CAREER PURSUIT

50 C A R E E R P U R S U I T 2 0 2 0 Danielle Fitzwilliam, whose partner is currently serving in the British Army, is a beneficiary of the Families Programme. She says: “Finding meaningful work when your partner is serving in the military can be a real challenge. We have two young children, so when he is away it makes it hard to juggle shift patterns with school runs. This has an impact on howmuch work I can or cannot commit to, which then knocks on to our financial situation as well. “I came across RFEA through a parent forum in my local area. My advisor Lee was a breath of fresh air – she understood where I was coming from, from the get-go. After a discussion about my situation, she sent me all sorts of different types of jobs which worked around my needs, including jobs based from home or those with flexible working hours. “When I got an interview for my current role, my advisor was incredibly supportive. I normally panic in interviews, but this time I didn’t, and I 100 % put that down to the help I had from her! She knew the organisation really well and was able to talk me through their processes as well as coach me in how to answer well during an interview. “I am so thankful to the invaluable support I had from Lee – nothing was ever too much trouble − she was worth her weight in gold. Thanks to her I now have a superb role in a great company that offers the flexibility I need − I am so excited to get going.” Military spouse Zanny Byron-Davis sought help from RFEA, which led to her setting up her own business as a successful hypnobirthing and life coach and also developing an online community to support first-time mothers. She says: “I spent a lot of time living on bases where there was limited availability of suitable roles, so during this time I worked largely in admin roles rather than anything related to my degree in international tourism. “Once we were based in the UK, I decided I wanted to start my own business. When I gave birth to my daughter I realised I wanted to be a hypnobirthing coach, as I was so grateful for the brilliant experience I’d had and wanted to give something back to other women. “Once I contacted RFEA, my dream of becoming a hypnobirthing coach really started to take off. My advisor was brilliant, helping me identify, apply for and secure funding for my hypnobirthing course. My RFEA advisor really listened to me and fully understood that my own business would take time to build up, and that I’d need to find employment during that time. She helped me with my CV and applying for part-time roles that would fit in with developing my own business, as well as childcare arrangements, and I’m excited to say I have now secured a new role. “I am so grateful for the support I’ve had from RFEA – it’s so useful to know there is someone there to help you. It’s made me believe in myself again.”