How Accidental Was It?

How accidental was it?

I left real estate to be a full-time mum. Years of raising a kid. Helped him launch an award-winning charity (GOSAC – Give Our Strays A Chance) when he was 10. Worked a few hours a week just to get some “me” time and ran my own little property development company.

Life was full – but my world was centred around someone else. Doing his things. Watching him win at life. Being quite happy with my creation.

Then two things happened.

1. My son moved out

My son – yes, the same one my whole life revolved around, who was meant to be a broke engineering student living at home, eating two-minute noodles for five years – went and got himself a fancy fellowship and moved out to live on the UWA campus.

Suddenly I was left with a dog, a husband and a suspicious amount of free time.

I started inventing reasons to visit.

“Hey Dean, you forgot a sock at home…”

Next thing you know, I’m in a dimly lit dorm car park handing over said sock through the car window like it’s contraband. God forbid one of his mates sees his mum coming to visit.

2. The train line shut down

At the same time, the train line shut down for 18 months. No trains. Just buses. Buses!

I thought, How bad could it be? (Spoiler: very).

There was no way I was catching a bus for hours or driving to the city just to spend what little I earned on parking for my part-time job.

That Saturday morning

For the first time in 20 years, I sat down and wrote a résumé.

Funny, my biggest achievement was raising this amazing human and this is not something that I could put on a résumé… or maybe I could? I wonder if this is something people actually do. I didn’t.

I wondered what to do with said résumé now that it was written.

I missed real estate. Helping people get into their own homes. But I didn’t want the weekends, the open homes, the heels on Sundays. Still… something in that space.

Then it hit me – mortgage brokers talk real estate.

I didn’t overthink it. I literally did not even consult my husband or do any research. It sounded easier. Less running around. Maybe even part-time, working from home.

I will just go for it. What have I got to lose? Obviously I will not get the first job I apply for… (so many things I got wrong here!)

So I sent my résumé to the first mortgage broking company that came to mind.

Thirty minutes later, my phone rang. On a Saturday. Interview booked.

Want to know how the interview went?

It was on Microsoft Teams. I’d never used Teams before. My soon-to-be manager was waiting, head office was calling to ask where I was… and here I was just sitting in front of the open Teams window, not realising I had to actually join the meeting.

No finance background. No recent office, corporate or business experience.

But she took a chance on me. And for that, I will forever be grateful.

Her decision didn’t just change my life. I think it’s changed a few others too.

Next episode: “What Have I %&$@ Done?”: Becoming a Mortgage Broker