“I wanted my work to mean something.”

What work were you doing previously?    

I worked at Ernst & Young (EY) for about seven years. 

At EY I worked in mergers and acquisitions, advising on tax restructuring in private equity.

What are you doing now?    

I now work at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, in the finance initiative. 

As part of a small team, I work towards mobilising capital for the circular economy.

Why did you change?    

I decided to make the change in the first summer of the pandemic.

I’d just been at home working late. During the pandemic, the fun and noise of London stopped and I really just had my job to focus on. I realised that I didn’t find my job fulfilling and I also wanted my work to mean something, to have a positive impact.

Are you happy with the change?

Yes!

I always knew I wanted to do something that would hopefully make the world a better place. Originally I’d studied natural sciences and majored in sustainable chemistry and environmental sciences.

Where I’m at now, I’ve had the opportunity to work across the Foundation, for example with the food, fashion, plastic and design teams, which has been great. I really see finance as an enabler to realise the circular economy.  

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

My old job had very nice offices and I sometimes miss that.

I definitely don't miss the ‘boys club’ culture…

How did you go about making the shift?    

I applied to the On Purpose Associate Programme.

I said this in my Associate interview – finding out about On Purpose was really a light bulb moment for me. I’d thought about a career change before and had seen a few jobs I was interested in, but the Associate Programme just felt like the perfect springboard into the impact space.

My first placement was at Pinter, an organisation that makes a brew-at-home beer product. Their headquarters were in a warehouse in Walthamstow, north London, so the team could be together during Covid-19 regulations and we were also able to have a few beer tastings!

For my placement I was developing the business’ sustainability strategy and carbon reporting, and I enjoyed both a lot.

My second placement was with Do Nation, a habit-change platform looking to engage employees to create and implement sustainable behaviours in everyday life. Do Nation was quite a small organisation with about ten people, which was fun!

Here, I was working on a pricing strategy and supported impact reporting processes.

I nearly got a job with one of On Purpose’s placements, however that fell through in the end. 

For my job search,  I spoke to many people in the On Purpose network and community. I used all the classic job sites and also emailed people at companies I found interesting. 

However, I actually found the job I’m in now on the On Purpose Slack. It was posted by my ‘On Purpose buddy’, so I messaged her and then applied.

How did you handle your finances to make your shift possible?    

I definitely made changes to my lifestyle. 

For instance, I started making lunches at home rather than buying them, and I didn’t go on holiday during the year. 

Due to COVID-19, one of my placements was solely working from home, so that resulted in expenditure, like travel and food, being a bit lower as well.

What help did you get?    

My programme cohort was incredible! 

My mentors were also super helpful during the programme. My coach was absolutely amazing, particularly in the three months after finishing the programme. We kept our sessions going while I was finding my feet (and a job of course!) which was incredibly valuable.

What have you learnt in the process?    

The first thing that comes to mind is that I really learnt to trust myself. 

I realised: trust yourself because the sense of what you want, finding something fulfilling and purposeful, is an important feeling to nurture. And, ultimately, that’ll make you happier than listening to what the world is telling you to do.

A lot of the conversations I had as part of my year as an Associate (be that as part of the life and career coaching, or having chats with my cohort) all helped me ‘work myself out’.

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

Just do it! 

We need as many people as possible to work towards something good.

To learn more about the On Purpose Associate Programme, visit https://onpurpose.org/en/associate-programme.

Also, find out more about On Purpose in our Retraining Directory.

What lessons could you take from Joe's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.