Andrew Jackson (MSc ITMOC, 2003, BA German Studies, 2002) explains how failure led him on the path to a better future…

"I chose Lancaster in part because I could do German and Psychology in my first year of a Philosophy degree and then switch in year two. This is what I did as I thought learning a language would be more practical. I enjoyed studying about German history and culture, even though I wasn't the most diligent student.

After finishing my Bachelor's, I still wasn't sure I was ready for 'real life' and so I continued my studies with a complete change of direction - a Master's of Science in IT, Management & Organizational Change. This was a breath of fresh air and I loved the fact there was such a cosmopolitan mix of international students (especially my Greek friends, Alex & Yannis). The cultural 'soft skills' developed along with gaining a real interest in IT were crucial in my journey to what I do today.

Back then, the course didn't have the links to industry it now has, and although plenty of students went straight into high potential IT consulting jobs at the likes of Accenture, I struggled. I went back to my home town, near Manchester, and applied for numerous graduate programmes. I got down to the final few nationally for companies like Bosch Rexroth, Norwich Union and Fujitsu Consulting, but I couldn't get over the line.

Eventually I decided to take a punt… I'd watched the film 'Lost in Translation' and became fascinated with the idea of moving to Japan. In fact, one of my Lancaster peers, Graham Burt, had recently just moved there. I finally got past the final selection hurdle to get a job at Nova (little did I know, short for 'No Vacation'). So, off I went to the land of the rising sun in search of adventure…

It turns out that this was the best decision I ever made in my life. Sometimes if life isn't working for you, you just have to make a change. I look back on the first few months of my time in Japan with the fondest memories… I felt like a true adventurer, exploring a new distant alien world. My life was sparked into curiosity…

My Japanese adventure lasted three years, after which, I moved to Canada. I met my wife, Shannon, in the first city I was placed, Nagaoka in 2005. Our first date was climbing Mount Fuji. We now live in her home town of North Vancouver with our three daughters, Summer, Zenia & Leona.

I've lived and worked in six countries: UK, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, Korea, and now I am completely settled in Canada. I love Vancouver. It's spectacular in that it has coast and the mountains right next to the city. It's a great city for sustainable family living where you can hike in the summer or ski in the winter.

My career has ebbed and flowed and taken many turns including being a researcher/writer at the University of BC, and Marketing Director at a tech startup. Now I'm loving being an entrepreneur in website marketing. I run a small agency called North Shore Digital and we specialize in SEO & Google Ads. It's tons of fun. I also teach at Brainstation, the global leader in digital skills training.

But most importantly, I've discovered a balance in life that didn't exist for me in the UK. Sometimes it takes a trip around the world to discover your human potential."

You can connect with Andrew via LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewcharlesjackson/