Name Neil Courtis

Age 59

Occupation IT programmer

Relationship Married with three children

Goals To find his dream career and to improve his confidence, especially in terms of how he relates to other people

Still having my fortnightly telephone sessions with Sue Clarke, my careers coach. Sue has put a lot of commitment into my 'case', and it has certainly paid off in terms of galvanising me into action.

She has been setting me objectives each time we speak, and I haven't been doing too badly, I think. One of the main things I have come to realise is how unfocused I tend to be. Even though my big dream is to make a living through my music, I have always been happier making music than thinking about how to actually get it out there.

I'm good at focusing on the music itself, but unless I can also focus on getting the music out there in some way, it will always be just a dream, nothing more concrete - a hobby, basically. This is beginning to change.

Sue has prompted me to try to focus on exactly what it is I am aiming for. And I've come up with the following shorter term aims:

1. Get a piece of music accepted for licensing for use in film/TV/ads

2. Get a website set up

And the following longer term aims:

1. Get a piece of music performed

2. Sell music via the new website

3. Generate an income stream from TV/film/ad licensing

4. Release CDs

Also, thanks to Sue setting me objectives, I've done a few things recently which I should have been doing all along, and it is at least getting me more into the habit of doing rather than just dreaming. For instance, I've submitted a piece of music for several possible licensing opportunities. And I've made enquiries about registering with a production music library which is in the process of being set up. It's a valuable start.

Obviously it could take some time to get anywhere in this sort of field, but I've made a start. What amazes me is how quickly the time goes - I can hardly believe it's the latter half of February already! It makes me realise that I really do have to make the most of the amazing opportunity I have this year, thanks to the Observer and the coaches participating in this project.

· If anybody wishes to contact me, my email address is: mygrandad@gmail.com