How were you feeling about your career, prior to the course?

It was very demanding, and it wasn’t fun anymore. 

At a certain point, all purpose was gone, and I was really asking myself, 'What am I doing here?' It wasn't bad, but it wasn't fulfilling anymore. 

And for my husband it was difficult, because each day I'd come home complaining which wasn't good for the family.

Why did you choose to sign up for the Launch Pad?

I decided to take part because I really wasn't sure at that point what I wanted to do, whether I still liked what I'm doing, or if it's just the environment that wasn't right. 

Am I just fed up with the whole field? Do I want to do something completely new? 

I'd lost orientation, I needed some answers, and I was hoping to get them from the Launch Pad.

What about the course most helped you make your shift?

It was valuable to talk to a lot of different people from different cultural backgrounds and professional backgrounds during the course. 

I'm a chemist by training, and somehow chemists tend to stick to each other. So it's good to be in a more diverse community, so you can get a totally different way of thinking. That was really valuable for me.

The Launch Pad helped me get to the answer to the question of whether I still liked the field or not. I found I still like it, but it's about working in the field in a different way. 

How are you feeling about your career now?

It's good. I enjoy my life and my work.

I'm not exhausted anymore. I'm quite happy.

I'm not thinking about work 24/7, I have a life outside of work again. I have more time with my husband, and we enjoy doing things together. So it's really much better than it was before.

You can find full details about the course on our dedicated Launch Pad page.