You know how people say they have their best ideas in the shower? Well, I generally have mine while out running.
A week or so ago, I was out for my usual 9am Saturday (used to be park)run with my husband and the boys in the buggy, and I was talking about how many people I'd been in contact with that week who were feeling fed up, unsure or downright worried about their careers, given the current situation.
And out of nowhere, the idea came to me - what if I could get lots of local speakers together to do something to help people feel more positive about their careers?
Once I've got an idea in my head, that's it. The phrase dog with a bone comes to mind.
And so, the Kingston Work Life Festival was born. It's a one day festival dedicated to all things career and work life related, brought to you by speakers from around the Kingston and SW London areas.
From what I’ve seen around me, the enforced juggle of homeschooling / childcare and working has prompted many people to think hard about the changes they may need to make to ensure the career / family juggle can be sustained long term.
For others, furlough, or even redundancy has meant an increased amount of time to think about their next career steps, or provided an opportunity to think about alternative ways of working and/or thinking about their career plans.
Why a festival?
Festivals are traditionally a time when we can get away from all the day to day pressures around us and just kick back, relax and take some time for ourselves.
I want to provide a space for you to take that time for yourself, maybe explore some new work ideas, and examine what you might want your career and work life to look like going forward.
My aims of the festival:
Provide support, information and inspiration for people thinking about their future career plans
Explore strategies around career change, tips for career progression, and advice around setting up on your own
Offer space for career reflection, and career planning in the context of our wider lives, and in light of recent circumstances
Examine how self-awareness and self care fit into and complement our working lives and offer strategies for developing sustainable practices.
The festival will be run from a free facebook group, with all speakers running sessions either by zoom or via Facebook Live. All sessions will be stored in the group, so that they are available to catch up on later, if you can't attend live.
I really hope this event provides some career inspiration or support in these unusual times, and if you have any questions, the please do contact me here.