CWDH24 reflections
Maria Adcock, Senior Consultant at Chirpy Heat, shares her reflections from Connecting Women in District Heat 2024, which took place in Glasgow on 12th September.
Connecting Women in District Heating Conference (aka Diva’s!) was in Glasgow this year and when we arrived there was certainly an autumnal feel in the air. There was a brilliant array of speakers we heard from giving us thought-provoking topics which would impact both our professional and personal lives.
Perhaps the session that spoke most to me was The Finding your Path which discussed how your career can be shaped. We heard from some young diva’s at the start of their careers and some who were a little further on. They all had something to share. Ruth Rule had talked about what she had expected her career to look like and what it had turned out like. They certainly didn’t look the same!
I am not sure when I graduated from an MA in Social Work in 2008 if I even considered if I wanted a career or what it might look like, but as I changed jobs and took promotions it was clear that I was building a career of sorts.
Ruth was asked a question about what had prompted her to step back from the corporate world, and she had answered honestly that her work coach had asked what she was still doing there! It made me reflect on my recent change of role, and what this had been promoted by.
Over 12 years in social housing had taken me from a Scheme Manager in sheltered housing to a secondment as Head of Contract Management managing projects within the Asset Management directorate
I had taken secondment opportunities on a number of occasions to jump into new roles. My hard work and attitude seemed to be appreciated, and I was well regarded generally.
A permanent role had arisen as a ‘Head of’ within my directorate, and I was being encouraged to apply. Everyone assumed that as I had been doing a similar role that I stood a good chance, so I filled out the job application!
On reflection I think I probably did it because everyone assumed I would, but as the recruitment process progressed and I tried to prep for the interview it was abundantly clear that I was not excited or enthralled by it. My ‘moment’ came in a therapy session (the night before the first interview!) when my therapist asked if I wanted the job. I realsied the answer was no!
I had spent days thinking about the opportunity the interview would present, the expectation of what everyone else would think and considering myself lucky I had got that far! However, it was clear that this wasn’t the opportunity for me. Doubt filled me, what if this was my only shot at promotion? What if I was missing out? I had never said no to an interview?!
What would I say now? That the role wasn’t right, and that I made the right call. It prompted a bigger thinking process. I didn’t want to return to my substantive post, and I didn’t want promotion so I need to think what came next. In Autumn of 2023 with the support of my partner, I left social housing and jumped ship to Chirpy Heat. It has been a brilliant 10 months of working out what I want, taking on new challenges and finding a new work life balance.
What comes next? That is an interesting question. Put simply, I am not sure, and I think I am ok with that. I have spent a long time pushing for the next thing and currently I am enjoying the now.
Lots of women chatted at the end of that’s session on their own careers and journeys, and I suppose this is mine. I want to encourage you that if you are looking at the next step it doesn’t need to be the obvious one. Stop, take stock and consider it! As Helen said in the first session, listen to your gut!