My journey to a career in housing has happened by chance. Originally from Los Angeles California, I was a performer, as cliché as that sounds, and came to London for graduate school to become a “proper” actor.  As an out-of-work actor I was looking to find a job where I could stop waitressing, as I was not very good at it and stop working in events and retail as the work was very hit and miss.

I found a temporary job in HR Administration for a private sector insurance company, first working in London and then transferring to their Cardiff office. Twelve years on and I worked my way up from administrator to Officer to Advisor and gained my level seven qualification in the field.

After working for the insurance provider for just over ten years I felt that I needed a change to feel that I was doing something that mattered. I wanted to make a difference and be a part of a community and particularly wanted to work for someone that didn’t just provide the needed houses in the area but to work for a company that looked after the livelihood of their tenants.

This is when I found Bron Afon Community Housing. Leaving my permanent position at the insurance company, I took a leap of faith to move into housing and joined the company on a fixed-term contract for six months. Many of my friends and family thought the move was risky as I had security where I was but again I wanted to make a difference and see my role matter to a company and its employees and in turn its customers.

I fortunately have been kept on until March next year and am enjoying the challenge that social housing brings. When you hear on the daily news about the housing crisis and the poverty and challenges our modern world has given our ever growing population, it is nice to know that you are doing your small bit to help improve our community and the lives within it.

Kimberly is a HR Adviser at Bron Afon