Edwards said the decision you make when you leave school or the first job you do “doesn’t have to determine what you do for the rest of your life”.
“There are lots of different career journeys. You don’t have to follow a specific path. It’s never too late to change course and explore something new. It’s about finding what you personally enjoy – and being honest with yourself,” she said.
Looking back at her career, Edwards said she did not “think school was ever really for me”, adding that while she enjoyed the social aspect, she did not enjoy the educational side.
“But at 17, I felt like I had to choose between university or nothing,” she noted, adding that a teacher had told her that she would “never amount to anything” if she did not go to university.
Edwards continued on to say that she hoped changing the college she attended to do her A-levels would encourage a love of further education, but it did not.
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“When it didn’t, my mum was really good about me leaving school. She encouraged me to finish my A-levels so I had those qualifications. But, as a single parent in a clerical job, she was very clear that once school was over, I needed to get myself a job,” she said.
My background has ‘visibly shocked’ people
Edwards started her career as a mortgage broker in 2007, which she said was “phenomenal timing”, and then went on to work at corporate estate agencies, before moving into the lender space and starting at NatWest around four years ago as its national account manager.
She took on the role of head of intermediary mortgages at NatWest earlier this year and looks after a team of around 200 people.
Speaking about her role, she said it involves working with a lot of people “internally and externally”, but her background has surprised people.
Edwards explained: “I’m not the person a lot of people expect to meet in my role. I’m from the North, I’m a woman, and I’m not 40 yet.
“My background is different, too. I didn’t go to university, I come from a working-class, single-parent family. I used to queue up for free school dinner tokens. That’s different to a lot of people in a senior role in this industry.”
“I really believe that having a different voice around the table, different experiences and different backgrounds, brings the right culture to any business,” she added.
Creating the ‘right culture’ requires ‘strong leadership’
Edwards said having the “right culture” that allows people to bring their authentic selves to work “requires strong leadership”.
“I personally owe a lot to strong leaders, like my own line manager, Brad Fordham, who have put their faith in me and my ability, and have supported me.
“I’m now happy to be open about my story, because I think it’s the right thing to do. Actually, what happens when you’re open is that other people say, ‘Oh I’ve got a similar story…’ It just makes people more comfortable to be themselves,” she said.
Edwards said sharing different experiences also would “encourage people to think more openly about their own career aspirations too”.
Reflecting on her own journey, she noted: “Funnily enough, just after I got this job, I happened to run past my old school, and I thought about my old teacher. It was a good reminder that just being true to your authentic self can stand you in good stead to be whatever you want to be.”
