If there’s one thing I’ve learned about careers, it’s that they rarely go exactly as you expect.
I probably wouldn’t have predicted I’d go from playing football to studying law, working in regulatory investigations, moving into legal recruitment, and eventually landing a sales role at Venn.
Looking back, though, every experience has taught me something I’ve carried into the next. For anyone considering a change of direction, that’s probably the biggest thing I’d share:
You might be taking a different path, but you’re not starting from zero.
What football taught me about work
Football has been a huge part of my life, including over five years with Macclesfield FC. It’s shaped a lot of who I am today.
Playing competitively teaches you much more than what happens on the pitch. Discipline, commitment, resilience and understanding that progress doesn’t happen overnight are all part of it. You learn to put the work in when nobody is watching, take responsibility for your development and keep going when things don’t go your way.
One thing people can underestimate, however, is how difficult it can be to step away from something you’ve dedicated so much of your life to.
Football had been a huge part of my identity, routine and ambitions. When you’ve spent years training, competing and working towards goals in sport, imagining your life looking different isn’t easy. Moving into a professional career outside that environment can feel like starting again.
But I’ve come to realise that you don’t leave everything behind when you change direction.
Brian has always seen my sporting background as an advantage at Venn. The personable side of football, communicating with different people, building relationships, and working as part of a team, translates directly into sales.
The competitive side is just as valuable. Being driven to improve, wanting to win and having the resilience to go again after a setback are qualities that sport teaches you. In sales, that mentality helps you handle rejection, learn and keep moving forward.
Taking a different direction into law and recruitment
Alongside football, I studied Law at university and graduated with a 2:1.
I then moved into regulatory casework at a law firm, where I worked on investigations, reviewed evidence, applied regulatory rules, and produced written decisions and reports.
That experience taught me the importance of attention to detail, clear communication and understanding the bigger picture before reaching a conclusion. You need to consider the information in front of you carefully and explain your thinking.
From there, I moved into legal recruitment, focusing on the New York legal market. This introduced me to a much more commercial environment, recruiting across Corporate and M&A, Securities, Capital Markets, and Real Estate.
Recruitment gave me a real appreciation of how businesses attract talent, build relationships, and understand what motivates people.
Although the work was different, I could see how the skills connected. Listening carefully, asking questions and understanding someone’s priorities mattered in each role.
How a conversation opened the door to Venn
One thing I’ve really come to appreciate throughout my career is the value of networking and building relationships.
My opportunity at Venn is a great example. I met Brian, Venn’s founder, several months before I officially joined the business. At the time, I had no idea that one conversation would eventually lead to where I am today.
It reinforced something I think is really important: you never know where a conversation might lead.
Networking doesn’t have to mean walking into a room and trying to sell yourself to everyone. Sometimes it’s simply showing an interest in what other people do, asking questions, sharing experiences and being open to opportunities.
I’d encourage anyone starting out or exploring a different career to get themselves out there. Connect with people on LinkedIn, attend events and don’t be afraid to approach people whose careers or businesses interest you.
You don’t need to ask everyone for a job. Focus on building relationships and getting to know people. A connection you make today could open a door further down the line.
Finding my place at Venn
My next step brought me to Venn, where I work in sales and business development.
What attracted me to the role was the opportunity to work closely with businesses, understand their challenges, and explore how they could improve how they attract people and grow.
One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that good sales starts with understanding the person and business you’re speaking to. Asking the right questions and listening well helps you identify opportunities to help.
At Venn, we place a strong emphasis on understanding the outcome a business wants before discussing the solution. That’s something I’ve really taken on board.
It’s also been rewarding to see how experiences from completely different areas of my life contribute to what I do today. The competitiveness and discipline of football, the analytical skills I developed in law, and the relationship-building I learned in recruitment all play a role in this position.
Having that experience recognised has helped me see the value in the route I’ve taken, even when it hasn’t followed an obvious path.
Three things I’d tell someone starting their career
1. Don’t feel pressured to have everything figured out
It’s easy to think you need a five-year plan and a clear idea of exactly where you’ll end up. Some of the best opportunities come from experiences you never originally planned for.
Goals help, but leave room to discover what you enjoy and change direction as you learn.
2. Don’t underestimate transferable skills
Changing industries doesn’t mean starting again. Communication, discipline, resilience, problem-solving, and relationship-building are valuable in so many professions.
Think about what your previous experiences have taught you and how you could apply that somewhere new. Your background might be more relevant than you think.
3. Put yourself out there
Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you. Make connections, talk to people, show interest, and be willing to put yourself in unfamiliar situations.
You don’t have to know exactly what you want before starting a conversation. My own journey to Venn began with one, months before I joined.
Looking ahead
I’m still relatively early in my career, and I certainly don’t have everything worked out.
What I do know is that every experience has given me something different. Each stage has helped me understand how I work, what motivates me, and what I can bring to a team.
If I could leave people with one message, it’s this: don’t worry too much about having a straight career path. Focus on learning, developing, building relationships and making the most of the opportunities in front of you. You never know where they might lead.
Find your place at Venn
Your experience could bring something different to our team. Explore careers at Venn and see where your next step could take you.
