Have you ever thought about when your career finds you? After finishing my studies, I wanted to take my chances working abroad. First off, I have gone to Germany for 6 months to be a male nanny, a so-called ‘manny’. It wasn’t working out as I have expected, so I returned back home, but didn’t give up. I wanted to try my luck elsewhere. I have come to the UK. I worked for two host families, the first one in Surrey, the second one in London. Although I was a male nanny here as well, the situation was different and I liked it, so I decided to stay.

Swimming was one of my hobbies

At this point, swimming was still just a hobby for me. My responsibilities included taking the children to the swimming pool and I practiced swimming in my spare time, but that was it.  Three years have passed, when I’ve realised that I have to move on. I loved taking care of the children, but I felt like something is missing … that I needed a change. So I quit and looked for a new job.

Reaching the destination- when your career finds you

I got a position in a private members only health club and the swim manager, who has seen me swim and who knew that I used to work with children, asked me plain and simple: ‘Adam, why don’t you get qualified and come work as a swimming instructor?’ It was a question, an idea that I haven’t even thought about before, but changed my life. There are times, when instead of you choosing a career path, that path finds you. This was my case as well. After I’ve done a lot of thinking, remembered all my previous experiences with swimming, I came to the conclusion that this is it! I got qualified as a swimming instructor and now I work as such. I never thought about it before that day, and now I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

Rewarding job

It is a really rewarding job. I get to help people and see how happy they are when they reach their goal. It was a bumpy road, given my childhood experiences (my fear of the water, my encounter with that rude instructor and the lack of confidence), but now I know all of that has turned to be in my favour. I can relate to my clients, I know exactly what they are going through and most importantly I know what they need to succeed.

Summary of when your career finds you

I feel like I have reached my destination, when it comes to finding the most suitable career. I want to continue being a swimming instructor and a swimming coach because I am passionate about it, I love what I’m doing and I see that I make a difference.
So my advice to everyone who is facing a challenge or looking to find the right job: don’t let fear stop you, because ultimately, overcoming it might help you more than you know!