"I feel more valued, I think, than I ever have in my whole career."

After more than 20 years in teaching - moving school every couple of years as a military family, and retraining along the way from secondary English to primary - Helen reached a point in her career where she knew something wasn't right anymore. At the time, it felt like a positive choice to move on rather than burnout; but with hindsight she realised how normal she'd let the exhaustion become, dreading Mondays and living for the holidays.

Now working for the police as a Learning & Development Standards Officer, Helen has found a role that leaves her feeling more valued than she ever has in her career, with a flexibility and autonomy she didn't know was possible. The work still feels important to her, she's surrounded by great people, and - for the first time - she's found herself feeling ambitious about what comes next.

In this episode, we also talk about:

• A moment of realisation - "I don't want to be a teacher anymore"
• Normalising exhaustion and clocking it only in hindsight
• The excitement of jobs board browsing
• A workshop that changed her thinking
• Practical support inside the Academy
• The application process with the police
• Creating an interview presentation that stands out
• Flexi-working, feeling valued, and finding ambition she never had
• The art of the reframe

Links:
Teacher Jobs Board

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