Have You Dreamt Of Leaving Your Job and Work For Yourself? Then This Is A Must Read: An Interview With Patrick Thorpe - My First Years As An Interim Manager, Part 1
Laura MarianiShare
ThePeopleAlchemist Edit: HR, business, self-employment, freelance and interim management
After exploring what it takes to move from being an Employee (you have a job) to Self-Employed (you own a job) and further to Business Owner (you own a system and/or people work for you) in the articles Are you dreaming of becoming your own boss? And Moving from self-employed to business owner, I wanted to bring to life these concepts by interviewing people who have actually seen, done, got the T-shirt. And get some more tips.
The first interview of the series is with Patrick Thorpe of Corexis Consulting Limited.
Q1 Why did you decide to become an interim? What benefits did you think it would give you and the challenges you would face?
A1 The interim market has really chosen me. After leaving a blue-chip Facilities Management (FM) service provider through redundancy, I set up my own company. Consultancy, project work and bid management within FM. After undertaking several projects within business development, it has now morphed into interim operational management for a world-renowned higher educational establishment.
A clear benefit to me is the freedom of working for yourself. You do become the master of your own destiny. And you are free to make absolute decisions about what work you want to go after. And when. I firmly believe that working for yourself gives you a different mindset. Drive about attaining success in everything that you do. And trying that much harder to ensure that you achieve it! But there are clear challenges in setting up your own company. Deciding what the best modus operandi. Forming a limited company or an umbrella organisation, for example. Both options have benefits depending on your business activity. For me, the incorporation of Corexis Consulting Limited has been the perfect option for combating most challenges.
Q2 What was your career path?
A2 I am an ex-hotelier. Firstly, I started my career path working for the ‘J. Lyons and Co.’ at their subsidiary, Strand Hotels Limited. After working at the Cumberland, Kingsley, Strand Palace and Regent Palace Hotels in London, I moved on to work for Holiday Inn in Kuwait. Secondly, on my return to the UK, I joined a contract catering company. That prompted my career to move out of the catering sector into the world of facilities management. After that, a new career working for top FM companies – Sodexo, Compass Group, Johnson Controls. Finally, Balfour Beatty Workplace, in operational and business development roles, the opportunity came to form my own company and start a new chapter in my working life.
Q3 As you move through your journey to become/be an Interim Manager, what key skills did you find useful?
A3 There is an abundance of new skills that are there to be learnt in the Interim market.
Here are 4 that are fundamental to future success, in my opinion :
- Planning. Understanding that all the decisions are taken may significantly affect your future place in this marketplace for a new career move.
- Salesmanship. In learning to market yourself, your company. And defining the product that you are bringing to the market.
- Financial management. In understanding and planning for ‘downtime’ in work activity (as it will happen!), ensure that a financial ‘buffer’ is maintained to keep you and your company solvent.
- Contact building and networking. Sweat networking assets, especially through social media. These are powerful channels to exploit for future assignment opportunities.
