People Story

From Progression Coach to Team Manager:

What happened when Funmilola stopped saying “maybe later”
After taking a career break to raise her family, Funmilola Ajisafe returned to work as a Progression Coach at Serco. An apprenticeship, a willingness to challenge herself and a decision to stop saying “maybe later” helped her take the next step in her career.

Now a Team Manager on the Companies House contract, she shares how one decision to stop saying “maybe later” opened the door to new opportunities and continued learning.

From career break to new beginnings

My career has taken me in a few different directions over the years. I started out in the NHS as a Practice Manager before moving to Coventry. Shortly after the move, I found out I was expecting twins.

We'd thought our family was complete, but sometimes life has other ideas. It was a lovely surprise that led me to take a step back from my career to focus on raising my family.

Once the twins started school, I felt ready to return to work full time. I joined Shaw Trust before moving to Reed in Partnership and later transferred to Serco through TUPE as a Progression Coach on the Restart programme.

Saying yes to development

In March 2025, I began my Level 3 Team Leader apprenticeship. When I first saw the opportunity, I remember thinking, "I'm not really doing anything exciting at the moment, so why not?" Looking back, that's quite funny because I was working, raising four children, I'm a school governor, a Scout leader and my partner works away. I clearly had plenty going on, but I still decided to say yes to one more opportunity.

I didn't realise how much work would go into gathering evidence for my portfolio for the apprenticeship, but it really helped me reflect on what I was already doing every day.

I'd always wanted to do something more, but like a lot of people, I kept telling myself, "Maybe later." When a Team Manager secondment opportunity came up, I finally decided it was time to take the next step in my career and go for it. I'm so glad I did because in March 2026 I became Team Manager on the Companies House contract.

"If an opportunity comes along and it feels right, go for it."

Funmilola Ajisafe
Team Leader

Putting learning into practice

Stepping into my new role gave me the opportunity to put everything I'd learnt through the apprenticeship into practice. One of the biggest things I took away was learning how to adapt the way I communicate depending on who I'm speaking to. 

Throughout my career, I've learnt how important it is to explain things in a simple, straightforward way. The apprenticeship helped me realise that you can still have the same conversation, but sometimes you need to tailor your language depending on your audience. It's something I've already started putting into practice in my new role, and I'll continue to build on it throughout my career.

What's next

I've always wanted to learn Arabic properly, so that's next on my list. After that, I'd love to explore Lean Six Sigma because I find it really interesting.

My family laugh because I've already planned my retirement project too. I'd love to learn how to be a mechanic. Not because I want another career, but because I find it fascinating. I love how someone can listen to the sound of a car engine and immediately know what's wrong with it. I think that's amazing. I just enjoy understanding how things work.

My advice?

If I could give one piece of advice, it would be not to keep saying, "Maybe later." If an opportunity comes along and it feels right, go for it. Every time I've challenged myself, I've learnt something new, and you never know where saying yes to an opportunity might lead.

Could your next opportunity take you somewhere unexpected?

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