CAREN HARTLEY
nDirector: ISEN Cycles
Switching industries can seem scary, but look out for where your skills can be transferred. This was something Caren Hartley did and is now director of ISEN Cycles, and can be found testing, prototyping, developing and making handmade steel bikes in London.
“I was a 3D designer specialising in metalwork, and I was working in the art and design industry. I realised that I no longer wanted to work in the Arts sector and that I wanted to be using my skills to make more useful objects or products. Making handmade bikes was a job that required a lot of the same skills that I already had – both technical and my experience of running a business selling bespoke art objects – so I set about finding out where the holes in my knowledge were and how I could learn the additional skills I would need to make a career change possible.
“I talk to customers, design bikes for them and then hand-make and paint them. Other people have joined the company as we have grown, so now we have each specialised slightly in what we do day-to-day. I spend a lot of time doing similar things to any job, like emails, meetings, spreadsheets, but then I also get to spend time designing bikes, working on improving component parts for our bikes, both functionally and aesthetically, spray painting, and lots of pre-production preparation, like preparing the metal for painting, sanding primer and checking and measuring etc.
“My advice is to try and work out what your skills are and how you might apply them to the cycling industry. These might be things that you do in your current job or from some other life experience you have.”
“With the cycling industry currently booming, there couldn’t be a better time to make that career switch you’ve always dreamed of. From social media marketing, to bike repairs, guiding, coaching and a thousand other roles, there’s no shortage of opportunity out there. You just have to seize it.”