I didn’t want this job.

I loved teaching in Further Education for 18 years and the classroom has always been the place where I have felt most alive. I am passionate about sharing knowledge and helping learners work out what they want to do in life, and many of my students often wondered how I had so much energy!

But managing in education? Surely that was the worst bit? Dealing with all the big problems and annoying little issues without the actual fun element – the teaching!

There was one time when my line manager at a Bristol college was moving on and asked me if I’d be interested in their role. No thanks!

Yet here I am, Head of Learning and Curriculum at MUTI Live, and thoroughly enjoying it.

Comfort Zones & Imposter Syndrome

I still love teaching, but after such a long period I had become pretty comfortable, complacent and (I hate to admit it) rather stale.

I loved the learners and the sessions but wondered where the progression was from here.

I also wanted to make sure I was actually filling employment gaps in industry, something which is very hard to gauge your impact on in mainstream education.

I realised after speaking to everyone else in the MUTI team (after my awe at their huge amounts of live arts experience) that I understandably had a much better knowledge of the education landscape than them. Because I had been in it for a young lifetime!

Suddenly I realised where my progression could be, and how I could help guide learners into the kind of work they dream of.

Getting out of your comfort zone is scary. It is also normally a really good thing. Playing it safe rarely leads to growth.

All my life I’ve had imposter syndrome in one area or another, and the more people I’ve spoken to the more I’ve realised: Everybody has imposter syndrome.

It’s often easy to stay where you are, doing what you’ve always done. But if you never try you’ll never know.

Confidence

Once you’ve tried doing something for a while there comes a point where you realise: I know this. I can do this. And it’s a powerful feeling.

This is the feeling we want our learners on our Apprenticeships & Skills Bootcamps to have. 

And at MUTI Live, we’ll support them to get there, giving them the skills and knowledge they need to be able to say: I can do this.

It may not happen immediately. It may not even happen whilst they are learning with us. But one day when they are standing in a field setting up a festival set or rigging lights in a theatre there will be a moment where they realise they are imposters no more.

But of course I am still learning. Everyone is and you never stop. Every day’s a school day.

So why not apply for one of our courses? Get that learning you’re passionate about. Get out of your comfort zone.

Because we’re all imposters. Until we have the confidence and experience to know we’re not.