What Advice Would You Give Your Fifteen-Year-Old Self?

As 2022 draws to a close, we’re feeling pretty reflective: What did we achieve over the last year? What do we want to do differently in 2023? In the spirit of learning from the past to better ourselves in the future, we asked some of our London leaders to answer this question: “If you could give your fifteen-year-old self some advice, what would it be?” Here’s what they had to say:

Eden, Support Manager: “I would tell myself that career paths aren't always linear. Picking subjects in school I wanted to work in science and had no idea of all the millions of jobs out there. Throughout my career I’ve chopped and changed jobs, some jobs interesting, some not so interesting: but I have been shaped by the people I’ve worked with and some amazing managers. It’s about recognising the work that sparks your interest and makes you energized and happy and find a way to build that into your day to day work that will set you up for success in the future. Now, I manage a large team in a super interesting industry and get my satisfaction from seeing the team succeed and helping the business grow.”

Rebecca, Senior Onboarding Manager: “As cliche as it sounds "everything happens for a reason" and "you are exactly where you need to be." As a project manager, I always like to have a plan and sometimes in life you just can't plan everything! So take every opportunity that is presented to you and learn from each and every one. Eventually you'll be on a path that will lead you to incredible destinations and you'll understand why you needed each and every opportunity along the way.”

Ana, Support Manager: “Care less what other people think of you, and care more what you think about yourself - knowing your value is more important than it seems. And learn another language, they do come in handy.”

Sarah, Senior Customer Success Manager: “Push yourself out of your comfort zone! I remember being told “that’s where the magic happens”. It might not feel like it at the time, but embrace it and you'll surprise yourself. Oh and in the words of Baz Luhrman, wear sunscreen.” 

Spencer, Sales Manager: “Haha, oh boy, I highly doubt a fifteen-year-old me would’ve listened to anything a thirty three year old told him, but we’ll ignore that for now! I think it would be to really focus on keeping an internal scorecard, and spend less energy thinking about how you feel you stack up against other people. With virtually everything - work, family, health, happiness - you can drive yourself crazy if all you do is compare your progress or “success” relative to others. In reality, as long as you’re making sure that you’re progressing in a positive direction with the things in life that actually matter, you’ll be just fine.”

Rory, Customer Success Manager: "Firstly, chill: enjoy being fifteen for now because life has a funny way of working itself out, you worry too much for someone so young. Secondly, you will have some amazing experiences in your life so keep trying things and don't be afraid to get outside of your comfort zone. Thirdly, stop worrying about what other people think about you and your choices; they spend far less time thinking about you than you do about them. Also, keep playing guitar, it will be worth it...and enjoy your hair!"

Did any of this advice speak to you? Get to know these remarkable individuals by joining the team, we’re hiring!