One year after On Purpose: Where are they now? With Alex de Maré

Can you tell us about your background and your career prior to On Purpose?

I’ve had a bit of a squiggly career. I started off working in the art world in more administrative type roles. An exciting managerial opportunity then came up at a print studio. That role developed into a business development & sales position - an area which I stuck with, in a variety of industries (including F&B, art, print, and more) for the 8 years before joining the Associate Programme.

Why did you join the On Purpose Associate Programme?

I really wanted to align my personal values with my work.

In my day to day life I was a vegan, I would shop local wherever my budget allowed it. I was very conscious about the concept of community and the idea of voting with my wallet; for every penny I spent, I wanted to know where it ended up and who it was helping. I made certain lifestyle and spending decisions based on my values, for instance, I stopped shopping at Amazon.

But then I would go to work on Monday morning and would do a big shop at Amazon to order all of our stationery and pay using ‘bad banks’.

I realised that I needed my 9-5 to contribute to my personal beliefs and the way I was living my life.

I also wanted to explore what was out there. I had been working in the corporate world for a long time and didn’t really understand the social impact space and what kind of roles I could do. I felt that On Purpose and the Associate Programme was going to be the door to understanding the space and my role within it a lot more.

It's been one year since you completed the Associate Programme. What are you doing now?

I’m now the People Project Manager at Access - Social Investment Foundation. In my role I work closely with the core team and the organisation’s governance on their people strategy to ensure we put people at the centre of the work the Foundation does.

Can you tell us more about your placements?

My first placement was at the World Obesity Federation where I was the Campaigns & Communications Manager for the organisation’s annual World Obesity Day. It was my first time working in marketing, however my sales background really helped me with the project. It was great exposure to a role I would have never had the opportunity to apply for without direct experience in the field, particularly at this level.

My second placement was at Life Moments, who I would best summarise as an educational fintech. My role there was People Director & Purpose Lead, which included developing a people strategy and respective policies, to ensure that people were at the centre of the organisation. I also worked on projects that focused on Life Moment’s impact, such as the business’ impact report, aligning with the organisation’s mission to create tech for purpose as well as profit.

What’s the most important thing you learnt during your year as an Associate?

I say this to so many people all the time and it seems so obvious now…but it really didn’t seem obvious to me at the time. I never realised that organisations thought of people as humans, rather than just robots.

The Associate Programme really catalysed that thinking for me - I’m a person with human emotions, with a certain capacity and a desire to learn. And I can bring my ‘whole self’ to work.

Throughout the Friday training sessions as well as during my time on placement, that was the realisation that really blew my mind. Many training sessions were about humility and human reaction to change and uncertainty and I don't think I expected that. I was just amazed by how different it was and this realisation about work and people led me to work within HR and ‘people spaces’.

What support did you get along the way?

A ton! Once you're in it, you realise the network that everyone in On Purpose has. There were the supporting elements offered as part of the Associate Programme, like my two mentors. I met with them every two weeks and they gave me lots of guidance and practical advice. I also benefited from a coach who was wonderful! She was very knowledgeable and able to vary her style of coaching, depending on my needs.

I also very much appreciated having Fellows working within both of my placements, which was super helpful!

Beyond the official programme support, you are part of a cohort of 20 people who come from different professional backgrounds and walks of life and bring diverse perspectives into the group. You get to realise how much you rely on each other, whether that’s to compare notes on training or discuss different viewpoints on an issue. We also had a WhatsApp group and there were many friendships that formed.

The core team was also just amazing! They were always there to address any issues that may have come up or point you in the right direction.

Finally, I made great use of the On Purpose Slack community, where you could ask any questions you had and there was always someone to help you out.

How did you approach finding a job after the programme?

I vocalised quite early on during my second placement that I really enjoyed working with the organisation and that, if the opportunity came along, I would like to have the conversation about extending my contract.

We ended up having the conversation and they were able to extend it to the end of the year.

For my current job with Access, I made sure my application was of a very high standard. I asked other people to read their CVs and cover letters, which was super useful! I also did a lot of reflection on how to sell myself confidently. And it paid off!

What do you miss about your old career, and what don’t you miss?

I can’t think of anything I miss!

I definitely don't miss the culture around sales and the attitude of making more money, whether that’s for the company or for the person sitting at the top.

What advice would you give to others in a similar situation?

I’d say definitely go and apply for the Associate Programme! :D

And whenever you make that change, approach it with curiosity! Because you don't know what you don't know. You don't know what you might learn, who you might meet and how it will impact your life until you do it.