Ameshia Doll-Weier

My name is Ameshia and my career initially began in social work. While this may seem far removed from my current employment and passion in the IT sector, I learned many transferable skills from my time within social work that have been indispensable to the work that I currently complete and that I would not have been able to gain through any other method. However, while working in social care, I realised that I thoroughly enjoyed the work that I undertook on my computer as well as the managerial elements of the job, something that I felt I had enough experience of at that point to be able to progress and develop further in a separate career.

It was then that I nurtured my ambition of becoming a developer, feeling confident and experienced enough within the field from my own personal experiences and research to be able to believe that I could excel at the career that I worked so hard to be able to partake in. Switching careers at the age of 36 is not at all an easy decision to make and certainly not one that I took lightly, particularly as I am a mother of four daughters who I knew I needed to support and care for above all else. When considering whether or not I wanted to take the leap of a new career, I took everything into consideration, as all parents must do when it comes to a potentially life-changing decision. I eventually came to the verdict that it was important for my own ambitions and sense of self that I make this leap into a new career track so that I could feel satisfied with the work I completed every day so that I would be proud of my achievements as an independent person working towards their dreams. But, even more than that, I wanted to show my daughters that their mother was someone who was willing to take risks and work hard to get where she wanted to go, even if that was somewhere different to what she had ever previously expected. I believe that there is no greater way to teach your children than by leading by example, so how better to show your children that the world is their oyster than by proving that it is?

Once taking the leap and settling into my new career, it was not long until I became a project manager, finding my niche in project management. With my previous career in social work aiding me to make this progression and to realise that people are always at the heart of everything that I care about and excel with, I bonded with the role immediately. Whether with my clients, my colleagues or even my children, I am passionate about improving the lives and communicating clearly with all those I come into contact with, especially through my work in IT which I am incredibly passionate about at every turn. I believe that I stand as a strong example of how it is never too late to achieve your dreams, and that ambitions do not have to fade away as you grow older, they can only shine stronger.