The career I didn’t plan – but I wouldn’t change

This year's #NoWrongPath campaign, run by Developing the Young Workforce (DYW), is a reminder that success doesn't always follow a straight line. For many young people opening their exam results this week, that message matters more than ever. In this guest blog, Laura Harris, Housing Need Strategy Manager at West Lothian Council, reflects on a career in housing that began not with a plan, but with a chance opportunity. 

I left school at 17, armed with middling exam results and unsure which path to take. Growing up in Livingston, there was a well-established route into employment through the town's microelectronics manufacturing industry. It was an obvious career path for many, but it wasn't for me – I just didn't know what the alternative was. In the end, it was chance that pointed me towards housing. 

I applied to the Youth Training Scheme (YTS) and spent a couple of years working across several council departments before moving into housing. It was then I realised housing is about much more than bricks and mortar. It’s about making a positive difference to people’s lives and communities through a decent home and environment to live in. I went on to spend several years working at a local housing association, where I gained experience across multiple parts of housing and it helped me understand just how varied a career in this sector could be.  

The Chief Executive, Jim Watt, had a huge influence on my career. He encouraged me to return to education and complete my CIH Diploma. School had never been for me, so going back into education was daunting but it felt completely different as I was learning about something I was genuinely interested in and met other people who had also found their own route into housing. After completing my diploma, I returned to local government, where I began my career in homelessness and I've remained since.

People sometimes ask me how I've stayed in homelessness for so long, but to me housing is more than just a job or a career – it is my passion. A safe, secure home is often the foundation for everything else. It supports physical and mental health, helps people recover from trauma, enables families to stay together and gives people the stability they need to rebuild their lives. Throughout my career, I've seen that first-hand. I've had the privilege of welcoming the first Syrian refugee families to Scotland. Alongside colleagues from education, health and the third sector, I’ve helped to prevent youth homelessness across schools.

Elsewhere, I've supported people recovering from addiction, worked with victims of domestic abuse and helped families rebuild their lives in their local community. Those experiences continue to reinforce to me that housing is one of the few professions where you can genuinely change lives every single day.

Housing isn't always an easy job. The challenges facing the sector today are some of the greatest I've seen in my career. But what has always stood out to me is the people. Housing has one of the strongest professional communities I've experienced. I've been fortunate to work alongside many people who want to make a positive difference, who have shared their knowledge, supported me, challenged me and encouraged me to keep developing.  My career has introduced me to an incredible network of professionals, and I've met people across the country who share the same commitment and passion to making a difference. To this day, I’m still learning from them.

One of the greatest privileges of being a leader now in the sector is being able to do the same for others. Seeing colleagues I've brought into the sector develop into passionate professionals who want to make a positive difference is something I'm incredibly proud of. If you didn’t get the exam results you wanted and are now wondering what comes next, please remember your results do not define your future.

There isn't a single route into housing. People join through apprenticeships, trainee programmes, career changes and many other pathways. What matters most is being willing to learn, taking opportunities when they arise and finding a career that gives you purpose.

When I left school, I hadn’t a clue what the future held. Looking back now, I realise you don't need to have all the answers.  Sometimes all it takes is one opportunity and people who believe in you.  
I never planned a career in housing but I'm grateful that housing found me.