
Finding a passion for facilitation
By Felicity Dwyer | Career change
Transitioning to motherhood helped Charlotte Sarre make another transition, a career one! From veterinary surgeon to Rites for Girls facilitator, Charlotte discovered that finding work that fitted in with family life, has enabled her to support not only girls through the changes of growing up, but also her own new role as a mother.
Charlotte always knew that her career choice of veterinary surgeon would be hard to combine with motherhood, but she had no idea that becoming a parent would create such a huge change in her work life.
“Although I loved my job, I always knew I wouldn’t be doing it for the rest of my life due to the unsocial hours and high stress levels. When I fell pregnant with my first child right before the covid pandemic, I knew I wouldn’t be returning to my job for a while. I wanted to focus on motherhood and be present for my kids, especially in those all-important early years.”
It was during this time that Charlotte came across Rites for Girls and for the first time in her life ‘felt a real pull towards this work’.
From career pause to career passion
“At the start, I felt like my veterinary job was simply on pause and whilst I was at home with the kids, I loved being able to do something for myself through contributing to a cause I felt passionate about, supporting girls and women. As time moved on though, I noticed this work really suits me and the passion I feel for it is so deep, I started to believe I could turn this into my full time job.”
Running girls groups to support preteen girls has drawn on skills that Charlotte needed as a vet, including staying calm and focused and using an intuitive approach to help meet the group’s needs.
The difference now is that this new work suits Charlotte’s lifestyle perfectly. She is self-employed, allowing her the flexibility around her young family. She admits that in these early days the financial reward isn’t huge, but the drive she has for doing the work and how rewarding she finds it, counterbalances that. Charlotte underwent a year of training and a supported year of running groups, as well as going onto training women to become facilitators. She says she sometimes misses the animals, but that connecting women and girls has become ‘the core of everything I do’.
“The work is so rewarding, perfectly aligned with my values and it supports me in being the person and parent I want to be.”
Making the change
Charlotte’s career change wasn’t planned, it happened organically. She also was fortunate to have savings that enabled her to undertake the training, as well as a supportive partner enabling her to be at home with the children and build her own dream. Any career change process will involve taking stock of your support network and financial position, and may involve more forward planning. Yet the outcome of following your heart is rewarding on many different levels.
“If the passion is there, the work stops being work and instead becomes a fulfilling of purpose, which is ultimately what we’re all here for.”
Flexible working and heart centred work with girls and women at www.ritesforgirls.com
[With thanks to Angeline Braidwood for researching and writing this case study].