If someone had told me in 2016 that I would be changing careers from finance to healthcare, building a fragrance brand and writing a blog about my journey, I would have chuckled.
As the eldest daughter in my family, I always focused on setting a “good” example for my younger siblings and doing what was expected of me, which naturally extended to my career choices.
Coupled with making such a significant life decision at 18 years old, when you barely know yourself, it’s no surprise many people end up changing direction later in life. Looking back, I genuinely think deciding what to study at university at that age is an extreme sport, but I guess that’s a story for another day.
The Path I Thought I Wanted
From day one of my Accounting and Finance degree, I always felt there was a mismatch.
Finance wasn’t for me because the course didn’t resonate with who I was or who I saw myself becoming, but I kept going because I had already started.
And again, I was my mother’s bragging right.
I couldn’t disappoint.
A recovering people pleaser lol.
Life didn’t exactly slow down during those years either.
I lost a parent.
I worked full time while studying full time to qualify for student finance as an EU migrant worker.
I became the legal guardian for my younger siblings here in the UK.
I ran a beauty side hustle.
Trust me, I have done it all.
By the time I finally completed my degree, I felt as though I had spent almost five years pursuing something that never truly felt right for me. I had deferred my course a couple of times due to circumstances beyond my control, and despite graduating, I felt unfulfilled.
The fear of starting over, coupled with the fear of being perceived as a failure, kept me pursuing a career I simply did not enjoy.
When Success Doesn’t Feel Like Success
Fast forward to 2022 when I finally landed my “big girl” job, or so I thought.
I was sold a dream which eventually became an expensive nightmare because even though I was financially stable, I became mentally unstable.
A barter trade in every sense.
I was the youngest person on my team and the only person of colour and trust me, I felt it.
Employers tend to underestimate how much damage a poor working environment can do to a person’s wellbeing.
The stress doesn’t stay at work.
It follows you home.
It affects your confidence, your health, your relationships and your peace of mind.
The only good thing that came out of that job was that my relationship with God became much stronger. Listening to sermons and Christian teachings during work became one of the things that kept me going.
You know a work environment is bad when you start getting panic attacks on Sunday evenings because you’re dreading Monday morning.
Discovering Occupational Therapy
2023 was a make-or-break year for me.
For the first time in my life, I decided to make a bold decision for myself.
A career change was no longer a possibility. It was a necessity.
The question was: to what?
While researching different options, a cousin of mine who works in healthcare said something that would completely change the direction of my life:
“You would make an excellent Occupational Therapist.”
At the time, I had absolutely no idea what Occupational Therapy was.
So I started researching.
The more I learned, the more everything clicked into place.
The core ethos of the profession aligned with who I was and my values.
Occupational Therapy looked beyond diagnoses and focused on the whole person.
It was creative.
It was practical.
It was centred around helping people live meaningful lives.
It combined problem solving, compassion and creativity in a way that felt natural to me.
Even my fragrance business suddenly made more sense.
Both Occupational Therapy and fragrance are rooted in human experience, wellbeing, identity and meaningful moments.
For the first time in a long time, I felt excited about a career.
Looking Back, God Was Ordering My Steps
Then it dawned on me that all this while, God had been moving the chess pieces of my life to get me to this exact point.
As I looked back over my career, I realised that every role I had held before finance had some element of supporting, helping or connecting with people.
The signs had always been there.
I just hadn’t noticed them.
What felt like random experiences were actually preparing me for where I am today.That realisation gave me the confidence to move forward
Starting Again
So I locked my decision in and applied for university.
Going back to university in my late twenties was daunting because it wasn’t what was expected of me at that stage of life.
Many of my peers were buying homes, progressing in their careers, getting married and settling down.
Meanwhile, I was preparing to start all over again.
Or so it seemed.
Then I had a simple thought.
Three years were going to pass whether I liked it or not.
I could spend those three years staying in a career that made me miserable, or I could spend them building a future that felt aligned with who I was becoming.
The choice became obvious.
Why “Tabitha Is Becoming”
Today, I am finishing my second year of Occupational Therapy and genuinely enjoying the journey.
This blog is called Tabitha Is Becoming because I haven’t arrived.
I am still learning.
Still growing.
Still figuring things out.
Still allowing God to order my steps.
This space is where I want to document that journey honestly.
You’ll find reflections from placement, lessons from university, thoughts on faith, wellness, purpose, entrepreneurship and what it means to build a life that feels aligned with who God created you to be.
You will probably find moments where I share what is going well and moments where I share what isn’t.
One thing Occupational Therapy has taught me is that growth happens through doing.
Through showing up.
Through taking the next step, even when you don’t feel fully ready.
I think life works the same way.
So, whether you’re changing careers, rebuilding your confidence, pursuing purpose or simply trying to become the person you’re meant to be, welcome.
We’re becoming.
Tabitha Is Becoming 