Finding the Right Career

Finding the Right Career

with Ayla, Founder of IAB

There is a lot of pressure on young people to have everything figured out. By the age of 16, you are expected to pick the right subjects and know what career path you are heading towards. I am in my 30s and still don’t have it figured out. I studied for a BA in Development Studies and History at university and through the twists and turns of life found myself working as an English language tutor in France. Do I have regrets? Put simply, yes I do. I wish I had a clearer focus on my career and what I wanted to achieve, and a more structured approach. The beauty in life, however, is that experiences shape you and you learn transferable skills along the way.

I think in this day and age there are more options available. Knowledge is so easily accessible and being self-taught is becoming more common through online courses. The options are endless and it can be hard to navigate. I have decided to interview real people and find out their experiences, and there is no more appropriate person than the founder of I Am BeYoutiful, Ayla, to kick start us off.

1. Did you have an ideal job when you were younger?

Yes, like many girls (boys too), I wanted to be a singer but I really didn’t have enough self-confidence to pursue this. I also wanted to be an interior designer. One of my problems was we didn’t have the Internet when I was young, like we do today. Even though I had figured out what I wanted to do and what I had a passion for, I had no idea how to go about realising any of it. Back then, to know someone who could tell you how to get into a particular career path was more the way it was done. I didn’t know then that it helps massively to go to university in order to become an interior designer and so this proved difficult. I had very little guidance, as did many young people, and this is unfortunately still the case today.

2. What subject(s) did you study, and did you pursue a career in this?

I didn’t go down the higher education route after leaving school. I studied beauty therapy and worked part time in a London Hilton Hotel. I then decided to return to college to study business and finance, and later went on to study law. I did pursue a brief career with a law firm following my studies.

I am definitely more creative than academic, and have struggled with dyslexia my whole life. This made my work very challenging, but I also began to feel that the UK legal system had many problems and failings, and this had a dramatic effect on my job satisfaction. I wasn’t able to contribute to my community in the way I would have liked, and this eventually led me to decide it wasn’t for me.

3. In terms of your career, is there anyone who inspires you?

I am inspired by love, happiness and freedom - to love and to be loved, to feel happy and to live freely. Many careers demand so much from us that it’s difficult to feel any of the above. I therefore tended not to desire a typical career path, as I felt that would strip me from the very thing that drives me. However, I very much admire people who have worked hard towards achieving their career goals.

Huda Beauty, started by Huda Kattan, is an inspirational success story. I see Huda as someone who had the courage to put herself and her ideas out there in order to build her vision. She was bold in focussing on and creating from her passion, and also seems happy to share the tricks of her trade. What I admire most about what Huda and Huda Beauty have created is the fun team ethos they inject into everything they do.

4. What was your first job and how did you apply for it?

My first proper career job was working as a prison officer at HMP Feltham Young Offenders Institute. I had seen a newspaper job advert for a prison officer position and applied. Being just 19 years old at the time, I think people found it a daunting and bold career choice. I on the other hand had an inner belief in my ability to do the job, and so with a nervous excitement, I went for it with an unflinching confidence.

Growing up in an impoverished inner London borough, I came to know people caught up within the criminal justice system. I developed an understanding and empathy for this disadvantaged group within our communities, an ambition to be relatable and an aspiration to make a difference. It was of course a challenge, but something that definitely shaped me into the person I am today.

5. What has been more valuable in your career, your education or your experience?

100% my experience. There really is no substitute, and it’s completely underrated. Experience adds so much depth to our abilities and understanding of things. It enables us to learn from our own mistakes, which is so much more powerful than learning from those of others, and this helps refine our future decisions and actions.

Of course, education is really valuable as well. It’s about finding that happy medium between the two. I’ve found both invaluable to building the foundation for me to confidently move forward.

6. What has been your worst career experience?

I experienced work place bullying whilst working as a prison officer. I was very young, female and was able to maintain respectful working relationships with the prisoners. Most of my colleagues were much older and male, and many struggled to relate to the prisoners. A few didn’t seem to understand why prisoners showed me so much respect. This resulted in tension, and what I would describe as bullying, directed at me and perpetrated by people I shared a team with. It made my work life very unpleasant and it knocked my confidence. I don’t remember ever really standing up to them, and this is something I have regretted.

Good or bad, my experiences have taught me lessons. In fact, the biggest lessons came from my worst experiences. It’s the times I was fearful and intimidated that shaped me the most. These experiences have stuck with me and always provide a point of reference for me to tweak on my character building. This is key - it’s about how you dust yourself off and pick yourself up after you fall. I always like to remind myself that every experience is what I need. They are my lessons, my challenges and eventually my wins. They are my preparation, preparing me for the person I will become.

7. How do you keep yourself motivated?

Knowing that I am doing this for others is what motivates me the most. It fulfils me differently to doing things for myself. It gives me a strong sense of purpose and also a sense of accountability.

I am driven by the knowledge that the content of IAB provides much needed inspiration, support and guidance for girls, particularly those struggling to navigate this sometimes crazy world we live in.

8. What was the best job decision you ever made?

Choosing to do what makes me happy is always a good place to start when it comes to making decisions.

If you’re after a more specific answer, I would say deciding to start the IAB magazine is the best job decision I’ve ever made. It gave us a new and effective means of communicating with our audience, and provided a platform for so many important things: for inspirational girls and women to showcase their achievements; to raise and discuss important female related issues; and for young aspiring writers and journalists to express themselves, develop and contribute to the movement of female empowerment.

9. How did you make your idea of IAB a reality?

I pushed myself, believed in myself, visualised IAB vividly, and truly believed in my vision & the mission of IAB. But not only that; IAB has been blessed with such a beautiful team of people who make it all happen and who believe in the importance of making others happy.

10. What is your future vision for IAB?

My vision for IAB is to create a space for girls and young women to feel safe, to learn, to be empowered, to see their inner beauty and to fall in love with what they find. I want us to create a platform that provides them with the tools to be what and who they want to be, and to help raise a generation full of love, happiness and positive thoughts.

Our magazine will continue to challenge the status quo and raise topics for debate that will help to expose the lie that beauty can only come through perfection. Our workshops and online masterclasses will encourage girls to connect with who they truly are, reach their potential, avoid inferiority complexes and avoid becoming an unhappy slave to consumerism.

Our podcasts, presented by a powerful network of women keen to pass on their own message of confidence to the next generation, will provide a valuable resource, one that opens their minds to new ways of thinking. Our internships will provide the stepping-stones to achieving a sense of self that ignites their passion and allows them to pursue their dreams and desires.

IAB INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY EVENT 2020