About Alix: supporting the next generation to find their passion and purpose, be on the right career path, the one that will lead them to their highest potential, to make the world a better place, one career at a time

You, me, my experience - why you can rely on me and how we can make the world a better place.

Hi, my name is Alix and I’m passionate about helping the next generation find their perfect career, the one that will make them happy and fulfilled adults and, with the ripple effect feeding outwards, have a positive impact on those around them.

I’m doing this because growing up I had no help, advice or even understanding that the decisions I was making when choosing my options for ‘O’ levels (as GCSEs were called then) would affect the rest of my life.

No one to guide me on how to find the subjects that matched my passion and abilities, leading to the correct career path for me. The result? I set off on the wrong path, taking years to figure out where I should be and then more years to realise it wasn’t only my passion, but finding my purpose as well would mean that I could reach my highest potential.

I was absolutely clueless!

My past…

When I was at school, in the last year of primary school we had to take what was called the 11+ exam. The results of which decided whether you went to a grammar or secondary school.

I passed but quickly got the impression that grammar schools were for those destined mostly to go onto university and I realised I must have only just scraped through the exam.

All my fellow pupils were so much more intelligent than I was and some of them knew it and used it. The world needs academics for sure, but they also need supporting people, those with heaps of common sense, those who can plan and put in motion the ideas academics have.

The world does not need everyone to be a brain scientist. We have to have balance.

I was not in the right place and things were not looking great.

And the more time I spent at the school the more I came to fear being the centre of attention, be it standing up to read from a textbook, to answering questions. I could feel everyone looking at me, just waiting for me to mess up…

To this day this fear remains and as for dealing with a person in authority - well…

When I reached the ‘choose your options for ‘O’ levels (GCSEs)’ age, the school simply handed me a form to complete and return. You had to indicate which lessons you wanted to study and which to drop.

With no advice, or guidance, or anyone to care, I chose what I believed were the easiest options, the ones that would take me away from colleagues willing to belittle others less intelligent than they were.

I got through O levels (I did well and remember my mother telling someone how surprised she was!) but then faced the choice of sixth form or college. Again, there was no advice. No one to say ‘you should think about this, or that’, ‘think about your interests and abilities’ or ‘this is what will happen if you take this (or that) route’.

Instead, I made the choice on my own, staying on for A levels because my friends were - setting me on the wrong path.

As I said ‘clueless’.

And then everything changed.

I accompanied a friend to an audition for a commercial.

As I sat in the reception area, it was close to pandemonium with people coming in for auditions, couriers dropping things off, important people arriving, the phone going off at regular intervals.

But, in the middle of it all, a serene receptionist sat, smiling, directing, answering, and keeping everything from dissolving into the chaos that threatened.

Watching her dealing with everything around her, not getting flustered, just being calmly organised I knew, knew then, that that was the job for me.

Working in the background, making the cogs turn smoothly, supporting those in charge.

The saddest part? It was written in all my school annual reports that I was always the first to raise my hand to help. A perfect indicator that I should have investigated careers that provided support for others.

I realised, then, that I should have gone to college and taken a secretarial course but had no choice at that time but to finish my A levels. At which point my father flatly refused to allow me to go to college. As far as he was concerned, I’d had my chance to do that and didn’t take it so that was that.

But I was lucky.

I found a multi-national company that offered a secretarial training course in the morning, then sent you to work in a department in the afternoon. So, I was trained, got a feel for office life, and got paid while doing so.

And I loved it!

I’d finally found the career for me.

But you?

No! You’re going to identify your career without wasting two years. Or any years.

It’s going to be fun as we investigate your passion and find out how you can use it towards finding your perfect career.

You’ll look at your abilities and ask others what they think are your strong and (maybe scarily) less strong traits.

And I’m with you all the way.

Moving on to my purpose…

But finding the right career is only half of it.

Sure, it’ll make you happy and content, but if you want to reach your highest potential you need to link it with your purpose.

Going back to my story (well, this is titled ‘About Alix’!) if you’d told me just a few years ago that I’d realise that helping others without support find their own perfect career would help me to reach my own purpose, I would have laughed.

And writing a website? Ha! I could use word - essential for my job - but a techie I’m not.

But things changed - a lot!

I’d found my passion and spent many years doing it, but it took a further lightbulb moment to realise my purpose.

I worked every weekday for, again many, years, before losing everything in a scam, becoming homeless and having to beg to move back into the family home.

Things were not looking great – again!

This time it was listening to self-help tapes that my daughter bought me, to make me realise that I could (and should) use my own experience to help others become happier and fulfilled adults.

The tapes helped me understand that being content in your career was not enough. You had to link it to your purpose. Your ‘giving back’. That was how you became a fulfilled adult.

It took several listenings to accept that that was the right road. I was (and still am) in such a desperate place, that believing I could help anyone else seemed too far-fetched, but three remembered comments cemented what the tapes were teaching me:

Firstly, an ex-boss had once said to my two assistants in front of me, ‘watch Alix, you’ll learn a lot from her!’

The second, finding out (years later) that a boss I’d been moved away from had fought tooth and nail to keep me but was overruled by the department director who wanted me to ‘guide’ a new manager joining the firm;

And the third was a comment from an ex-assistant who had moved on. She had rung me and said ‘whenever I get stuck, I just say to myself, what would Alix do?’

They are the nicest compliments I’ve ever had at work.

I’d received awards for arranging signing ceremonies (which were great), received bonuses for projects (greater) and had years of praise at annual review times, but these comments were from people I worked very closely with.

I thought back over how finding my passion had led me to a job that I loved, but the self-help tapes made me realise I was only fulfilling half of what I could.

Showed me that I hadn’t ever considered my purpose. My give back. Where I could help others.

I realised my experience showed how much support matters to those who don’t have it from choosing their GCSE options, to choosing their path after their exams, through to getting their first job and the skills that could lead to promotion.

And remembering the comments from my colleagues gave me the confidence to start writing my book ‘I Am Choosing My Options’ detailing why the choices made then are so important, hints and tips for how to pinpoint passion and which subjects these would complement.

It then goes on to offer more hints and tips on nailing down your purpose, then finding your career path.

Followed on closely by detailed instructions on how to set goals, and stick to them, to reach each step on the path, critical to make sure you reach your potential, so that others can find the career path that’s right for them from the get-go!

The book led to the idea of this website, where I dig deeper into the differences between choosing, for instance, sixth form, college or an apprenticeship, whether, and how, to apply, going all the way through to finding ‘the’ job and how to enhance your chances of successfully getting it.

And so, the development of this website went ahead, even when I worried myself sick whether anyone would find it or hate it when they did.

And, as I said, always remember that it’s aimed at those who don’t have the support of a parent or school, or a mentor, or simply the help needed – like me.

And you know what?

Since finding my purpose I’ve loved it. All of it. Writing the book. The website (with my very patient daughter’s help).

Yes, I had to get up early to write the book and now to develop the website and write articles, but I’ve finally found my passion and purpose.

I remember how clueless I was and strive to provide the hand-holding and support others in a similar situation need simply because I had needed it. Sharing my experience in having learnt that leading you to a career you’ll love to get up for and that leads you to a wonderful life makes me feel good, useful.

And there’s more…

I’ve learnt that sharing my passion for wanting the next generation – that means you - to work in jobs that fulfil them is now fulfilling my own purpose.

And I love that, too. So, thank you! 

What does all this about me have to do with you?

I will share my hard-earnt knowledge, gleamed from many, many years of working both for multi-national and small local companies, including being a Human Resources officer, with you.

I want to be a ‘virtual mentor’ to those people who don’t have anyone to guide, advise or support them. Or those who don’t know where to find the career path that makes them want to jump out of bed in the morning.

I want to invite you into a world where you’ll be fulfilled and happy, knowing you’re working at something you’re passionate about, while finding your purpose.

Put simply, showing you the way to your best life.

Like I am right now. So much around me remains wrong but I love researching articles, linking them to my own experience. And, for the few hours a week I can devote to it, I’m happy.

And you can have it too…

(Well, not the ‘so much around me remains wrong’ part).

But, together, we’ll look at how you can find your passion and your purpose, leading you to your highest potential.

Perhaps you're:

keen (desperate) to do this, but don't know what your passion is and how it fits in with your abilities;

or how to find the career that could make you happy;

wondering if there is one that could possibly make you want to jump out of bed to get started;

or you don’t know how to identify your purpose;

or you're not even sure where to start;

not aware that the choices you make when choosing your GCSEs are the starting step (are you as clueless as I was?);

you’re a parent looking at which school to start your child’s education at;

you'd like your children, or grandchildren, to enjoy their adulthood more than they are and are looking for ways to guide them;

you’re already working but realising it’s just a job, ‘okay-ish’ but you want to be happy, proud at the end of the day, of what you’ve contributed? Knowing you’re in the right place in a job-that-fulfils-you? Doing the right thing? And making your family happy (the ripple effect);

dreaming of the day when you can do what you want to.

That's a good dream, but let’s bring it into the now.

If any of these are thoughts spinning round in your head, you're in the right place.

How I aim to help you add value to your career: my "mission statement"… 

I aim to help as many of the next generation as possible work in jobs that meet their passion and purpose, making them happy and fulfilled adults.

In doing this I strive to help my audience (that's you!) lead the life you envisage or perhaps dream about. It’s a life where you’re happy. 

And how…

I aim to do this by:

encouraging you to take responsibility for your life;

reducing the effects of stress on you by showing you how critical career decisions are and how to get them right for you; and

Increasing your understanding of why the decisions you’re facing right now can give you a fulfilling and happy future.

My main focus is on uncovering your passion and purpose and matching it to your abilities by writing well researched (through hard-earnt experience), easily understood (no long complicated words) articles, which are always focused on you.

I write in plain English, giving you articles and information which you can put to use immediately: detailed hints and tips with easy-to-follow steps.

As you read them, you’ll gain confidence in your own capabilities because you’ll know you’re on the right path.

Why you can trust me…

I act as an example because now or you will know that I’ve faced the same challenges you face today and will use experiences from my own career path to guide you. I’m leading the way by using my mistakes and setbacks to build further knowledge and understanding so that I can give hints and tips on what really works.

I aim to encourage you by ensuring a caring, honest, virtual mentorship, which I hope will motivate and gently direct you onwards and upwards.

I’m not a therapist, however, I’ll always be open to your feedback and questions about anything related to information on this website, but be kind, everything I write is for you, to help you find your way. 

I don't rely on hearsay. Hints and tips on this website are not included unless I believe in them, relating them back to my experiences, knowing they make sense.

Your future is too important to rely on anything else.

And I love hearing from you.

And I love, love, love writing a website that provides virtual mentoring for anyone and everyone that might need it. By my own giving back, I’m getting back so much more.

You and I, together, can make the world a better and hopefully happier place – one career choice at a time!

I’ve been where you are, and I’ve learnt from it. Experience has been a great teacher, and I hope to learn more from you. Learn where I can provide more virtual mentoring.

And my biggest love? I know this’ll sound corny, but it’s when I hear that someone is happy in their career because they’ve learnt from my mistakes.

I don't pretend I know everything - I don’t.

But I do know how important it is to love the job you go into for so much of your time.

So come on in.

Let's do this together!  I believe in you!