Feather

Age at time of shift

35

Gender

Female

Education level

Postgraduate

Universities attended

Surrey, Leeds, Keele

Shifted from

Teacher of French, Head of Languages

Location

?

Salary

£20,000-£30,000

Years in old career

10

Shifted to

Massage therapist

Location

?

Salary

£0-£20,000

Years in new career

?

Year of shift

unknown

What was your role in your old job?

Managing a team, implementing curriculum, moving department forwards.

What is/are your new role(s)?

Assess clients' massage needs and deliver.

Why did you change?

Burnout.

Are you happy with the change?

Yes.

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

Feel greatly liberated by escaping the inflexible schedule of the school day / year.

How did you go about making the change?

Researched qualifications on the internet, spoke with practising therapists.

What was the most difficult thing about changing?

Making a commitment to a course of training - that I could be excluding myself from "greater" possibilities.

What help did you get?

My tutor and fellow trainees were very supportive.

What have you learnt in the process?

Change is a process which may not necessarily lead to a fixed destination.

What do you wish you'd done differently?

Spent less money on materials / equipment (ie basic not luxury versions).

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

I would say:1. Follow your heart and flashes of intuition / inspiration, particularly the crazy ones.2. Hold it in mind that no outcome is definitive.3. Nurture yourself as you engage upon change.