Career Progression Stories: Mark McCarthy

At 1625, we are passionately dedicated to fostering the growth and development of our colleagues, empowering them to excel in their careers. Explore Mark McCarthy’s journey in our latest instalment of ‘Career Progression Stories.’

“Back in 2018, burnt out from teaching in further education, I was seeking a return to more relational work in a smaller team. I applied for a role in the Participation and Learning team, and after the interview it was suggested that I would be a better fit in the then nascent Reboot West project. 1625 struck me with its openness and flexibility from the very start and the people who worked there were so accommodating in allowing me to interview remotely (pre-covid!).

I had no idea I would be joining a project and organisation that would fundamentally change my ideas about what work could be and change me so much both personally and professionally!

I started as an Education Employment and Training and Wellbeing Coach, and felt so lucky to have the chance to work in such creative and relational ways with young people. We were trained by national experts in the use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) techniques as coaching tools. This level of investment inspired and motivated me, and ultimately led to my choice of career direction. When Reboot restructured heading into its third year, I was able to move into a Team Leader role. Whilst I had plenty of experience working with young adults, leadership was an entirely new challenge. I was coached by the operational manager and the wider management team at 1625, which made this daunting new role feel possible.

Stepping into a leadership role with Reboot at this time was tough – the project was going through so much change required me to develop new skills around communication and boundaries. Lots of coaching support and supervision helped massively with this!

Through Reboot, I discovered a love for therapeutic work and decided to pursue counselling and psychotherapy as a career. Despite gaining so much from almost three years as a Team Leader, it also taught me that my real passion lay in relational work. 1625 was supportive and flexible in allowing me to alter my working hours around my studies, as I completed a Level 4 certificate in Counselling Skills. This allowed me to apply for a place on a Masters degree in Integrative Counselling and Psychotherapy – a demanding three year programme. Fortunately, the ideal role became available in the Transitions & Resilience team as a Wellbeing Coach specialising in Mental health. Despite not having a formal qualification in mental health, my experience in working relationally with young people, knowledge and experience of using ACT, and passion for further development helped me to be successful in getting the job. A rare chance to work in a mental health specialism, and to share my knowledge and passion with colleagues through designing and delivering training and offering keyworker coaching.

I am hopeful for future development in the mental health provision at 1625 and my potential role in this. I have learned here that if I have a passion and interest in something, and am vocal about it, then new exciting things can happen!”

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