I messed up at work and had to quit - it shaped the rest of my career

A story about a pepperoni-fuelled sliding doors moment... and a missed opportunity for a free dessert.

I can still remember the moment - her eyes locked with mine, and there was a strange pause, just for a nano second, a recognition of each other. My newspaper editor and I had bumped into each other in a pizza restaurant on a Saturday night. But we weren’t just having dinner in the same place. She was coming in to dine, and I was the waitress. Turns out, she wasn’t best pleased to see me.

Monday morning, I was called into a meeting. I was working as a local newspaper reporter at the time. There I am in my 2002 byline photo (Also a good reminder to current me that I should not, despite being tempted regularly, cut my hair super short right now).

I had no idea that my pizza-serving side hustle was actually breaking my contract (or so I was told). I should have told them I was going to do it. I waited to be sacked, but the words didn’t come.

However, that same day I decided I was going to leave. I wasn’t going to hang around to see what my fate might be. My plan was simple: Apply for some jobs, and take the first one I was offered.

Two interviews and a ghosting later, and I accepted a job on a news agency in Berkshire. The beginning of my career in writing for women’s magazines.

I’ve decided to write about this because of the news about Angela Rayner quitting the UK Government. I know, of course, that serving pizza at weekends is not the same as stamp duty avoidance. I know as a junior reporter my role wasn’t quite Deputy PM.

But seeing the headlines, I was reminded of this moment and then thought about how it’s shaped my career.

There was no further action taken at work, no disciplinary. I could have stayed. But I chose to leave, as soon as I could. I wasn’t going to hang around. It was a pepperoni-fuelled sliding doors moment as I said goodbye to ‘reporter Jenny’ and moved into being ‘features writer Jenny’.

Would I have had the same career I’ve had if I’d stayed? I don’t think so. I think that moment of deciding to leave was a catalyst for what came next. For me, leaving the newspaper also gave me the oomph to then leave the agency and take a job at a women’s magazine, to then go freelance, and to start shifting on different mags.

Those mid 2000s days of magazines were hard work but oh SO fun. We had such a laugh and I made friends for life. You do when you’re in that kind of ‘work hard, play hard’ bubble. It wasn’t always easy but it was a career I was super proud to lay claim to.

Would I even be a coach if I’d stayed at the local paper? I like to think all roads would have led to coaching, but I can’t say for sure. Perhaps I’d now be the editor, walking in on a staff member serving me pizza…

When we mess up at work, even on a micro level, it can be hard to move forward. It can floor us, leave us feeling shattered or shameful. It can be something that holds us back or propels us forward. Making mistakes is normal, making the wrong choice is something we’ve all done. Looking back, I have no regrets about leaving. It was time, I was already yearning to be a magazine journalist, and the restaurant moment was just the match that lit an already waiting fuse.

I still walk past the restaurant, as it’s in the town where my Mum lives. When I do, I always think back to that moment where I locked eyes with my Editor. Now I’m closer to the age she was, I can laugh about it. I can wonder what I’d do if that was my employee. Certainly, unlike her, I’d have asked for a discount or a free dessert.

COACHING AND MENTORING FOR CAREER HAPPINESS

Are you looking for change in your work, career or business? Wishing you could do something different, whether that’s a promotion, job change, pivot or move to or from being self-employed? As a trained and experienced coach, I help people who are in a career or business funk get confident and find a way forward that works for YOU. To chat more about one-on-one coaching, head to my website to fill out the enquiry form or reply to this email and we can set up a chat.

I am also now offering mentoring for small business owners. This’ll be one-on-one, but unlike coaching will be time for you where you can ask questions and I’ll offer suggestions and ideas. It’s specifically for those who are running their own business and want accountability and some oomph!

Please do email to set up a chat if you’re interested in coaching or mentoring. Reply to this or find me via my website www.jennyholliday.co.uk.