As a career strategist, I help people navigate change and
uncover career opportunities that are right for them.
I’ve helped hundreds of people facing career dilemmas including redundancy, redeployment, outplacement, and simply being in jobs that just weren’t right for them. I’ve noticed that when people focus on their strengths and on finding work that allows them to use these strengths, their outlook improves, their confidence increases, they feel happier and they gain satisfaction from their work.
My insights come from over 25 years’ experience in corporate and government HR roles. I’ve worked with individuals on their career strategies and helped organisations to improve systems, identify and retain talent, and build their workforce capability. I’ve always been fascinated by the world of work... all the different jobs that exist, why some workplaces work well and others don’t, and how success means something different to everyone. I also have a special interest in leadership, teams, innovation and getting things done through effective collaboration.
My work is based on the idea that workplaces are changing rapidly and many people are not aware of their options, especially if they’ve worked within one organisation or sector for a long time. Or, they’ve spent time out of the workplace raising a family. Exploring options is often about identifying transferable skills and knowledge that will be of value to different kinds of organisations. In having first-hand knowledge of government and corporate sectors, I can help clients to think beyond what they know. This includes conversations around new ways of working… consultancy work, virtual work places, and freelancing. People can also combine different types of work – for instance for part of my working week I’m a consultant in the corporate sector, and the rest of the time I run my business between a co-working space and my home office. So I’m very much about enabling clients to update their ideas about what’s possible, and become more flexible and open about what work might look like based on their skills, circumstances and priorities.
I’ve created my career around my strengths and the things that matter to me such as working with people, my natural curiosity, finely-tuned listening skills, empathy, objectivity and delight in thinking ‘outside the square’ to generate new ideas and solutions. My core belief is that there’s a place for everyone, and my work is very much about helping people uncover what that place could look like for them, and taking steps to get there.
I know first-hand how career transitions feel because I’ve done it myself.
I began my working life as a nurse – I’ve always liked helping people. As the eldest of five children, I was also keen to gain independence and start earning money! I loved my training years which involved studying while working full-time in hospitals, and made some life-long friends. Supporting patients and their families through difficult times was satisfying, but I wasn’t so keen on the technical aspects of the role. A career counsellor suggested I move into community education so I enrolled in a graduate diploma and worked as a nurse in an alcohol and drug detox clinic. Somehow, I became interested in HR and launched into more part-time study. From there I got into the management and organisational side of things. I noticed the problems that arose (for individuals and organisations) when people were stuck in the wrong roles and I also noticed how effective individuals and teams were when working to their strengths. This has carried through to the work I do now.
Lifelong learning is critical – it doesn’t always need to be formal study – but expanding your horizons and skills is key to being employable (or earning an income) into the future. A few years ago I almost stopped myself from enrolling in a Graduate Diploma in Contemporary Leadership at Deakin Uni because one of the subjects, aptly named ‘Audacious Leadership’, required that I sail from Hobart to Williamstown, across Bass Strait… in a tall ship. From this experience I discovered a love of sailing and gained the courage to start my own business.
The most enjoyable part of my job involves working one-on-one with my clients to identify their unique strengths and hidden talents, and seeing them move from despondent to hopeful, burnt-out to energised, lacking in confidence to knowing their value.