"Don't be afraid to ask questions."
When Niamh left school, she thought she knew what she wanted to do. She went to university to study Education, planning to become a teacher. But as the course went on, she realised something didn’t quite fit. “I really liked certain aspects of it,” she says. “But I wasn’t quite sure teaching was right.”
Her thoughts turned to social work instead. Helping people had always been the common thread. Before applying for a Master’s, she spoke to experienced social workers to find out what the job was really like.
Their advice surprised her. “They advised me not to do it.” Rather than feeling discouraged, Niamh listened. She realised teaching wasn’t quite right, and neither was social work. What had stayed consistent was her motivation. “The core bit was always public service.”
She didn’t need to change her purpose. She just needed to find a different way to achieve it.
Learning from every experience
Like many teenagers, Niamh’s first jobs taught her valuable lessons long before she found the career that was right for her. She worked in a Chinese restaurant kitchen, earning what felt like a small fortune at the time. “It gave me autonomy that I wouldn’t otherwise have had.”
Later, she spent a summer packing seeds in a factory. For a while, she even questioned whether she should bother with A-levels at all. That feeling didn’t last long. Watching the people around her and experiencing the work first-hand made her realise she wanted something different.
“It made me think there might be something I found more interesting.”
The experience taught her an important lesson. Sometimes discovering where you don’t belong is the first step towards finding where you do.
One conversation that changed everything
After graduating, Niamh wasn’t sure what came next. She sent her CV to several local councils asking if they had any opportunities. Only one replied. When she rang the director, she expected him to offer her a job. Instead, he gave her some advice. “He said, ‘Go and do a Master’s, then come back and see me.'” It wasn’t the answer she’d been hoping for, but she trusted his judgement.
She completed a Master’s degree in Housing before picking up the phone again. “I said, ‘I’ve done the thing you told me to do. Can you give me a job?” This time, he did. Looking back, Niamh sees that conversation as one of the defining moments of her career. Someone took the time to point her in the right direction, and she was willing to listen.
Taking a chance
While working at the council, Niamh successfully applied for a graduate scheme with Homes England. It felt like the opportunity she’d been working towards. Then, eighteen months later, the organisation announced a major restructure. Graduate jobs were among those at risk. “It didn’t seem to make sense because they’d invested in us.”
Rather than waiting to see what happened, Niamh started asking questions. She spoke to senior colleagues, built relationships and tried to understand what was really happening across the organisation. One director became an important mentor.
She still had to compete for a permanent role, but she secured a management position within the director’s team. Looking back, she says the experience changed how she approached every job afterwards. “It taught me to understand what’s really going on in an organisation and to find people who are prepared to share their experience.”
Helping communities grow
Over the last fifteen years, Niamh has relocated several times, taking opportunities that have broadened both her career and her perspective. The moves weren’t always easy, but they opened doors that might otherwise never have appeared.
Today, her work focuses on helping deliver the investment and infrastructure that support sustainable communities. One of the proudest moments of her career came from helping unlock hundreds of millions of pounds of funding for Cambridge’s future growth. “Without that funding, we couldn’t run any of our programmes.”
That investment supports infrastructure, sustainable growth and projects that improve life across the region. For Niamh, that’s what makes the work meaningful. “We’re making Cambridge a better, more sustainable place for its people.”
Looking back
If Niamh could give one piece of advice to her younger self, it wouldn’t be about choosing a different career. It would simply be this. “Ask questions.” At school, she struggled with exams and sometimes lacked the confidence to ask for help.
Looking back, she wishes she’d realised sooner that “Nobody expects you to know everything.” “If something feels difficult, just reach out.” The same advice applies throughout your career. Whether you’re starting your first job, beginning an apprenticeship or joining a graduate scheme, don’t be afraid to ask questions. That’s exactly why those opportunities exist.
Niamh also believes it’s important not to feel trapped by your first career choice. “It’s never too late.” Your first job doesn’t have to define the rest of your working life. Every experience teaches you something, even if it’s simply helping you discover what isn’t right for you.
And if you don’t know anyone working in the career you’re interested in? Reach out anyway. “Google who works in the area you’re interested in. Write to them. Ask if they’ll have a conversation.” Most people are far more willing to help than you might think.
Because sometimes the biggest opportunities don’t come from having all the answers.
They come from having the confidence to ask the questions.