Hello, my name is Gemma and I am 44 years old. I have been working at a local museum for nine months now. My career started as a volunteer at the National Trust and I then became a seasonal assistant and eventually became the manager of that department within two years. Through these roles, I was able to see things from different perspectives such as the volunteers' aspect and the seasonal assistant's aspect. However, as a manager, I met some blocking points with senior managers who were not too keen on the challenge I posed.

It always surprises people when they ask about my job and I say I am an operations team leader at a museum, as my career for 26 years was as a hairdresser. Having two teenage children, hairdressing was a great career for me. I believe that my hairdressing career has taught me everything I need to know for my current job as it has helped me develop transferable skills that I can use in different roles.

I think it's important for employers to not just look at a person's qualifications and CV all the time, but to also consider their experiences outside of their qualifications. For instance, it's nice to see people who have traveled or were part of a drama group as they may have developed team player skills that are valuable in certain roles. 

Overall, I believe that it's important to give everyone a chance and to meet everyone in order to see their potential.