You Are So Much More | by Katie Amison
I recently got 3 new tattoos (I say ‘new’ because I already had 3). One of these new tattoos was going to be some sort of swirly writing under my left collarbone, however, I had never had writing permanently inked onto my body before, so this idea was absolutely terrifying! I had a couple of ideas about what I wanted it to say but I really didn’t want it to be too serious, so the two options were:
“Trust the process”
“You are so much more”
Believe it or not, the tattoo below my left collarbone says, “Trust the process”. I think those words speak for themselves – that’s why I chose it! It is my belief that life throws things your way when you are ready for them and as a very impatient person, I have to remind myself sometimes to just trust the process. This topic is more talked about in my opinion, but something we don’t always talk about is how we fall into the trap of measuring our success by numbers and letters. This is why I’d like to talk a bit about what “You are so much more" means to me.
Growing up I was pretty average in school, but my GCSEs were not something I was proud of. I got one 7 and the rest 6 or below. My friends got 7’s upwards. This massively knocked my confidence.
Then came my A-levels. I was more mature then, but a lot happened during those 2 years and as a result, I walked away with a C, D, and E.
Now, I could sit here and tell you about all of the things that took place in my life during this time and how they led to those grades but I think that would do a disservice to my family and those who supported me. The bottom line is, based on the work I produced, those were the grades I deserved.
Fast forward to September 2022, I started my job as a Data Analytics Degree Apprentice at Fujitsu having no technical background and below-average grades! This was my second biggest achievement. (You’ll have to wait for my next blog to find out my first). It made me feel like I was more than what it says about me on paper. Because I am. Someone saw in me what I couldn’t see in myself and since starting this job I have proven to myself and those around me that there is a reason I was chosen for the role. (I was initially rejected, but more on that another time...)
My point in all of this is, you guessed it – You are so much more. I am so much more than the grades I used to cry over, the job I have, and the income I earn, and you are so much more than the things that keep you up at night. In fact, let me tell you some things you won’t find on my CV or LinkedIn…
- I spend a good chunk of my salary on Starbucks.
- One glass of wine has me dancing at the dinner table.
- I cry to Lewis Capaldi’s music on a weekly basis.
They certainly aren’t relevant to my employer, but they are things that make me who I am and things that keep me sane on sad days. That being said…
“Alexa, play ‘Hollywood’ by Lewis Capaldi”.
Katie Amison is an Advanced Data Fellowship apprentice at Multiverse based in the UK. She's writing for the Apprentice Lens as part of the Blogging Team. Here's more about her:
"Hi, I'm Katie and I am a data analytics degree apprentice at Fujitsu - based in Solihull. I started my role as a 19-year-old female with no technical background and it was terrifying! I love sharing my journey and inspiring others through my writing."