greater meaning. But what if I had started off with that meaning, or passion, instead? What if I had gone into journalism first? Or tried to make it as an actress? What if I had got that job I wanted in the UN or children’s rights NGO? Would everything have been hunky-dory?

I’m curious to examine the case for looking for that meaning right away – and then the other side of the argument, the more conventional recommendation to work hard in a good job so that you create better opportunities in the future…

Meaning first and money later:

So, first of all: no one I’ve ever met who followed their heart – and I’ve met a lot now over the years – has ever told me that they’ve regretted it (whereas I know plenty of people – among them my clients – who regret their corporate choices and now want to do something about it). Maybe it’s because they don’t know any better, and they’ve never been tempted by those prestigious job titles and six-figure salaries, they’ve never experienced the call of the lavish Christmas parties and offsites?!

A common assumption when it comes to following your heart or your passion is that you will earn less money and on top that there will be a higher risk associated with that path. The truth is, though, that you can fail at something you don’t enjoy as well – so surely it’s better to risk failure at something that is really meaningful to you?

I believe that having the passion and interest for your job will mean that you are so much more motivated to work hard and more persistent in the face of challenges. You will learn faster, get better at what you’re doing, and ultimately create better results.

Those who tell themselves that they will pursue more meaningful work “later” may also be fooling themselves. At best, they’ll be working late into the night to earn those high salaries and may find that they burn out so that they are forced to make a change at some point. At worst, they’ll never get round to that passion project at all, as the doors to those childhood dreams have been closed simply by the passage of time.

I often refer to the top regrets of the dying, and these include:

“I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”

“I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.”

“I wish that I had let myself be happier.”

Knowing that, therefore, why not avoid those regrets and go with your heart and your happiness as the number one priority from the start?

Money first and meaning later

The old me would have tended to believe all the statements in this area: that we should pursue a sensible career that will give us skills and experience that we can use later to do what we really love. In the last few years, I’ve been rejecting that idea and questioning all the assumptions on which it’s based. Now, I may well begin to see some wisdom in the argument again!

The key benefit I see in following the more traditional career path is that it builds your career capital, which will then pay dividend later in your career. This includes skills, training, experience, as well as your network and even savings in your bank account. Continuing your studies at prestigious universities, joining impressive graduate schemes, and going for jobs with a formidable reputation such as management consulting – all these choices do undoubtedly give you an accelerated launch onto the career stage. The corporate sector will give you faster advancement, these employers have more bigger budgets to invest in capability building, and they are likely to be a great selling point on your CV.

Again, looking at my own career trajectory, I gained expertise in marketing and brand building of course but also leadership, team collaboration, project management, people management, public speaking, etc. at Procter & Gamble. I also gained a fantastic network of professionals across different industries and it was this network that first made my foray into consulting successful, both in terms of my expertise and in terms of having been recommended to the position by former colleagues. Even my career coaching would not have materialised if I hadn’t gone through my own career transition, i.e. if I hadn’t had that initial corporate experience.

There is a book by Cal Newport, So Good They Can’t Ignore You, in which the author argues in favour of this idea of first building your career capital – in whatever area – as “skills trump passion in the quest for work you love”. I certainly won’t disagree with the idea that it’s best to be good at what you do!

This route can in any case be a good way forward if you really don’t know what is your passion or your calling or whatever you want to call it; or if you are 100% certain that it won’t make you any money! If you can’t afford to follow your (less-well-paid) passion as you have debts to pay off, a young family to look after, etc. then postponing such a move to a better time may be wise. Consider the bottom of Maslow’s pyramid: you need food and shelter before you can get on with self-actualisation. Just make sure you don’t put it off indefinitely as there will never be a perfect time!

Whatever you do, do it with intent!

As ever, I’d argue there is no right answer.

For me the crucial point is that whatever decision you make you must make it yourself – without being heavily influenced by the expectations, fears and preferences of other people – and make it with intention. So don’t just continue on that conveyor belt into the obvious choices after university (or even university in the first place), but by all means choose that graduate scheme if you think it’s something that you will enjoy and you recognise the consequences of the choice that you’re making.

It’s also not as black and white as we tend to make it in our decision making: even if you choose not to go for your big passion as a career straight out of university, at least for the time being, you can still consider how you might find an outlet for that passion outside of work. In my case, for example, I loved acting and although I never pursued it as a career I became very active in local amateur dramatic societies; and I loved writing and found an outlet for this at least initially on my blog.

So what do you think: meaning and passion first, or money and career capital first? Which path did you follow? Do share your thoughts in the comments below!