Julian's Story
A couple of years after leaving University, I joined a large city-based Management Consulting firm. But within a year or two I was getting restless and began to consider my options. Stay with the firm and push up through the ranks? Move into industry and get a view of the “real world”?
The route I chose in the end was perhaps not the norm for someone at my level in their mid-twenties. Sacrificing a steady salary for the freedom of being my own boss, I handed in my notice and began setting up my own firm specialising in recruitment for young City-based professionals. I’d had several years experience of the recruitment industry and with the additional experience of working in the City as a consultant, I felt well placed to take the dive.
Meeting Jenny Ungless during the critical decision-making period helped me enormously. At that point I was under a lot of pressure from work either to stay put and get on the road to promotion, or make the jump and leave on good terms. There didn’t seem to be much middle ground.
Jenny went through all my options in a clear and rational way, helping to shed light on each one with the aim of trying to avoid taking steps in the wrong direction.
Once I’d made the decision to go ahead with the venture, I met up with Jenny again to chat about the long road ahead. We went through all the key steps that I would be taking over the next few months, such as writing a solid business plan, raising finance and finding the right team members to back me up as I grow the venture.
I also found Jenny’s support invaluable as things starting moving forward – having someone to throw ideas at and ask for honest opinions is great. Even things like choosing a name seem so much easier when you’ve got someone trusted that you can turn to for help.
I’m now just a couple of weeks away from launching the company’s first key service offering – a recruitment portal for young professionals called CareerCar (www.careercar.com).
Although I was quite sceptical about coaching at first, I soon realised that there is unrivalled value in talking through thoughts, ideas, dilemmas and more with someone who really knows their stuff. I wouldn’t say that a coach will give you all your answers on a plate, but they will certainly help you arrive at them.
Julian
