A chief nurse at a London trust explains how focusing on developing your skills can open up opportunities

Although she is now chief nurse at a large London trust, Maria O’Brien says there was never a grand plan to achieve a top job. ‘I’ve had the kind of career where I’ve done things that have interested me, rather than followed a typical straight route,’ says Ms O’Brien. ‘While some people know at an early stage of their career where they want to be, I was never entirely sure, but I knew I enjoyed variety and challenge.’