Is University worth it?

If you had your time again, would you go to university? Or is it a waste of time and money?

A third of Brits think so, according to the latest British Social Attitudes Survey.

With average student debt in England now at £53,000 it’s not surprising folk are thinking twice.

When I went to university, fees were only £1k a year, and graduate job possibilities – not to mention the prospect of moving away from home and having fun with friends for three years - made it a no-brainer.

Nowadays, a degree is no guarantee of a decent job, with many graduates finding themselves doing bar work or even claiming benefits when they drop out the other side.

Young people who DO decide to go are being much more selective in their subject choices, favouring courses like Business and Computing, because of a sense they’ll lead to higher paying work.

University is so much more than a route into employment though.

At its best, it’s a chance to enrich the mind through deep and expansive learning.

It’s an opportunity to grow as an adult, exploring who we are, away from the family unit, and building confidence and life skills (and not just your alcohol tolerance, although that was certainly a feature of my uni years!)

Most courses help young people develop at least some skills that will help them in their later work life too, such as problem solving, critical thinking and communication.

Even in simple economic terms, on average, working-age graduates earn around £42,000 per year, which is about £11,500 more than the median non-graduate salary of £30,500.

And yet, I can understand the hesitation around university in this rapidly changing workforce.

Are institutions keeping up with the way society is shifting? Are courses truly helping young people make that transition from education?

 I don’t know. I would love to hear what you’re seeing around this, especially if you work in Higher Ed or are recruiting graduates into your organisation.

Also, if you were 18 again, would you choose to go to university? If so, might you choose a different subject?

5 themes I'm Hearing from HR professionals in 2026

I had a great time yesterday at the CIPD Festival of Work 2026. The only downside was only being able to be in one place at a time – within the vast expanse of the ExCel London - meaning it was impossible to avoid the FOMO when you saw all the interesting topics on the agenda.

Anyway, here are my top 5 overriding takeaways from the talks I saw…

There’s a huge amount of uncertainty in the world of work right now, and most teams are being asked to cut costs.

Adaptability is now a core workplace skill: employees need the confidence to pivot, reskill and recognise the value of what they already bring – not to mention the grit and mental fitness to be able to navigate huge changes.

Much discussion is going on about how to reimagine the talent pipeline for young people coming into the workforce, when AI is decimating the entry level jobs: and very few answers seem to have been found so far.

The most valued leadership qualities in the age of AI are a willingness to be comfortable with uncertainty, to be able to course correct and the ability to build authentic human relationships through vulnerability and empathy.

Embracing neurodivergent talent is an opportunity that many are missing and that could improve revenue, retention and help employers bring diverse ideas and perspectives into their organisations.

A brilliantly inspiring day out in London, topped off by a fun IRL meet-up with fellow members of the Career Coach Circle in Granary Square – a generous sharing of ideas for business development, coaching tools and marketing.

Coaches and HR folk are such a lovely bunch!

How’s Monday?

Excited about getting your teeth stuck into the week ahead or dreading five whole days of work slog?

I used to live for the weekend. Counting down the days from Monday to Friday like I was scratching them into my prison cell walls.

When Friday came along, I would hit the beers and try to block out all thoughts of work, rampaging through back-to-back parties and hoping nobody would ask that dreaded question: What do you do?

Weekend’s feel very different now. A sense of satisfaction of a job well done – of people helped and impact created.

These days, I’ll often be working at the weekend and evenings. Do I resent that? No, I genuinely look forward to it!

I love helping switched-on professionals from around the world kickstart their career changes. I crave the buzz I get from talking about a topic I care about.

If you’re still in the place of Sunday Scaries and Monday blues, here are some things to try this week:

• Do something you’ve never done before – an event, a workshop, even just an activity at home that seems fun. This can act as a kind of circuit-breaker for all the ruminating and stuckness, and can start the process of switching your brain on to new possibilities.

• Chat with one person about their work – either someone who does something you’re curious about or someone who has made their own shift, or even just someone who seems to love their job.

• Reach out to a friend/coach/mentor and ask them to act as your accountability buddy to help you start taking meaningful steps forward.

Work doesn’t have to just be a miserable slog to the weekend and life is way too short to spend it wishing the time away like that.

I truly love helping people like you, so don’t hesitate to get in touch if you want a friendly ear. I offer a free career change consultation and am so happy to chat, wherever you’re at with this and however stuck or unhappy you’re feeling right now.

Photo by Gracia Dharma on Unsplash

Is it too late to pivot?

One of the most common questions I’m asked as a career coach is: is it too late for me to change career?

I’ve had this question from people in their 30s, 40s and 50s. I’ve even once had it from a 25 year old, believer it or not!

 The answer is invariably: “absolutely not”.

 Okay, so if you are 40 years old with a mortgage and a family to support and your dream is to become a doctor, then medical school might be a bit far-fetched right now. There are also industries where age-related discrimination is very real.

 However, it’s important to distinguish between practical realities and internal narratives.

 One of the biggest things holding most people back from career change is not their age, but what’s going on in their heads.

If you’re feeling like you want to make a pivot but are worried you’re too old, this is what I’d advise:

• Actively go and find answers from the real world of work, rather than base your decisions on assumptions

• Find role models and mentors of people who have changed career later in life. The Careershifters website has loads of real life success stories.

• Have conversations with people in the industries you’re drawn to and ask them questions about routes in and whether your age is likely to be a barrier

• Don’t do it alone! Find a coach or accountability buddy who can help you challenge your preconceptions.

 The example I often give is of my brilliant Mum who changed career aged 70 from working in English Language teaching to becoming a personal trainer for Baby Boomers like her. If she’d gone on assumptions and preconceptions alone, she might never have made such a bold – and fulfilling - shift.

 If you’d like someone to sense-check your ideas and to help you get clearer on what a career change at your age might look like, feel free to book in a free call with me.

Toxic employers have a LOT to answer for...

Every day, I'm speaking to people who...

... have become physically sick because of work.
... are being kept awake at night with worry.
... have zero social life anymore.
... have lost touch with themselves and what they like.
... are feeling like they're failing those around them.

Some of the ways they say work is triggering these symptoms include:

🙁 Unrealistic expectations about what can be achieved.
🙁 Zero autonomy or flexibility in how they can get the work done.
🙁 Bullying behaviour from colleagues.
🙁 Unsupportive line managers.
🙁 Blame culture and even, in some cases, ritual humiliation of those who don't measure up.

Despite hearing these stories on a daily basis, I continue to be shocked at how employees are treated and what they feel they need to put up with to keep their jobs.

Life is beautiful and precious. A career has the capacity to feel joyful and a profound contribution.

If you're experiencing any of this at work, it's NOT OKAY. I understand the many reasons you may feel trapped right now, but I want to say, you don't have to take this.

What would you think if you found out I was an AI?

Would it matter to you? Would it change how you felt about my posts or my coaching?

Like so many of the professionals I’m speaking with at the moment, across a whole range of industries, I’ve had the odd moment of panic about the rise of AI and what it means for my job.

In the future, are people going to be hiring chatbots as coaches and looking to AI for guidance in their career changes?

On the one level, I see the benefits to society of democratising coaching and making it more financially viable for more people. On the other hand - selfishly - I love my job and would be so sad if it became obsolete!

Research shows that when people are engaging with an AI – BUT DON’T KNOW IT’S AN AI – they rate it more highly than a human on qualities like empathy and feeling heard. However, as soon as they know it’s a bot, they change their mind! 

This data potentially hints at something that isn’t just encouraging for my future job prospects, but potentially for the future of humanity…

… as humans we really value hanging out with other humans!

I see it in my clients that one of the things they most value from the coaching partnership is a chance to share their experiences with another human and to know they aren’t going through their career shift on their own. I can’t tell you the amount of times that a client finishes a session saying something along the lines of: “I feel so much more hopeful and energised now!” 

Would they feel the same after an interaction with a chat bot?

To me, that seems unlikely. Human connection is so deeply and evolutionarily ingrained in us as a primal need and source of energy. 

I would love to hear your thoughts. Would you consider taking on an AI coach to help you with your career change? Would that negate the need for human support?

Are you in the "Thank f**k it's Friday" crew?

I used to feel such a sense of RELIEF on Fridays.

Relief that I’d made it through another week.

Relief that there were two whole days ahead of me where I could be myself.

Relief that I would be getting out of the office that made me feel so stifled.

Counting the days to the weekend is wishing your life away. Sacrificing 5 of the 7 days of the week to something that, at best, you don’t believe in and, at worst, is killing your soul, isn’t worth it.

And yet, there millions of people doing just this. A staggering 90% of employees in the UK are either not engaged or actively disengaged in their work!

There are countless people right now who are feeling that sense of exhausted relief to have made it to the weekend.

Maybe you’re one of them. Trudging through the week to get to the weekend, which then whistles past in a blur before you find yourself – too soon - feeling the “Sunday Scaries” again.

 This quote from the Color Purple by Alice Walker may resonate:

“Time moves slowly, but passes quickly.”

Don’t let your life pass you by. Do something, however small, this weekend to start walking a new direction.

 (Book in a for a free consultation with me if you aren’t sure where to start.)

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash