Words: Nikki St Paul

For me, September had always represented a fresh start.

New stationery, uniform, and school supplies. The chance to wipe the slate clean. To reinvent myself. To set new personal and professional goals.

September 2021 was no exception. It was when I embarked on the 6-week AllBright Career Accelerator online course.

As the summer months drew to a close, I began to reflect on what I wanted for the upcoming fresh start. They say life gives you signs, if only you open your ears and eyes. I spotted an Instagram post from AllBright for a 12-week course entitled Career Accelerator. Acceleration - a push start - was exactly what I needed. I was lacking direction and, in many respects, stuck. Stuck in my own rut. Hamstrung by my own narratives. The stories I had been telling myself about my worth and what I was capable of were not serving me. Looking at the course curriculum, I knew it was curated with someone like me in mind.

I didn’t delay. I signed up to a 30-minute zoom call to find out more. The course curator, Skyla, walked through the 6 chapters, the stepping stones to the person that is lurking in the shadows; waiting to step into the brilliance that is there for us all.

6 stepping stones you will walk through on the Career Accelerator course:

1. Create your career vision

2. Map your career path

3. Build your career confidence

4. Cultivate clear communication

5. Learn to present your value

6. Bring your brilliance, step into leadership

Shortly after the call, I signed up, and before long my welcome email from AllBright landed in my inbox.

What follows is the short story of what I can only describe as my transformation. The Career Accelerator was a deep dive into the stories we tell ourselves, the negative chatter that rules our actions and stops us from presenting our true value. The course is not for the passive learner. For those who fit this description, do not pass Go, do not collect £100. Career Accelerator is suited to the person who is done with shoving hard things under the carpet and wants to hold on with pride to the accountability baton. The group coaching sessions were like therapy for me. I got immense value from holding space for other people to be vulnerable and share their insecurities, and vocalise what they truly wanted for their lives.

In weeks one and two we were encouraged to create our career vision and map our career paths. If we remove everyone’s expectations of what we ought to be doing and knock down literal or figurative barriers, what would we want to do? This exercise was something new for me.

I was given permission (not that people should require this!) to dare to dream.

Weeks three and four explored confidence and communication, respectively. Now, I’ve always described myself as a confident woman. I’m someone that is comfortable presenting to large groups and facilitating workshops. However, I’ve come to realise that this alone is not true confidence. At its core, confidence is quiet, it comes from within, and should not be mistaken for extroversion. I now see confidence as my ability to be my own cheerleader and go after opportunities that will further develop and grow me as a person. One aspect of week four that has stuck with me is the power of language, both what we speak out loud and what never leaves our lips.

For me, the final two weeks sealed all the inner work of the first four. Prior to Career Accelerator, I’d been of the view that my work should speak for itself. However, I’ve come to understand that to succeed and accelerate in your career, you need to know your worth, the unique value you bring to the table. Once this information is known, it is then necessary to present this value to others to elevate and accelerate your career.

The self-growth in six weeks was measurable. I have a greater level of clarity about what I’m passionate about, and am happy to say that I am now embarking on a secondment within my organisation, doing a project on Diversity and Inclusion. Perhaps the greatest change is how I view myself; the stories that I allow to stick around and those that I acknowledge and say hello to without giving them room to take over my actions. I have accepted that human beings are capable of holding several emotions simultaneously. Fear can co-exist with courage.

Marianne Williamson’s words provide the most appropriate close for this piece:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure”.

Interested in your own transformation? Find out more about AllBright's Career Accelerator program here.