Chantelle Nylander, Vice-President at JCI London, shows how she’s made career decisions and found her passion.
“Junior Chamber International is a global, not-for-profit organisation for 18 to 40-year-olds, run by its members, for its members. JCI’s mission is to provide development opportunities that empower young people to create positive change.
As a young professional or student, the average working week can consist of three simple things: waking up early in the morning, heading off to work and coming home again – repeat the next day. Yet even if we enjoy the work we do, such a routine can seem mundane at times and we long for something more to belong to, a chance to experience different surroundings. A way to make a real impact on the community around us. This is how I started to feel in my previous careers and that’s why I joined JCI.
What fundamentally attracted me to this organisation were two key opportunities it offered: personal development for the individual; and creating positive change in your community. I wanted to develop an array of skills that would enable me to create a positive change – skills such as leadership, public speaking, project management and event organisation.
Since joining in 2018, I am pleased to say these are all things I have been able to experience, both locally and nationally. Firstly, there was the Public Speaking Academy which I attended locally in London – a great platform to bolster my communication and presenting style (and of course time management). Secondly, I tried my hand at LEAP (Leadership Excellence in Action Programme) which encompassed all the different qualities that a leader ought to embrace. It was certainly a journey of self-discovery and I cannot believe how much I’ve grown in just over a year.”
The King’s Careers Take: Discover, Focus, and Action are not linear steps, but cyclical. If you know every step you want to take in the future, then that’s great – but it’s equally ok if you keep learning about yourself, even when you have a job. After all, it’s only by doing that we work out what we do (or don’t) like.
“Nevertheless, this was only the beginning. Determined to utilise what I’d learnt so far, this year I joined the local JCI London board as the Community Action Director, engaging in projects such the Young Chamber which is our collaboration with one of our partners the London Chamber of Commerce and coordinating the Ten Outstanding Young Persons’ Programme for London, the culmination of which was our amazing Awards Ceremony in October.
Want to find out more? On Wednesday 15th January 2020 JCI London is hosting an open evening welcoming young professionals and students alike to discover what opportunities are available to get involved in!”
Whatever path you take, in whatever sector, it’s important to continue to develop your own interests and listen to yourself as you change. As Chantelle’s career path shows, we don’t have to move in a linear way and the most important thing is making the most of all your opportunities for career development!
Read another example of a non-linear career path on our previous blog post!