Cécile Ogwudire

Strategy Adviser - Government Equalities Office

Crossing Thresholds came at just the right time. My previous two roles were fast-paced and didn’t leave much time for reflecting on what I wanted to get out of my career. Many things attracted me to the programme. A year-long programme focused entirely on my personal development. Two whole days out of the office every few months!

I wasn’t sure what to expect from a ‘gendered’ course but one of the things that worked well was recognising that men and women approach career planning differently, developing those differences and teaching us how to use them to our advantage. This is what sets Crossing Thresholds apart from other development courses.

The level of reflection the course requires leads to really useful insight – and in my group everyone took something different away. For me it was realising that I’m better at interviewing than I thought! The session on work-life balance reinforced what I already knew, that my balance was shocking – but accepting that this was a short-term trade-off for what was actually a pretty great job somehow made it easier to make peace with.

The programme also gives you lots of practical support. The advice my mentor gave me was invaluable and drove me to sign up to mentor others, and I now have a personal brand that reflects what drives and motivates me about my work and the qualities and behaviours I want to model.

Overall I took so much away from the programme. I learned more about myself, my ambitions and my values. It changed my mindset about what is important to me and my career. Thank you!