Eugenie Harvey

Age at time of shift

33

Gender

Female

Education level

Graduate

Universities attended

N/A

Shifted from

PR Manager

Location

?

Salary

£40,000-£50,000

Years in old career

12

Shifted to

Director of 'We Are What We Do'

Location

?

Salary

£40,000-£50,000

Years in new career

3

Year of shift

unknown

What was your role in your old job?

I spent 12 years working in a variety of communication roles in a variety of organisations. I began my career at the Sydney Theatre Company (Australia), then I worked for Rupert Murdoch's pay television business, FOXTEL (also in Australia). My first job in the UK (where I moved 6 years ago) was for the Australian Tourist Commission and after that (and before setting up We Are What We Do with David Robinson) I worked for the Brusnick Group, a leading UK financial PR house.

What is/are your new role(s)?

Along with David Robinson, I developed and launched We Are What We Do - a new global movement which aims to inspire people to use simple everyday actions to change the world. I now manage the development and running of the organisation on a day to day basis along with a small but very, very dedicated team.

Why did you change?

Because I wanted to do something which had the possibility of making the world a better place.

Are you happy with the change?

Yes. Totally.

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

I miss some of the efficiencies of working in big companies and occasionally I miss the security (but only very occasionally). I don't miss feeling as though I am a cog in a wheel and that what I spend the majority of my time doing is of no real consequence to the world.

How did you go about making the change?

I put myself in the way of meeting new people and generally became more curious about opportunities.

What was the most difficult thing about changing?

Telling my parents that I was giving up the security of a "proper" job.

What help did you get?

When something is the right thing to do and you want it with all your heart, the entire world will conspire to help you make it happen. I had lots and lots of help and couldn't have done it without it. I was very lucky.

What have you learnt in the process?

That everything sorts itself out in its own sweet time if you are patient and determined and accept that a degree of misery is probably quite helpful in making big life changes.

What do you wish you'd done differently?

Nothing really - which isn't to say everything I've done has been perfect or has worked out as I'd hoped or that there haven't been struggles and moments of real doubt along the way - because there have been. But I think you learn to accept that those challenges and experiences help you and you learn from them, so just go with it.

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

Yes. Life is short and it is a gift. You shouldn't squander it. If you're not happy and you want to do something different, then you should do it. But not on a whim of course, once you've given it some proper and serious thought. But yes, you should go for it. It is much better to try and for it to not work out quite as you hoped than to live with the misery of never having a go.