My Big Break
Throughout my career, there have been a few instances that I could consider as my big break. One memorable moment was early on when, after leaving school with a handful of A Levels and several part-time jobs, I was offered a full-time position in retail merchandising – complete with a company car! Having a steady income and a brand-new car felt like a significant breakthrough at the time.
Despite many of my peers pursuing university, I found myself earning a salary and parking a new Peugeot 205 on my (Mum’s) driveway. It certainly felt like my big break…
However, nine months later, I faced redundancy. I was devastated!
Loaves and Fishes – My Big Break?
I went back to working various part-time jobs and then my Dad asked if I’d like to do a bit of work with him on a new project he’d just started to get off the ground. He was creating Hatchlands Fisheries, a trout farm, smokery and angling centre and my job was to make sure every catering business in the area knew about it!
This was the early 90s, before the age of the internet, so I was on the phone and in the car a lot!
At this time, my dad’s wife owned her family’s bakery business and I worked there too. The Danish Bakery shops in Totnes comprised delicatessens and coffee shops as well as the traditional bakery counter. You could say I was selling loaves and fishes and hoping for a miracle!
I ended up working with my dad and stepmum for about 5 years and they were some of the best years of my working life. What an education! I learnt so much and gained a huge amount of practical experience that still serves me well today.
A big break, for sure! But then…
Hotels and Furniture Retail – My Big Break?
A few years later, while working as a Sales Executive for Forte Hotels, I visited a new furniture store, dfs, in Plymouth to pitch the idea of a Christmas Party Night. Despite the store’s recent opening and lack of interest in my proposal, I persisted. I seized my big break when the store manager, Dave, mentioned they were hiring salespeople.
Excited, I quickly filled out an application form in my car and returned it promptly, securing an immediate interview. Long story short, after impressing the manager and the area manager, also called Dave, with my sales experience, I landed my dream job at dfs.
This role was my dream job for many years, and I am forever grateful to the Daves for this opportunity. I excelled in my position, becoming the first woman to complete the sales training programme and later the first female manager in the company’s history. Over 17 years, I managed stores including Cheltenham and Bristol, opened new branches in Poole, Reading, Romford and Basildon and achieved significant sales success.
This job laid the foundation for my business, The Dream Job Coach, allowing me to transform my life in 1996 when I joined and again in 2013 when I finally left my job after a tree fell on my head in Prague!
My story emphasizes the importance of pursuing what you love, what feels natural, and being receptive to unexpected opportunities. Your big break can come from unexpected places when you least anticipate it and it’s vital to be ready.
Had I not persisted during that initial conversation at dfs in Plymouth, I wouldn’t be sharing this story today. My advice is to recognise and seize your big break when it presents itself. I work with my clients so they have the confidence to seize the right opportunities when they can.
Copyright:
Louise Jenner, The Dream Job Coach® 2024
