When I received the invitation to contribute to a collection of ‘stories’ by established sociologists, I expressed doubt that my experience would be relevant to this valuable project, as I did not decide be a sociologist, sociology happened to me. The notion of professional identity and the multiplicity of one’s identity as a professional have received considerable attention in recent years. In this essay, I share some of the dilemmas I encountered in my career and explain how these have contributed to the development of my professional identity and the strategies I used to adapt to an ever-changing academic environment. My experiences, to a greater or lesser extent, involve personal narratives and I make no claims as to the ‘rightness’ of my decisions and strategies, only that they made sense and helped my learning and becoming as a sociologist. While many careers are mapped out rigorously, mine did not follow ‘a plan’ – strange things happened on the way and I moved from a degree in languages and a career in primary school teaching to a career in research with children and marginalised groups. Hopefully, my ‘story’ will provide some insight for other sociologists starting out, to help them find answers to their own professional dilemmas.

In 2003, I had submitted my doctoral thesis and, as most graduate students, was confronted with the big question of ‘What now?’ My thesis looked at the value of teachers’ gestures and other non-verbal behaviours to students’ understanding in language classes, a very interesting and relatively new field, but I felt I needed a change. While I was waiting for my viva to take place, I came across a research post for a project led by two high-profile colleagues, one from the field of education (Lydia Plowman) and one from the field of sociology of childhood (Alan Prout). Given the ‘boom’ in the use of technologies at the time, the project aimed to look at the impact of technology on young children (aged 3–10), through fieldwork conducted in their homes. I can picture vividly the job interview and how hard I tried to remember all the reading I had done the night before on Prout’s work on the sociology of childhood. Securing this six-month post was career-changing; it opened up my mind to an entirely new field and approach to research.