A Creative Career with an Operational Side

For Katie Wright, moving into finance wasn't about starting over.

It was about building on years of experience in operations, leadership and project management, while developing a deeper understanding of the financial side of business.

Her career began in a completely different world.

After studying French and Psychology, and later returning to study photography, Katie built a successful career producing photographic and film content. She worked with international clients, helped deliver large-scale projects and spent years in fast-paced creative environments where no two days looked the same.

"I absolutely loved it."

Over time though, her role evolved.

As the organisations she worked for grew, Katie found herself moving away from production and deeper into operations, team leadership, budgeting, forecasting and helping organisations run effectively behind the scenes.

That shift became even more pronounced when she moved into a small charity, where, like many people working in smaller teams, she became a bit of a jack-of-all-trades.

"One day I could be helping run a workshop and the next I'd be helping with annual accounts, updating the website or working on operational planning."

It was there that something unexpected happened.

When a finance and administration role wasn't replaced, Katie stepped in to help cover some of the work and found herself increasingly drawn to the finance side of the business.

She had worked with budgets and financial reports before. She had supported decision-making and forecasting. But she realised she wanted to properly understand the principles behind it.

"I'd done the operational side and worked with accountants, but I wanted to understand what it all actually meant."

A Time for Reflection

Around the same time, life changed in other ways too.

Katie became pregnant and shortly afterwards the organisation she worked for closed due to funding challenges.

While preparing for the arrival of her daughter, she started thinking about what she wanted the next chapter of her career to look like.

She knew she wanted something that would continue to challenge her professionally but also fit around family life.

That reflection brought her back to finance.

Starting from the Ground Up

After speaking to friends who worked in the sector and researching different routes, Katie decided to start with AAT Level 2.

"I wanted to learn from the ground up."

After exploring different providers, she came across Ideal Schools and had an initial conversation with Brian.

"It felt personal. I could talk to somebody and it felt encouraging and supportive from the beginning."

Studying Around Family Life

Katie began studying around family life, carving out dedicated study time in the mornings rather than trying to push through tired evenings.

Her routine became simple but sustainable: a few focused hours each week, usually early on Friday and Sunday mornings.

"I tried evenings and realised they just weren't for me. First thing in the morning worked so much better."

She particularly enjoyed the structure of the course and the steady sense of progress that came from working through assignments and building understanding step by step.

"I quite like the clarity of it. You do an assignment, get feedback, move forward and build confidence."

Turning Study into Opportunity

Part way through her studies, another opportunity appeared.

Katie began applying for operations-focused roles that included a stronger finance element and successfully secured a new position locally.

Her new role combines operations and finance responsibilities in a small business environment, with the opportunity to work alongside an experienced bookkeeper and continue developing practical financial skills in a real-world setting.

For Katie, that combination feels like the perfect fit.

"I've always loved operations because it touches everything, but my ambition was to really understand the financial side better and be able to offer bookkeeping as part of what I do."

Building a Career That Fits

Importantly, the role also supports the life she wants to build, with a four-day week and the flexibility to stay present for family life.

Katie is realistic that study may continue at a slower pace once she starts work, but she's comfortable with that.

For Katie, success is not about rushing towards a fixed destination. It's about continuing to learn, develop new skills and create opportunities as they arise.

Keeping Future Options Open

Her plan is simple: keep moving forward.

Looking ahead, she sees finance and operations working hand in hand throughout her career, while keeping future options open too.

"Never say never. I might love bookkeeping more than I expect, or it might become something I do alongside operations later on. I just like understanding the why behind things."

Katie's story is a reminder that career change doesn't always mean starting again.

Sometimes it means recognising the skills you already have, building knowledge in areas that interest you, and creating opportunities that fit the life you want now.

By adding financial knowledge to an already strong background in operations, leadership and project management, Katie isn't reinventing herself. She's expanding what's possible.

We wish Katie all the very best as she starts her new role and continues her studies. We can't wait to see where her path leads next.