Digital Therapy?

Like many other stay at home Mums out there, it was quite a journey before I actually decided to embark on my course with Digital Mums. Much of what I will say I am sure will resonate with others. Lots of toing and froing about what I wanted to do, from setting up my own cafe to re-training as a Counsellor. I pretty much drove all my friends and family mad with my different ideas!

But we aren’t just one thing, and it’s not unusual for Mums who are wanting to reignite their careers to take their time over this decision. It is after all a big one. You want to get it right. I needed to find something that challenged and inspired me but didn’t keep me from my family 50 hours a week - did this role exist?

I have had various Management positions in the TV industry in the last 15 years. I am used to managing teams of creatives and it had been a quite a while since I had been the trainee or the intern. For most of my career I was the “people manager” and “project manager” and it was time I tapped into my creative side.

When I started the course I felt completely out of my depth. I now fully appreciate the phrase “like a rabbit in headlights”. What was this wonderful world of Social Media. Like most people of my age I had dabbled here and there with Instagram, Whatsapp and Facebook but, as I was to learn, there was so much more to it. Before I started the course I didn’t even have a Twitter account, but was fully aware it existed. From the get go I was hooked, engrossed in the course content and assignments, I looked forward to working every evening when the kids were in bed and my husband got some great PlayStation time. The course and apprenticeship continually surprised me and, perhaps more importantly, I continually surprised myself.

I was lucky enough to be matched with an exciting, dynamic and growing business, and a client with an extensive marketing background which was both challenging and invaluable. I cannot lie it was tough and I had to hit the ground running, managing multiple platforms, providing content and scarily giving recommendations and suggestions, but I learnt a huge amount in a very short space of time. I went from being Twitterless to my 2nd ever tweet gaining over 7000 impressions and numerous retweets, I was off! The Digital Mum’s formula and training was paying off.

The live learning set up takes some time to adjust to and the best advice I can give a future #DigitalMumToBe is you will have a lot of questions, that’s normal. Google your queries and ask the Digital Mum’s community. Also more importantly talk lots with your peer group, you will be each other’s rock throughout the course.

I’ve found a vocation that is more than 1 thing. It’s not just an amazing way to get that work life balance, it gives you the chance to have a career doing something interesting, creative, social, humorous, imaginative, and thought provoking. Don’t get me wrong it is hard work too and as a fellow Digital Mum said recently “nothing really interesting and challenging is ever easy; but that’s what makes it so good”. I have found a career that has enabled me to exploit skills that have been lying dormant for years. I actually get excited about work. It truly is a profession where no two days are the same.

I’m already pitching my skills to various businesses and have got my first job lined up. I feel totally confident in my abilities, and totally confident I will add value to the next client’s business.