Last Spring, I went to the gorgeous, glorious wedding of a friend who works in AI. The bride was radiant, the groom beaming, and the vicar performed a heart-warming service. In many ways, it was a very traditional occasion. But when we came to the wedding breakfast, the Best Man's speech had a very modern twist. It had been written by ChatGPT.
This week, for the first time, we realised that it was light when we awoke. It's funny how such a small thing can lift your heart so much, isn't it? And in our newly-cheery state, we've noticed other tentative suggestions that winter might finally be drawing to a close. The cherry blossom at the school gate is cutting a dash through the grey afternoons. When the sun does come out, the March sky is so intensely blue - so sharp and crisp - that it almost hurts to look at it. They're tiny, incremental steps, but every day feels a little brighter here at 9-2-3 HQ. We're looking forward with renewed excitement to the months to come.
Leaving your children for the first time is a big step - there's just no getting around it. Whether you're re-joining the workforce after a career break or your maternity leave is coming to an end, the return to work can be nerve wracking.
Michael Georgiou from Aligned Career Coaching, helps professionals who have fallen out of love with the work they do find careers that both fulfil them and bring them joy. We asked Michael what falling out of love with a career might look like, and what professionals can do to start the process of finding a job they love…
As the New Year dawns, with the added joys of lockdown #3, you might be forgiven for thinking it’s a rather grey and uninspiring dawn. However, here at 9-2-3, we’ve been thinking about the months and years to come and we’re feeling hopeful about the post-pandemic landscape for businesses; there are definitely signs of a brighter future shining through the clouds.
Perhaps it was the return of confidence or the break away from lego building, but something was telling me I was just so ready for a new opportunity. I was excited to tell people about what I was doing, I became EVEN more efficient with my time (if that is physically possible when already having a young family), it was like I had a new lease of life and, admittedly, such an ego boost, as things seemed to be going so well and clicking into place with work & life and the juggle.
The phrase ‘returning to work after children’ seems to suggest to some people that you’re looking for a job that will be some sort of tepid compromise…something that you only accept because it works between school drop off at 8:03 and your youngest’s badminton lesson at 15:20. NO THANK YOU! I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love our three children and I will of course be claiming at least fifty percent of the glory if any of them end up on an Olympic podium, badminton racquet in hand but my career is exactly that – mine. Returning to work after children for me was first and foremost about finding something that would be a clear and positive progression in a long and happy career.
This month we’ve taken on another five members of staff to join the 9-2-3 team, and it’s led me to think about what flexible working means for me. I set up 9-2-3 Jobs following a frustrating (and fruitless) period of looking for work myself. For the first few years I would work alone from my own home….
