I have never been particularly academic. That's not to say I wasn't smart. I firmly believe there are different levels of "smart".
I know someone for example who is an extremely bright and academic Lecturer yet it took her seven attempts to pass her driving test. Something that I proudly did first time (just..!).
I guess in life I have been lucky to have been able to climb the career ladder from a combination of drive, and people I know.
Let me take you back to my first "proper" job. This was working for 12 hours on a Saturday for a large chain of bakers. This job was offered to me by an old friend of the family who managed the shop at the time. Before long I was Head Saturday Girl (this is the drive I was talking about) but also gazing wistfully across the road at another large chain of cafes who I knew paid slightly more than the £1.45 per hour I was on. I was friends with a girl who worked there, who put a word in for me and before long I was waiting tables and sweeping carpets for 10p an hour more than I was used to.
Back to the "drive" that I have. It was becoming apparent that I had no interest in making waiting tables a long term career path for me. With my late teens became a sense of vanity and before long the smell of grease and burgers seemed to seep from every pore.
A friend of my Mum's told her at this time that as soon as I was 16, I was able to start working at a Call Centre with her. This Call Centre were crying out for flexible staff so I found myself happily hanging up my apron, and donning some rather swanky (but second hand) office wear. It was from working at this Call Centre on and off for the following 4 years, that I was able to make the contacts I did to start working for a Global Pharmacuetical Company as an Adminsitrator, which lead to working as an Account Manager and subsequent Business Development Manager (there's that drive again!) and now onto doing a job that I love as a Marketing Manager.
I could (if I'd had the brains) lead a very different career path. If I had managed to scrape higher than 3 GCSE passes I would have gone onto do A-Levels rather than a basic business course at college. If I had passed the A-Levels I would have perhaps gone onto University and got myself into masses of debt and permanent liver damage. But this would have meant I would not have had to oppurtunity to work aboard and thus broaden my horizons.
No, I am happy with the brains I was born with. And ever happier with the friends and family I have been blessed with! Its them I have to thank to be leading the life I am today. Thankfully, because its not like I could have relied on brains alone!
I know someone for example who is an extremely bright and academic Lecturer yet it took her seven attempts to pass her driving test. Something that I proudly did first time (just..!).
I guess in life I have been lucky to have been able to climb the career ladder from a combination of drive, and people I know.
Let me take you back to my first "proper" job. This was working for 12 hours on a Saturday for a large chain of bakers. This job was offered to me by an old friend of the family who managed the shop at the time. Before long I was Head Saturday Girl (this is the drive I was talking about) but also gazing wistfully across the road at another large chain of cafes who I knew paid slightly more than the £1.45 per hour I was on. I was friends with a girl who worked there, who put a word in for me and before long I was waiting tables and sweeping carpets for 10p an hour more than I was used to.
Back to the "drive" that I have. It was becoming apparent that I had no interest in making waiting tables a long term career path for me. With my late teens became a sense of vanity and before long the smell of grease and burgers seemed to seep from every pore.
A friend of my Mum's told her at this time that as soon as I was 16, I was able to start working at a Call Centre with her. This Call Centre were crying out for flexible staff so I found myself happily hanging up my apron, and donning some rather swanky (but second hand) office wear. It was from working at this Call Centre on and off for the following 4 years, that I was able to make the contacts I did to start working for a Global Pharmacuetical Company as an Adminsitrator, which lead to working as an Account Manager and subsequent Business Development Manager (there's that drive again!) and now onto doing a job that I love as a Marketing Manager.
I could (if I'd had the brains) lead a very different career path. If I had managed to scrape higher than 3 GCSE passes I would have gone onto do A-Levels rather than a basic business course at college. If I had passed the A-Levels I would have perhaps gone onto University and got myself into masses of debt and permanent liver damage. But this would have meant I would not have had to oppurtunity to work aboard and thus broaden my horizons.
No, I am happy with the brains I was born with. And ever happier with the friends and family I have been blessed with! Its them I have to thank to be leading the life I am today. Thankfully, because its not like I could have relied on brains alone!
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