Career Close Ups

What is your current job position?

"I am a Technical Officer for [a shipbuilding company]. I’m currently working as a Combat Systems Author for a project which is delivering 12 new vessels to the [client]. I work in an Integrated Logistics Support team developing and writing engineering documents for the crews of the boats."

How did you get into your role?

I served nine years in the Royal Australian Navy as an Electronics Technician and moved down to Adelaide to crew one of the new ships being built. I found I was passionate about the shipbuilding industry and decided to consolidate my skills gained in the military in the broader Defence Industry.

How are you connected to the College for Adult Learning?

I completed my Diploma of Project Management through CAL in October 2018.

What ideal job position are you qualifying yourself for?

My ideal job position would be to work within the Project Team for the shipbuilding project starting in Adelaide [next year].

How have your studies helped your career?

“Definitely, the management/leadership skills taught in the Royal Australian Navy have been reinforced with the new knowledge gained whilst studying the Diploma. I’ve also been exposed to many new cost, time and quality management strategies, tools I look forward to using in my current and future positions.”

What is the best piece of advice you have received in your career?

“‘Pursue what is meaningful not what is expedient’. I found I wasn’t enjoying where I found myself at almost my 10-year mark in the Royal Australian Navy, so I took a leap and decided to study (through CAL) and leave to pursue something that didn’t just ‘pay the bills’. Haven’t looked back since and very excited to see what the future holds!”

What does a successful day in your work life look like?

“Currently I am working within a team developing and writing technical manuals and publications designed for the crews on the new [vessels], so drafting a few pages and meeting deadlines for chapter completions is our ultimate goal and a good measurement of success.”

What is some advice you would give to someone wanting to get into your industry?

“There are plenty of opportunities on the horizon (and now) [in the shipbuilding industry]. My advice for anyone wanting to get involved would be to polish up your LinkedIn, resume and interviewing skills, and keep an eye for all future ASC/BAE Systems roles opening up at Osbourne/Adelaide SA locations. I’m enjoying my time here so far, and once you step into the Defence industry I doubt you’ll ever want to step out of it!"

How did you get into your role?

My career really started to take off in 2014. I promised myself that I would never say no to an opportunity, no matter how much it scared me. I figured the more I was nervous about giving it a go, the more I needed to push myself to do it. I have been very lucky to land some very interesting jobs in Disaster Management, Training, Project Management and of course my most recent roles have been Management positions. My advice to anyone looking to progress in their careers, never say no to an opportunity to grow.

How are you connected to the College for Adult Learning?

I am currently studying the Double Diploma of HR and Leadership & Management. My role is very demanding at work and as I have two young boys under 3, juggling study and always will be a challenge.

What ideal job position are you qualifying yourself for?

For me, it really is an opportunity to certify the experience I have gained through my working career. As an Executive Manager (without a University Degree), I have already defied all logic in some people's minds.

How have your studies helped you progress in your career?

Gaining the Diploma will help my next steps into Bachelor level studies once my boys are a little bit older. I have a keen interest in studying a Bachelor of Psychological Science. Human behaviour has always interested me.

What does a successful day in your work life look like?

An energetic and fun workplace. I am really big on People and Culture. I always look at ways to invigorate the workplace. I have always said, people don't leave jobs, they leave leaders. I spend a lot of time caring for my team whom I expect will do the same for theirs and so on. I find the overall return on investment in my people shows by the way they perform and the dedication to the people to the left and right of them. A successful day for me is knowing I am doing everything I can to ensure my people are my priority.

What is the best piece of advice you have received in your career?

It might sound weird, but the best advice I ever got was from a mentor I look up to very much, who helped me earlier in my career. "Play the game," he would always say to me. It wasn't until years later I actually started to reflect on what that meant. Some companies and cultures can be political minefields, you have to know when to speak and when not to, when to act and when not to. I really struggled in the workplace when I saw something that ethically or morally didn't sit right with me, so I was always quick to jump and express my outrage. I learnt over time to "play the game". Be tactful, be elegant and learn how to navigate the workplace with finesse.

What is some advice you would give to someone wanting to get into your industry?

The not-for-profit industry always looks for people who genuinely care for others. Empathy, compassion, and a real sense of duty and service to the betterment of others. My advice is to pick an agency or service you are passionate about and go for it. I worked for a crisis support and suicide prevention NFP organisation as the State Manager for Community Recovery in Queensland. It was one of the most rewarding times of my career. I could have easily stayed in that role for a very long time. However, as I said earlier, I never say no to an opportunity to grow.

How did you get into your role?

I started my career in management roles [in retail] and from there I had a lot of great mentors who saw how passionate I was about training and developing the team. I was offered a role as a Learning and Development Manager for South Australia and took on a dual role of State Recruiter as well. After a few years I wanted to develop myself further so I took on different roles in Retail from Regional Manager to State Manager. It was then that my passion for training and recruitment was reignited, and I took on a role as the People Development Manager (HR) for one of South Australia's largest privately owned companies. This was my first real insight into the different roles that HR plays within an organisation, which then sparked a passion for other areas of HR. Late last year, I decided it was time to commence my HR studies and found a great opportunity as a People and Culture Advisor.

How are you connected to the College for Adult Learning?

I commenced my Double Diploma of Human Resources and Leadership & Management [in 2018]

What ideal job position are you qualifying yourself for?

For me I would like to progress in my HR career and hopefully one day become a People and Culture Business Partner, then Head of People and Culture.

How have your studies helped you progress in your career?

Since I have not completed my study yet, I believe completing this will be beneficial for my career progression. However, the learning so far has helped me with my current job.

What does a successful day in your work life look like?

Over the past few months recruitment has been my primary role. A successful day is finding the best candidate who meets the requirements but also has the right values - and can add value to our organisation. It's about ensuring that I am delivering the best candidate experience and to make sure they have a positive experience regardless of the outcome. It's about redefining the processes along the way to reach my KPI's and objectives. The goal is become an employer of choice.

What is the best piece of advice you have received in your career?

There are 2 great pieces of advice I have received:

Avoid being paralysed by fear. Have a path but be flexible.

What is some advice you would give to someone wanting to get into your industry?

I feel I had a great transition into HR as I came from management roles - these gave me the opportunity to enhance my skills and work with HR professionals. These roles also gave me an insight into what they do, deal with, how to recruit, train and develop employees, and manage poor performance and counselling. My other bit of advice is to start networking with people in the industry.

What is your current job position, and how did you get into your role?

"I am the site manager for the construction of a sand pumping station and pipeline to replenish a beach in Hawks Nest suffering from severe erosion, which is threatening a road and houses. I got into my role because I was in the right place at the right time! I was finishing up another project, and was offered my current project instead of taking on another I had been discussing with the company."

How have your studies helped your career?

"I am early in my training, but I am already gaining a better understanding of the different stages we progress through in the life of the project."

What is the best piece of advice you have received in your career?

"You don't have to know everything about everything at the start, just get going and things will unfold."

What does a successful day in your work life look like?

"When I can look at the project and see progress. Most days that's physical progress on the ground, but progress is also crossing things off the list - getting prices back on supply, ordering gear, booking trades, getting QA docs together and updating the program."

What is some advice you would give to someone wanting to get into your industry?

"Work out what field or specialty you want to work in, find out who is doing it really well and write to them. Don't wait for them to advertise. Persevere and follow up."

What is your current job position, and how did you get into your role?

"I am a Talent Acquisition Consultant. I sort of “fell” into recruitment while studying my law degree and have never looked back. It was in my first job as a Recruitment Consultant in South Africa, where jobs are scarce that I found my passion for people. Being able to find a job for someone in a country where there is a terrible job shortage gave me immense joy and fulfilment. I have now moved into an internal role as a Talent Acquisition Consultant working within an innovative and collaborative HR Team and for one of the world’s best Global Construction companies. I am able to pursue my passion in finding the best people for our business, people whose values align with our own."

How have your studies helped your career?

"My studies are giving me the ability to add immediate value to my role and my team. It is also teaching me different ways of thinking about situations and approaches to situations."

What is the best piece of advice you have received in your career?

"You don’t own the world’s problems. Things happen in life, and sometimes things don’t work out. As long as you can say you have done your best then that is good enough."

What does a successful day in your work life look like?

"This varies as no two days in recruitment are the same. Being able to effectively manage my workload and also handle any curve balls that get thrown my way. There is a lot of problem solving in my role, so a successful day for me would be where both my candidates and hiring managers are informed, up to date, feel that they are a priority, and have a positive experience."

What is some advice you would give to someone wanting to get into your industry?

"Anything in life is possible. Once you know what you want as a next step in your career don’t give up. Take the initiative and have confidence in yourself. Always personalise your approaches to people because nothing beats authenticity. There are always different ways to get into an industry, but the most important thing is being willing to learn, and being open to different/new ways of doing things."