Do you want a new career by July?
Last chance to sign up for my career change programme in 2024 (+ some nice personal news to share π)
Hello! Have been doing some forward planning this week to see what the rest of the year looks like, and how I can best continue to support you lovely lot.
This is all due to an exciting change in personal circumstances, which is that after another long and difficult IVF journey, we are finally going to be welcoming baby #2 in July! πΆ
I've already written a bit about our IVF journey for baby #1 and everything that it taught me, especially how finding a career you love can help you through some of the toughest moments in your life (you can read more here).
That has also been equally true this time around. Leaning into work and focusing on helping others, has kept me sane and given me so much joy even when we were facing medical challenge after medical challenge.
I feel really passionately now about about workplaces having fertility friendly policies in place to better support employees going through this (imagine being told your latest round has failed, or finding out you're having a miscarriage, minutes before an important client meeting or presentation and having no support). I was lucky to have the flexibility of being freelance during treatment, which is often unpredictable and involves last minute scans and appointments which are hard to plan for. But IVF is still classified in many workplaces alongside cosmetic surgery as an 'elective' procedure so you can only take unpaid or annual leave for treatment. How is this fair?
Fertility Matters at Work are doing some brilliant work in this area and if you think your organisation could do with some educating and help introducing a fertility friendly HR policy, point them towards Becky, Claire and Natalie: https://fertilitymattersatwork.com/
So work wise, I'm planning out the next few months before gong on mat leave in late June and wanted to share what's coming up:
My career change coaching programme usually takes clients 3-5 months to complete when you have weekly or fortnightly sessions. So if you have been on the fence about making a career change in 2024, then this might be the PERFECT time to jump in and book a call with me before the window of opportunity closes for this year.
I'll be offering my brand new 2 hour 'Job search Coaching Package' right up until June. This new package is perfect if a) you are you looking for a job and not seeing the results you hoped for or b) have found a role that youβre really interested in but the deadline is coming up soon or c) you've been searching for a while and feel like youβre confidence is dipping.
And lastly, I'll still be writing and sending out this regular newsletter for you with the usual careers tips, resources and practical coaching exercises until the end of June. So make sure you're subscribed and share it with your friends if you think the newsletter might help them too!
#CareerInspo Corner β π π§
I thought in the spirit of all things IVF and baby related, #careerinspocorner this week is all about resources and tips for coping with infertility at work, and also planning for or returning from your mat leave:
These are some great podcasts that I devoured when going through treatment and they really helped me feel less alone:
Careering Into Motherhood is a brilliant coach community that I'm part of. They have loads of free resources to support you both before and after mat leave, a free Facebook group where you can ask for advice, and a network of coaches who specialise in working with mums. Check them out here: https://www.careeringintomotherhood.com/
If you're self-employed, applying for maternity allowance can be a tad complicated. I swore by this handy guide from the excellent Doing It For The Kids blog the first time around, and will be needing it again pretty soon!: https://www.doingitforthekids.net/planning-maternity-leave-freelance/
Loved reading The Blend when I was preparing to come back after having my daughter. It has loads of practical advice on everything from pay and benefits to flexible working, childcare, confidence building and going for promotions.
In the meantime, if you've ever had any experience with infertility and pregnancy loss, know that you are a total warrior and Iβm sending you a ton of love and strength β€οΈπͺ
Until next time,
Juliette