Phil Verney

Us humans are interesting creatures, aren’t we? On the face of it, one could argue that the changing of a year is merely a second changing on a clock. Yet, for many humans, it signals the opportunity for reflection and change, especially when thinking about our careers.

On New Year’s Eve, I was lucky enough to have a guest pass to photograph London’s ever-impressive firework’s display. Standing opposite this world-renowned landmark, listening to revellers discussing their plans for 2024 and seeing technicians rehearse the countdown, I found myself reflecting on my own achievements, lessons learned, and plans for the future.

Embarking upon a career change can feel a daunting one. Technological leaps, such as AI and a post-Covid work dynamic have resulted in a rapidly changing job landscape. Through Finito’s career change mentoring program, I have gained vital knowledge, skills and insights. For me, their attention to detail, structure and step-by-step approach has been incredibly helpful in preparing me for the next steps. I have also noticed improvements in my personal life too which was an unexpected, but most welcome benefit.

Now, as the festive lights, trees and echoes of Auld Lang Syne disappear and 2024 gets into full swing, my own excitement is building once again to find my next role.

I’ve been really fortunate to have had a number of incredible experiences throughout my career, notably during my time at Google, so I know the importance of a job not feeling like a chore. I very much subscribe to what Mark Twain said; “Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I remember distinctly when working on an exciting role within the Google Earth team that I couldn’t really tell much difference between a Wednesday morning and a Saturday afternoon, because of how much I was enjoying the work. This notion is what I always strive for because it’s a win-win scenario for myself and a company’s progression.

I became aware of Finito through a previous role and had met with Ronel on a couple of occasions. I was really taken by the work of Finito and so when I decided that it was time to undertake the next steps in my career, I knew there was only one place to start.

As mentioned, I found Finito’s step by step approach incredibly beneficial. Time keeps us all marching to a quick step, and having access to the team of experts that Ronel put together really supported me in organising all the pieces of the jigsaw required to begin a career change.

Our starter for ten begins with me meeting Finito mentor, Claire Coe to put together my credentials and design them as a powerful, but succinct summary of my skills and experience. Everybody to whom I have shown this CV has been impressed and commented how much it stands out.

The next stage was to meet up with Finito’s resident photographer, Sam Pearce to have some headshots taken. I had never had headshots done before, so I was a little apprehensive about this. I needn’t have been worried though as Sam did a wonderful job of putting me at ease.

A strong LinkedIn profile is an integral part for anyone looking to network and seek opportunities, and for this part, I met a few times with Amanda Brown, whose insights and attention to detail really helped me to spruce up my LinkedIn profile, and most importantly, make it useful for others.

Working with Finito’s presentation and body language expert, Merrill Powell was an absolutely fascinating journey for me. Whilst I had never found interviews particularly intimidating, I knew there were areas on which I wanted to improve. Merrill’s ability to offer constructive criticism was incredibly helpful and I feel as though I learned so much about myself as a whole.

Establishing a really strong connection with a primary mentor is a key aspect of Finito’s approach, which I have found incredibly useful. I meet regularly with Robin Rose to explore strategy, contacts and how best to position myself. The wealth of insights that Robin has been able to impart really has been priceless.

I met briefly with Angelina Giovani and Mike Donoghue too as Ronel felt that their insights would be beneficial.

This multi-pronged approach has also been an excellent reminder for my own self of how much I have to offer an employer. I’ve always found that combining a career path with a long held passion is key for me. I would love to find a role where there’s a strong visual component, such as the space industry, photography or lighting/art shows.

My plan would be to find a role that had a business development “let’s get stuck in, there’s much to do” theme to it, where I can position myself as someone to really help an organisation achieve and further its goals, and become a leader within that company. I know I’m in a good position to do all this now, thanks to the Finito programme.