Segways, Sabbaticals & Service Design
How a career of exploration creates a path to purpose. A journey of self-discovery, reflection, and realignment.
Louise Costelloe-Ward knows how to successfully switch lanes.
Louise’s career commenced as a researcher at Liverpool University before transitioning into project, content, and product management, ahead of her latest shift into the role of a Service Designer at Citizens Advice.
Self-described as a ‘systems thinker and storyteller’, Louise shares insight into her motivations, and the sabbatical which supported her entry into the world of Service Design.
Louis: Hi Louise, I’m thrilled to have you feature in ‘SEARCHING…’ this month, I believe that your journey towards a specialism that wasn’t initially where you set out to be, but became your ‘north star' will provide a truly unique perspective for anyone pondering a career transition.
" Research is formalised curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose. "
- Zora Neale Hurston
Let’s go right back to Liverpool University where you spent almost 3.5 years as a Post-Graduate Researcher and Lecturer/Teacher in Political Philosophy.
What inspired you to start in this profession?
Louise: I’ve been fascinated by Politics since I was a teenager, watching Have I Got News For You with my grandfather.
I was lucky that my school offered Politics A-level, which made me realise it was studying the motivations and theories behind political acts that interested me, rather than being a politician! I decided to take it further during my degree and moved from Cardiff to Liverpool to research combining behavioural economics with political philosophy.
Louis: Is this where your interest in data and analytics was first ignited?
Louise: I was always quite happy combining maths and sciences with the arts and humanities. It became difficult to get funding for this sort of interdisciplinary work, and at the same time I was finding academia too theoretical.
“ I really wanted to do something more practical and rooted in social purpose. “
Louis: This is brilliant, you started to get a sense of ‘direction’!
You continued within the civil/public sector, operating within government bodies and starting within analytical, data-driven roles before progressing into project, and then content and product management positions.
Louise: Yes!
Louis: What is it like to ‘cut your teeth’ within these organisations, and how did it shape your understanding and approach to project and product management?
Louise: It can be challenging, as most Civil Service departments are large and very complex. This can make them seem frustratingly slow to someone who’s new to the organisation, while at the same time, there is a lot to learn in terms of how different teams relate to each other.
I got in via the Civil Service fast stream, which was helpful in terms of giving a structure and level of explanation to how things worked. It certainly made me think hard about how to get people involved early on to save time later!
Louis: Let’s delve into your sabbatical back in August 2020, I’d love to hear your story behind this, and everything it entailed. Take it away!
Louise: I’d been having niggles for a while about whether product and content were the areas where I could bring the most benefit, as I often found myself asking questions at the broader levels of service and systemic contexts.
“ It was also a point where I had become fairly senior, without exploring the underpinnings of how digital products are built.
I wanted to learn to code, and also experience for myself how important areas such as accessibility are taught to developers. “
I did some calculations and realised I could take up to 2 years out. I decided on 1 year, as that fitted with my plan to finish a coding course, as well as do some voluntary work to explore other career options. My partner was very supportive, as they had previously taken a sabbatical themselves.
I ended up finishing a course in coding and being certain that I did not want to become a developer myself!
Louis: Fantastic!
“ Finding out what you don’t want to do is a huge part of the journey. “
Louise: I also sat on the Board of a local eco-hub, and this along with my other voluntary work really shaped my decision to switch to Service Design.
Louis: And looking at the timeframes on your CV, was the pandemic partly to thank as a part-catalyst for inspiring this new venture?
Louise: Definitely - it gave me a lot more time to think and ask questions about where I was heading in my career! I think it’s also important to acknowledge that I was privileged to be able to work from home and save money to the point where the financial risk was lower.
Louis: Having reflected on this transformative period, what wisdom can you give somebody who has eyes on a new industry or profession, but feels apprehensive?
Where’s the best place to start / what’s the first move to make?
Louise: The most important thing is to block out time to reflect on why you want the change, even if it’s just an hour at the end of your week.
It may feel like you should jump into researching and networking straight away, but knowing your reasons and purpose is really helpful for telling a compelling story when you start to network and want to explain your path in interviews.
You’re invited to follow and connect with Louise Costelloe-Ward via LinkedIn
Tell Your Story
Open to sharing your wisdom for the benefit of other purposeful professionals?
It could be a move that you made, a sliding door moment, a low-point/a high-point, or a realisation that helped you find and re-align your purpose.
There’s a tale behind every transition, and everyone has a story to tell.