A career pivot story about leaving corporate life after redundancy and going back to study — from risk consultant to magistrate and PhD researcher.
When a long-term relationship ended in her twenties, Pip Symington chose adventure. She landed a job in Asia and spent twenty years working across Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, and Japan as a risk consultant and loving every minute of it. She said yes to everything, until one day it was gone.
Made redundant and reeling Pip turned to friends and a bit of therapy before redesigning the shape of her working life. She no longer wanted one all-consuming thing. Today, it's family, study, and service that brings fulfilment.
Key Topics
- The emotional toll of redundancy and losing your professional identity
- Using therapy and a "happiness bowl" to rediscover what brings you joy
- Building a portfolio career after a career break — balancing study, service, and family
- What it's like to volunteer as a magistrate in the UK justice system
- Why it's never too late to go back to study — and why midlife is the ideal time
THE WOBBLY MIDDLE is a podcast for women rethinking their careers in midlife. Each season, Patsy sits down with women who share their career pivot stories — leaving corporate life and building businesses, breaking back in after career breaks, going back to study, and taking their long-neglected dreams seriously.
New episodes every other Tuesday.
ABOUT THE HOST: Patsy Day is a recovering lawyer navigating her own midlife career crossroads. A penny dropped for her when she realised that the restless feeling she'd been feeling was returning ambition. The Wobbly Middle is that in-between space where we know we want change but don't know how to move forward.
LINKS
Interested in volunteering as a magistrate? Find out more:
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IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE
You might also our Season 1 episode From Lab to Lifeline with Dr Emily Connally. Like Pip, Emily is an Oxford-based woman who channelled her skills into community service — founding a food bank at the school gate that's now reshaping how local networks respond to food waste. Both episodes show how the wobbly middle can lead to something that serves not just you, but the world around you.
HELP US GROW
If this episode resonated with you, there are two simple things that make a real difference:
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it only takes a moment, and it's one of the best ways to help new listeners find the show. Every review counts.
- Share this episode with a friend — if you know someone who might be in their own wobbly middle, send them this one. Sometimes knowing you're not alone is all it takes.
SHARE YOUR STORY
Made a left turn in your career? We'd love to hear about it. Write to Patsy at patsy@thewobblymiddle.com — your story might just be the nudge someone else needs.
This episode was produced by Patsy Day. Studio recording by The Pod Collective.