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Natasha Chadwick

Natasha
Chadwick

United Kingdom
Take every opportunity that comes your way, don’t worry so much about what other people think – you are enough yourself!

More about Natasha

Natasha has worked hard to create a work life she thoroughly enjoys as a People Consultant. We spoke to Natasha about her time at NTU, as well as the journey she took since her studies to get her to where she is today. Natasha also told us about a transformative experience in Uganda that helped her decide to take the leap into self-employment.

Why did you choose to study at NTU?

I was actually late in applying to university – in my final year of A levels I struggled to know what I wanted to do. I was enjoying my psychology course and I found people interesting so a degree in psychology felt like a good choice. With my family in Coventry I didn’t want to move too far away, so Nottingham was a good choice within an hour from home.  On the day that my Mum and I visited, we loved the city and the fact that NTU offered an accredited course on a campus in the city was even better!

Tell us about your memories of NTU?

My course gave my all the right foundations I needed in psychology to pursue a career relating to people.  I was good at the statistical side of things but the modules I found most interesting were social psychology and psychology at work.  I was fascinated by how people interact with each other and the career choices they make. I made lifelong friends through my course and still remember fondly the lab study groups I was part of! Outside of my course joining the trampolining society allowed me to pick up an old hobby and make more friends too. I learned to take opportunities when they arose, and to keep working hard.

Whilst studying did you do anything to enhance your employment prospects?

I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do after my degree, so I decided to do voluntary and paid work alongside my studies, to give me the chance to explore a range of different careers.  I gained work experience with children with additional needs, and volunteered with victims of crime, alongside my work as a music tutor. These experiences meant that I had a lot of transferable skills I could put on my cv and were also invaluable in helping me decide what I did or did not want to do once I had graduated.

What does your current working day involve?

As a people consultant and owner of my own business, it’s very varied!  A typical day could involve a 121 coaching session, preparing to deliver a workshop with a group of new and aspiring managers, and working with a group of young people on a social action project.  Alongside this I work as part of a larger team on projects as an associate consultant.  I also need to find time for planning sessions with my business manager and networking!  Over the last few years I’ve created a work life that I really enjoy - it’s taken hard work, but the variety and enjoyment I get is worth it.

What attracted you to this field of work?

My career has evolved organically – when I graduated, I worked in careers education, then spent many years leading employability programmes, before moving into people development in services like probation and local government.  I’m proud to have made a difference to the lives of others through my work and I’m lucky to have developed my own skills along the way.  In early 2019 I realised I had reached burnout and I decided to take a career break.  I knew I wanted to do something meaningful with my time so combined my passion for making a difference with my love for travel and moved to Uganda to lead a team of volunteers delivering educational programmes in rural villages.  It was a transformative experience and gave me the space I needed to decide to take the leap into self-employment when I got back.

What have been the highlights and biggest challenges of your career so far?

I found it challenging when I first became a manager – I didn’t always get things right and when I look back I experienced a lot of self-doubt.  I worked long hours and tried to copy the management style of others which didn’t have the impact I wanted it to.  Over time I learned to be comfortable with my own style and that experience is what drives me to support new and aspiring managers in my work today.

The biggest challenge is setting out as self-employed only a few months before the pandemic.  I’d not had enough time to build up a portfolio of clients before, overnight, everything stopped.  It was the first time in my life where I panicked about where my income would come from and questioned whether I had it in me to do it after all. I compared myself to others and told myself I was a failure.  It had such a negative impact on my mental health.  I overcame this by making the decision to go for it – it was that or give up – and by setting myself small goals to achieve.

I’m grateful to have navigated that difficult time and proud to still be here, as a profitable business making impact in Nottingham and beyond. I also channelled my energy into running and somehow managed to complete 100km in a month!  That showed me anything was possible as I am not a runner. I slowly stabilised my business and since, have grown it into what it is today.

The highlight must be my time in Uganda, leading a team of volunteers to deliver educational programmes to people in rural villages.  We supported over 1,000 people during our time there through teaching entrepreneurship skills, raising awareness about domestic abuse, and testing people for HIV. I hope we made a lasting impact on the community.  The experience also helped develop me professionally and gave me the space to make the decision to change my career path when I returned.

What are your plans for the future?

Alongside my work with new and aspiring managers, my plan is to grow the reach of our mentoring programme continuing our partnership with NTU and hopefully partnering with organisations who can provide sponsorship!

Finally, if you had a time machine, what would you go back and tell yourself at Uni?

Take every opportunity that comes your way, don’t worry so much about what other people think – you are enough yourself!

Connect with Natasha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-chadwick-502b8063/

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