And when the plot twists....we can choose to embrace a new chapter

The years 2018–2019 are etched in my memory in a way few others are—profound, personal, and rarely something I speak about- professionally.

The year began with the thrill of landing what felt like a dream assignment at a fast-paced tech startup. I had moved about three or four years earlier to a new country and was ready to leave the comfort of my then-stable role for something more dynamic, more challenging—a high-adrenaline rush adventure.

Three months in, the bubble burst. The next round of funding didn’t come through, and just like that, my role vanished.

I had taken a calculated risk, knowing the odds. But even then, the abrupt end felt jarring. With no employment and an ( almost) new life still in motion, I had to act quickly, leading on to a "survival role": a short-term contract with the local government, working at 80% capacity to give myself space to apply and interview for my next ‘real’ role.

But here’s the twist- what I thought was a stopgap turned out to be one of the richest learning experiences of my career!

I was thrown into a completely different world: national terms and conditions, a unionised and transgenerational workforce- young people, mid-careers, new parents, grandparents…all celebrating different stages of their lives. I saw retirements, complex health issues, ill health dismissals, grievances & disciplinaries. My HR muscles were stretched, tested, and then tested some more. And my knowledge of  UK employment law saw a steep learning curve. This was probably the exposure I truly "needed" at the beginning of my UK HR journey.

My biggest challenge and high was getting into the details of terms and conditions, application of employment law, knowing that the situation at hand would sooner or later lead to an interaction with an ace trade union representative.

Whilst the details changed, my mantra remained the same: the law is there to support us, and if the north star remains to be a reasonable and supportive employer, all situations will have a positive outcome.

I ended up staying not just for a few months, but for three years. The “survival role” transitioned into a full-time gig, building my ER expertise and quietly advancing my HR career in the UK. And I rarely talk about those three years, mostly because on paper, a local government job doesn’t quite fit the narrative of someone chasing high-growth and adventurous roles. The truth is that the unexpected chapter gave me something I couldn’t have found elsewhere: depth.

It became a period of real growth. What began as a fallback turned into an unexpected turning point—one that challenged me, stretched my capabilities, and deepened my understanding of the application of employment law. Sweet are the uses of adversity- when the plot twists, we can choose to embrace a new chapter, and in doing so, discover strengths we didn’t know we had.