It's never too late to change your career
Edita Grikpedyte
Onpartu Cohort: 2017
Mentor: Valeria Ilies
Education: Masters in Law and Management
Before Onpartu...
There is no question as to whether Edita really gave her original profession a chance; she both graduated from Law and Management and worked at Vilnius County Court as a full-time legal secretary. Once she sensed a stronger passion for wine, however, she did not sit around. Edita took herself to the south of France and Sicily in Italy, where her intuition was confirmed, and she was inspired to commit again and study with the Wine and Spirits Education Trust. Yet turning her new qualification into a career was not fast or straightforward - she says that she “did not have the confidence or self-belief” at the time - and this is where she sought the help of Onpartu.
Edita recalls first hearing about the programme by chance in 2015 after travel plans brought her to London with no clear plan or future. Although it was too late to apply then, and escape her waitressing job, she says that she already felt sure that Onpartu would help and benefit her hugely: “I instantly had a feeling that it was exactly what I needed.” Edita went on to apply two years later, now a new mother, too. Her acceptance could not have been more welcome; although Edita’s positive attitude had made her embrace and learn from every survival job she had been in, with time passing, the lack of fulfilment and job satisfaction had been slowly but surely reducing her confidence.
Since Onpartu...
First, the Onpartu's safe environment allowing learning and exploration made Edita's confidence blossom and with time, she started to recognises that meeting many accomplished individuals inspired her to action and "gave me a feeling that if they achieved their dreams, I can do it as well.” By then she already knew that going back to waitressing and retail was not an option, and "the job search process after the programme looked clearer and less scary."
Paid internship in the wine industry
Edita witnessed for herself the “power of networking” that had been a key learning point when her mentor introduced her to the CEO and co-founder of a wine travel company. Within a month of her finishing the programme Edita secured her paid internship within her dream industry, which she welcomed and she immersed herself straight into the role.
Onpartu lessons
Edita retained the positive attitude she originally brought with her to the programme, and took with her the habits that had been missing - setting goals with clear timelines. With these in her toolkit, Edita secured a full-time job offer upon completing her internship and is now confidently looking into what the coming year may bring!
