Set your own success metrics
Ever wondered how people got to where they are today in their career? Where did they start and what were they thinking at the time? In this series, professionals from all walks of life look back at their start and share some lessons they wish they’d known back then.
Decades in the (online) classroom will teach you a thing or two about life. Add a coaching career on top, and you are bound to have gathered important lessons that we can all learn from.
In this episode of Career Talks, Ermine Benjamin, an accomplished English tutor, and owner of Pizzaz Coaching – a UK-based practice specializing in coaching school educators – shares some of the most important lessons she learnt over the course of her career.
Enjoy!
Nico: How did you get your first job?
Ermine: When I qualified as a teacher in 1990, local authorities had a central pool for teachers looking for their first appointments. So, whilst still a student, I applied and was interviewed by a couple of headteachers. Once accepted into the pool, I asked whether there were vacancies at the school local to me, which happened to be where I had been educated as a child. There was and so I started work there the week after I had completed my PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education).
Nico: How did you get your first promotion?
Ermine: Quite by accident, actually! I wasn’t looking for a promotion, so much as seeking to remove myself from a job that I was unhappy in. I, therefore scrutinised the Times Educational Supplement and stumbled across a post which I liked the sound of and felt I had the skills to do, ergo, I applied. The interview was slightly intimidating as it was conducted by a panel of four. To my utter surprise, the job was offered to me and I gladly accepted.
To be honest this was probably the best job I have had as I worked with a very professional team and I developed expertise in new areas, namely planning and delivering training courses as well as creating cross-curricular, culturally relevant resources for primary schools.
Nico: What is the most important lesson you learnt in your career so far?
Ermine: The most important lesson I have learned in my career so far is that I’m not career orientated. I know this sounds a bit strange, so let me explain what I mean. To my mind, when people talk about “career” the unsaid assumption is that one will be going after promotions and command more and more authority within an organisation over time. There are lots of expectations of being in a particular position by a certain age. What I have come to embrace is that this does not bring me happiness, neither am I interested in it. Rather, I’m more riveted by having a breadth of experiences and just doing things that bring me joy. I’m now earning my living doing two things which I love – tutoring online and coaching. My dream was to be able to earn a living regardless of where I am in the world. I am thrilled that it has come to fruition and am the happiest I’ve ever been.
Nico: What is the hardest career lesson you had to learn so far?
Ermine: The answer to this question is that it is foolish to expect those in leadership positions to conduct themselves professionally and to have open and honest discussions.
Nico: What is one career advice you would give your younger self?
Ermine: “To thine own self be true.” (Shakespeare) Very simply, follow the path that brings you most fulfilment rather doing what you think people expect you to do.
Ermine has been my coach for the past two years. I warmly recommend her to any educator looking for a coach.
With a kind demeanor, she knows how to listen, to make me feel heard, as well as challenge me and bring clarity to every issue I bring to our coaching conversations. You can find Ermine on LinkedIn, or email her directly.
If you would like to learn more, visit her website, where she posts regular articles to help you be happy and healthy: https://pizzazzcoaching.com.
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