Are you struggling to figure out what you should do next?
This lack of clear direction applies to many, of all ages and at different stages of life.
Not knowing what to do next can often lead to questions including “what am I doing with my life, or what is my purpose?
Whether you are graduating from academic studies, choosing your career path, approaching mid-life, facing redundancy or entering retirement, we all experience a point in our lives where we may not know what to do next.
In last week’s Insight, Help with Isle of Man Tuition Fees, we summarised the current support available from the Isle of Man Government.
It’s a big world out there, with so many options and career choices, making it challenging to find the right direction.
I’ve interviewed a wide range of people living and working on the Isle of Man for my podcast, Island Influencers. Speaking with these fantastic individuals is a constant source of inspiration.
Island Influencers is about telling the stories of successful business owners, experienced professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders based with influence in the Isle of Man.
It’s okay if you have decided academics are not for you. Maybe you want to go on a gap year? I’ve heard many stories where my guest had given up on studying.
Some have travelled away from the island and subsequently returned, and several have stayed away!
Some Island Influencers went back to studying later on in life! Many have ended up taking on a role entirely different from what they planned!
Over the next week, I’ll highlight a few of my Island Influencers through social media channels whose stories will inspire whatever stage you are at with thinking about what to do next!
It is hard to pick a few as every guest has an amazing story to share. Listen at thorntonfs.com/podcasts or download the whole series via your favourite podcast player.
Have a listen to Sue Cook from Junior Achievement, a Manx registered charity dedicated to helping the Island’s young people gain the essential skills they need when they leave full-time education.
Anyone who has met Sue knows she is passionate about helping young people get their first steps on the career ladder. Her wealth of experience in the local job market provides an essential link between education and employment.
Or Debbie Scrimshaw, Director/Owner of Paragon Recruitment and Workology.im – Employment, Careers & Outplacement Specialists.
What is evident in Debbie’s story is that both a personal and professional pleasure for her is to have the opportunity to make a difference for individuals from school leavers to senior executives.
David Doricott read Forestry at Bangor University, and during his degree course, he discovered an unexpected understanding and interest in computing. Leading (after about seven years in Forestry and Horticultural management) to David in the early 80s, starting a computer business called AFD Software Ltd.
At 16 years old, Island Influencer Jo Overty lived independently, working nights in a print factory to pay bedsit rent and support herself through the sixth form. In 1988, a journalist placement lured her to the Isle of Man, and a job offer at the end of it (coupled with her instant love for the island and the community) meant she stayed.
Her story is one of fantastic resilience; listen today at thorntonfs.com/island-influencer-jo-overty
After realising her beauty therapy aspiration wasn’t the path for her, Gill Marples ultimately started her career in financial services working for a large Insurance Group in the UK. She has worked in the Isle of Man insurance sector for over 20 years, managing compliance and operation departments. She’s now a director and head of IntegraLife International Limited.
Sarah Comish, General Secretary of the Manx National Farmers Union, provides an insight into the agricultural and farming world. Sarah talks to me about life growing up on her family’s farm on the Isle of Man, her love of art, horses, walking, and Elizabeth Taylor!
She explains how travelling extensively around India changed her life, encouraging her to be “more confident and less cautious.” Sarah also shares stories of her ten years in the film industry within the set dressing and props department.
Director and Co-Founder of Founded Limited, Katie Nicholson and her closely integrated team help pave the way for a new generation of startup founders with information, inspiration and opportunity to start, grow or sustain big ventures. She is an enthusiastic, dedicated and driven self-starter.
Hopefully, these and the other over 70 podcast episodes can entertain you and give you an insight into how different life can be!
The Thornton Chartered Financial Planners team is always here as a safe pair of hands to inspire you and give you confidence and the freedom to live the best life possible with your money.
The cost of financial advice won’t change your life, but the outcomes we deliver certainly will.
