What's in a title

Whatever role you do, is what you're called, currently speaking your truth? It could be mum, mummy, mother, grannie, grandmother, father, dad...But the reason I felt called to share this particular topic was more to do with my career titles. In truth the only one I ever resonated with was Aromatherapist and Wellbeing Therapist.

Throughout my career in addition to those two I've been an International Trainer, National Trainer, Silver Service Waitress, Beauty Therapist, Spa Manager, Sales & Training Manager, Business Growth Executive, Business Development Manager and on my radar have been two more; Learning & Development Specialist and Writer. Many of the roles led to people shortening my role like a nickname such as Sales & Training Manager role 'oh your a sales rep then!' The training aspect was unspoken yet the majority of my work was training to achieve sales. Then there were the roles with assumptions or unconscious bias such as beauty therapist - thinking that all I did were paint nails and apply fake tan all day. You can get quite defensive about what you do and what you're called but what interests me most is does it fit your truth?

I applied for the Learning & Development Specialist role, another maternity contract, I'd of been stepping into their shoes for 12 months and I was going to work differently, naturally my skills and experience are different but yet we are both capable of bringing great things into the role. One of my niggles about applying for the role was the term 'specialist' I just didn't relate to it. I aspire to achieve 'special' things and I will aspire to keep learning so I can keep sharing with others to help their development needs. But being called a specialist is so final, like a ceiling and for me, doesn't express the fact that I am there to guide an individual's experience to learning and development and it's going to be an exchange between two people not I'm the specialist you need to just listen to me! Is it rude or difficult to say I'd love the job but while I'm in it that I'd like to be described as a Learning & Development Coach?

I didn't get that job, in fact it was very humbling not to get it I felt so ready for it and could see it as a stepping stone into HR positions down the line. Channelling the caring career I'd always had and applying it in a different way, and while I carried on with sales roles despite them being in the wellness industry they fell short of bringing me joy. So, I took the brave step and became the second within 2 weeks I was writing daily, and had launched my own podcast on Spotify called: Claire Wellbeing. I'd had another breakthrough when I realised it was the spoken word that really lit me up!

To round this up I think it's really important that you're not stepping in as a carbon copy of the person before you, you are bringing your uniqueness forward and you should feel like your title says who you are in that moment - there has to be some flexibility to shape the role and not just 'step in'. So whether you work for yourself, or work for a company don't just accept the way things are, or have been, get creative, then enjoy the flow it brings!