Tired of London? There is PR life outside the capital
Like many PR professionals, I was in no hurry to quit the city scene. Having escaped the shores of Guernsey for university life in the nation’s capital I had set down some firm roots and had no plans to leave behind the life I had made for myself over 14 years.
But at the same time, I found myself gradually moving further and further out of the metropolis. This was both by design as we sought more space and quieter neighbourhoods, but also by necessity as we needed to move significantly further to be able to afford anywhere bigger than the size of a postage stamp.
I also started to want more from my work/life struggle. My last employer was pretty flexible by agency standards, but it opened up new ideas for me – that I should be able to balance both sides of the coin more evenly.
All this was before my daughter came along and I went on maternity leave. Enter a year that was like no other I had ever experienced – brilliant and bizarre in equal measure. It made me realise that we desperately needed more space than our tiny flat could offer. But importantly, it gave me time away from the daily grind of work to think about my priorities and from that, the idea of a move to Bath was born.
I wouldn’t necessarily advocate moving whilst on maternity leave – boxes and babies don’t really go hand in hand – but having done it, it’s one of the best decisions I have taken. Through this move I’ve been able to restore my work/life balance. My daughter loves it here, we have more space and I have time to spend with her. I don’t have to travel for hours to get to work, and I even get a lunch break! So far, I haven’t felt the stress that so often comes with London agencies.
I’ve been lucky enough to find a job in an agency that is flexible, good at what it does, has growth ambitions – and works for both local and London-based clients. Of course, it wasn’t all plain sailing – during the job hunt I met some shockingly inflexible businesses for working mothers (as well as some brilliant ones) but in short, there is life and good work outside London if you take the time to find it.
If you are looking for a positive work/life balance and would like to hear more about Clearly, please get in touch with us today, we’re always on the hunt for talented individuals. Get in touch – recent new client wins and a healthy pipeline mean we’ll hiring a variety of roles in the new year!
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