Clare McGregor

Age at time of shift

30

Gender

Female

Education level

Postgraduate

Universities attended

Cambridge; Open Business School

Shifted from

Charity Fundraising Manager

Location

?

Salary

£20,000-£30,000

Years in old career

4

Shifted to

Criminal Justice Consultant & Life Coach

Location

?

Salary

£30,000-£40,000

Years in new career

3

Year of shift

unknown

What was your role in your old job?

I’d worked both as a volunteer and as a paid member of staff for more than 15 local, regional and national charities. I began as a fundraiser, securing over £6 million in six years, and expanded into operational and strategic management, finance, and marketing.  

What is/are your new role(s)?

I help charities and statutory organisations working with vulnerable or disadvantaged people involved in the criminal justice system. I am very much on the side of the underdog and all the work I do, whether paid or voluntary, focuses on social inclusion and addressing society’s inequalities.

My contracts include strategic research and the development of new models or projects. My work is as varied as I want it to be with tasks ranging from investigating how the needs of black and minority ethnic offenders are met in the NW, to developing an action plan for reducing re-offending across Greater Manchester.

I am also a trained life coach: giving individuals fresh insight and practical tools so they can realise their potential and achieve more for others.
developing Manchester City Council’s strategy for resettling ex-prisoners. I am also a trained life coach, working with individuals in similar fields to maximise their potential so that they can achieve more for others.  

Why did you change?

I always intended fundraising to be my way into senior management within the voluntary sector and I was ready to expand my horizons so that I made a bigger direct impact, rather than being an enabler.  

Are you happy with the change?

It's one of the best things I've ever done.  

What do you miss and what don't you miss?

I miss very little and being your own boss is fabulous. Other positive aspects include the freedom to take on whatever challenge you choose and then seeing things change. Making connections between different ideas, projects and people is something I really love as well.  

How did you go about making the change?

I resigned in order to develop my experience and become a general manager, but instead of relying on fundraising contracts for income I was offered contracts in areas I had no experience of because people believed my skills and knowledge were transferable. And they were right.  

What was the most difficult thing about changing?

Working out and negotiating my daily rates. Asking people for money for my own work was totally different to asking them to donate money to a charity. The fact that I run my business on a not-for profit basis makes me feel happier about this: I pay myself half of the salary on which my rates are based and donate the remainder to charities.

What help did you get?

I read about setting up your own business and running your own consultancy, as well as studying for a Diploma in Life Coaching. But the support of friends and clients who believed in me was worth more than any number of books.

What have you learnt in the process?

Other people's faith in me enabled me to change career very easily, but I could equally have made the leap if I had had that faith in myself. I was able to enter new fields (and even become an expert) far more readily than I had ever imagined.  

What do you wish you'd done differently?

Nothing. It's been a great experience and I've learnt a huge amount.  

What would you advise others to do in the same situation?

If you want to get into a particular field start now. I didn’t initially intend to become a consultant, but I was continually reading and absorbing information about the areas I was interested in, as well as making contacts. If I’d known I could do my dream job so easily I would have done it ages ago. So formulate a plan and go for it.If you want to start up your own similar business then you can easily do so with very little money. You then either need a little bit of money set aside for hard times, or to reduce your expenditure, or both. The business need not be full time either, if you’re not ready to let go of the security of monthly pay-cheque completely. Whatever you do, remember, if you’re not slightly scared by the next step in your life or your career then perhaps you’re ready to take a bigger leap.