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When facing a career change, we each experience our own hurdles – whether it be worries over whether or not we possess the right skills for the job or concerns about fitting in at our new workplace. And it’s these fears that can prevent us from stepping outside of our comfort zones and achieving new things.
Fifty-three-year-old Malgorzata Helma and 61-year-old Natalja Srainere both experienced some trepidation when considering a change in career later in life – and for very similar reasons. Both being immigrants, neither felt very confident in their English speaking skills. So when the opportunity to apply for a position at PAUL UK – a family-owned chain of bakery-cafes – presented itself, they were initially hesitant.
A few years down the road, both Malgorzata and Natalja are now production masters at PAUL UK. We spoke to them about their later life career changes, as well as why they chose to work at PAUL UK.
“[My son] knew that [PAUL UK] would be the perfect place for me because I love to bake”
![[My son] knew that [PAUL UK] would be the perfect place for me because I love to bake](https://media.restless.co.uk/uploads/2022/08/My-son-knew-that-PAUL-UK-would-be-the-perfect-place-for-me-because-I-love-to-bake.jpg)
Originally from Poland, mother-of-two Malgorzata first arrived in the UK in 2006. Back home, she worked as a shoe manufacturer, as well as spending some time in Italy working in a pizzeria.
Once in the UK, she found a role as a hotel cleaner. But after becoming pregnant with her son, Simon, and taking some time off to look after him in his early years, Malgorzata returned to work later in life to find that the hotel couldn’t offer her the hours that she needed…
“When Simon was very young, I only worked part-time, which was three hours a day”, says Malgorzata. This is because he was in nursery school, so I needed to pick him up at the end of the school day and look after him.
“But then, when he went to primary school, I needed more hours. So, in 2018, when I was 49, my other son, Kamil, who was working as a manager at the Three Quays location, suggested that I apply to PAUL UK. He knew that it would be the perfect place for me because I love to bake.
“At first, because of my English-speaking skills, I looked at the possibility of going to work at another hotel. But Kamil convinced me to give PAUL UK a try. He explained that we could organise a trial shift, where I could go and have a look to see if it was a good fit. And it was!”
“The hotel work was very physically demanding and didn’t suit my lifestyle. Sometimes I would work for seven days straight”
Natalja and her granddaughter, Elizabeth
Interestingly, Natalja has a very similar story. Originally from Latvia, in 2010, she moved to London where her daughter, Lena, was living…
“It was difficult for me at first,” Natalja says. “It was a very big step, especially with the language barrier. For the first few months, I struggled to find a job; and when I finally did, the salary was only £400 a month.
“Back home in Latvia, I had a small business as a professional seamstress. It was like a home-based factory, and I made underwear for ladies. But when I came to the UK, the only job I could find was working as a cleaner in a hotel. I did it for eight years, during which time I was promoted to supervisor.
“The hotel work was very physically demanding and didn’t suit my lifestyle. I was always tired and I never had a fixed day off. Sometimes I would work for seven days straight, and because people were always leaving, I found myself constantly covering shifts. I moved to the UK to be with my daughter, and because of my work, we never managed to spend any time together.
“I was thinking about changing jobs when my ex-colleague, who had since gone to work for PAUL UK, told me that they were recruiting and suggested that I apply. I was 58 at the time.”
“Working with good people is the key to a happy work life. A great team makes you feel like you want to come to work”
After successfully completing their trial shifts, Malgorzata and Natalja joined PAUL UK as production team members, which involves a range of different culinary duties – from baking pastries like croissants and pain au chocolat, to making and preparing various sandwiches and salads.
Although they were each concerned about how their limited English skills would affect their work, their worries were soon put to bed…
Malgorzata says, “I was a bit nervous to start with, particularly because of the language barrier and the fact that I was doing something completely different to anything I’ve ever done before. But the team and the training programme really gave me the confidence to do my job effectively. Plus, as an older adult, I could contribute everything that I’ve learnt from previous life experience, which is very valuable.”
“The team is amazing,” says Natalja. “They all come from different countries and different backgrounds, which has helped me to develop an understanding of different cultures. Plus, since I’ve been working at PAUL UK, my English skills have improved a lot and I’ve found new friends.”
Malgorzata adds, “Working with good people is the key to a happy work life. A great team makes you feel like you want to come to work.”
“[My son] was a little sceptical about having his mum at work in the beginning, but it was fun”
Malgorzata and Natalja had both been working for PAUL UK for around a year when the pandemic hit – and as restrictions began to ease, they were excited to return to work. Natalja went back to PAUL UK’s branch in Earl’s Court, where she had worked prior to the pandemic, but for Malgorzata, things were slightly different…
“When everything began to open up again, one of the operation managers gave Kamil and me a call. They asked if we’d like to go and work at PAUL UK’s Kingston location together – and we said yes.
“He was a little sceptical about having his mum at work in the beginning, but it was fun! He didn’t call me mum, of course, he stayed professional and called me by my name.”
Malgorzata and Kamil worked together for over a year in Kingston – after which Kamil returned to central London. “It was great to be able to spend time with him like that,” Malgorzata says.
“As long as you’re hardworking and passionate about what you do, then you can be promoted at PAUL”
Natalja
Since starting at PAUL UK, both Malgorzata and Natalja have been promoted from production team members to production masters, which involves a wide variety of extra duties, including training new staff.
Natalja says, “Initially, I was nervous about applying for a promotion and getting trained to move up, but my manager was very encouraging.
“I’ve come to learn that as long as you’re hardworking and passionate about what you do, then you can be promoted at PAUL UK. I think that this is really important, especially for people in their 50s and 60s wanting to make a career change. As this isn’t always possible at other companies.”
“The training and development programs at PAUL are great,” Malgorzata agrees. “You don’t need any previous experience to apply, and you learn everything quickly. After that, there are plenty of opportunities to succeed and be promoted.”
“At PAUL UK, it’s very flexible. You can always do more or fewer hours, which means the role can suit most lifestyles”
For both Malgorzata and Natalja, working at PAUL UK provides the opportunity for them to be in control of their personal and professional lives; something which they haven’t always had.
“It’s a much better fit for me than my previous jobs,” Malgorzata explains. “For example, at the hotel, the shifts were very long and it was very difficult. Then, after I had my son, I couldn’t get enough hours.
“But, at PAUL UK, it’s very flexible. You can always do more or fewer hours, which means the role can suit most lifestyles.”
“When I ask for particular days off, it’s never usually an issue,” Natalja says. “This means I can spend time with my family – something that was difficult in my past roles.”
Final thoughts from Malgorzata and Natalja…
Currently training to be a supervisor, Malgorzata is excited about her future at PAUL UK – as is Natalja, who plans to do the same.
Natalja says, “Anyone who’s responsible, willing to learn, hard-working, and a good team player will be a good fit at PAUL UK.”
“Even if you don’t speak English very well, you shouldn’t be afraid of applying,” Malgorzata tells us. “Everyone is very well looked after; we care about each other and everyone is trained to a high standard.
“If you’re thinking of applying, then I say, go for it. When you step outside of your comfort zone, you never know what life will bring.”