Careers Talk Podcast: Recent Episodes
careerstalkaustralia
Industry experts and leaders, discussing their education, career pathway and the future of their industry. Ideal for students looking to make a decision about their career. A great resource for School Career Departments, Teachers and Parents.
SOUS CHEF AT SOCIETY
Imagine fighting for space in the kitchen to cook.
That was the reality for Singaporian born Chef Kimberly Tang who grew up in a family of home cooks.
Kimberly’s grandmother, father, mother and now Chef brother bonded and sometimes competed over each other’s cooking skills and knowledge.
It’s no wonder Kimberly took on an apprenticeship at Crown when she was 17.
In this episode, Kimberly explains life in the family kitchen and how that experience led to her ultimately becoming an award winning chef.
SOUS CHEF AT SOCIETY
If at first you don’t succeed, try again. That’s true of Chef Kimberly Tang’s experience.
After being knocked-back from Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, she tried again later and her attitude got her the job.
In this episode, Kimberly talks through her career and explains why she felt she needed to have a nursing degree too.
CHEF DE PARTIE
With a chef for a father and a mother who was a passionate home cook, it was fait complete for Chef Chris Milligan.
But his parents didn’t agree as they saw Chris’ caring and attentive nature more suited to teaching.
However, Chris showed his chef’s attitude by refusing to listen to his parents and pursued a hospitality career pathway.
In this episode, Chris explains why the appeal of cooking won out and how he shaped his education to achieve his goals.
CHEF DE PARTIE
Chef Chris Milligan doesn’t believe in the reality TV show approach to cooking.
To him, you start at the bottom and slowly but surely work your way up.
When Chris started his professional career with his chef father, he wasn't given a free-pass to work more glamorous roles within the kitchen.
Chris started as a dishwasher which is a test to prove yourself to others in the kitchen.
In this episode, Chris talks through his career and how he went from dishwasher to chef and Vue de monde and Tipo 00.
EXECUTIVE CHEF AT AUSTRALIAN VENUE CO
Chef Telina Menzies was only going to do one thing as a career.
From making pavlova and ginger bread with grandma to having a father and uncles as chefs.
The decision to pursue hospitality as a career was a no-brainer for Telina.
But that didn’t make Telina the best student as Telina still needed to attend (and study) English, maths and science classes.
In this episode, Telina explains life as a student and taking on an apprenticeship at the Hyatt Regency in Perth.
EXECUTIVE CHEF AT AUSTRALIAN VENUE CO
Working as a chef in Australia was a great life for Telina Menzies, but the right of passage to relocate to London to work in Michelin starred restaurants was too great.
But while rewarding, working in London was a tough, hard slog and came with other challenges Telina didn’t expect or want.
In this episode, Telina explains what it’s taken to succeed and how the industry is changing to benefit the next generation coming through.
GENERAL MANAGER - VICTORIA DIVISION, ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA -
At a young age, Alesha Printz knew the importance of balancing school work with her social life. Because in addition to studying, she enjoyed spending time with family and friends, playing sports and even working at a takeaway food outlet and paintball referee. Through these experiences, she discovered a zest for life, which later led to an interest in travelling and to her decision to take up a degree in engineering. In this episode, Alesha walks us through her high school and university experiences and explains how these moments allowed her to pursue a career in engineering.
GENERAL MANAGER - VICTORIA DIVISION, ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA -
University graduates know that stepping into the workforce can be nerve-wracking, especially when you consider all the people you’re up against applying for jobs. But for Alesha Printz, that wasn’t the case. Alesha graduated from university at 24, but didn’t commence professional work until she was nearly 26. But unlike most new grads, she didn’t feel scared about applying for jobs and she credits this confidence to two things: Having past experiences in the workforce and Having a good support system In this episode, Alesha recounts the early days of her career and explains how it led her to becoming a chartered engineer and the general manager of the Victoria Division of Engineers Australia.
FOH. MIXING ENGINEER. TOUR MANAGER. PRODUCER -
Cam Trewin loved his school days and spent a lot of his time involved with music but didn’t do as well in subjects like maths. While wanting to be a bass guitarist, Cam eventually caved to the encouragement of his music teacher to play trombone instead. Little did Cam know it was training his ear for this future career. It would seem obvious that a career in music was a given for Cam, but it was so straightforward. In this episode, Cam talks about his education and explains what led him to at first wanting to pursue a military career.
FOH. MIXING ENGINEER. TOUR MANAGER. PRODUCER -
Leaving education and entering the workforce can be difficult, but it helps if you have the support, knowledge and guidance of a mentor. That’s what happened for Cam Trewin, when his mentor put his name forward for an assistant engineer role at a recording studio. Six years later and many lessons learnt, Cam was ready to seek out other opportunities and become a freelance sound engineer. It was a brave move but one that’s paid off. Now based in LA, Cam jets around the world with electronic music act Rufus Du Sol. In this episode, Cam explains how he got this awesome opportunity (and how you might be able to do the same).
CIVIL AND ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEER -
A love of STEM subjects was alive within Luisa Panuccio from a very early age, thanks to her Grandfather. But while Luisa was a great student and got really good grades, her education wasn’t without problems that would impact her ability to study. In this episode, Luisa reflects on her high school and university education, an eating disorder and explains why she’s on a mission to change how society sees intelligent people.
CIVIL AND ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEER -
Chemistry! It’s all about chemistry…well, at least if you want to start a YouTube channel. After being asked by relatives if she could help entertain their children during lockdown, Luisa started producing STEM educational videos and social media posts. Even in the early stages of her career (and with limited availability), Luisa is finding the time to give back and help the younger generation of students be inspired by STEM. In this episode, Luisa talks about how she found her way in her professional career and why the stigma around maths and science being uncool needs to change.
CEO - RESTAURANT AND CATERING ASSOCIATION
You name it and Wes Lambert - the CEO of Restaurant and Catering Australia - has given it a go. From faking his own ID to get a job in high school to leading an organisation representing more than 48,000 restaurants, cafes and catering businesses across Australia. Wes was a good student and showed a real flair for entrepreneurialism from a young age. In this episode, Wes shares some great stories about selling pencils to other students and how his education set him on a pathway to success.
CEO - RESTAURANT AND CATERING ASSOCIATION
Innovative thinker and an action taker - arguably the best words to describe Wes Lambert, CEO of Restaurant and Catering Australia. His career journey is proof that if you apply yourself, offer unique ideas on improvement and commit to being the best you can, you will end up achieving what you want. In this episode, Wes explains his varied career paths and how he’s viewed every opportunity as a chance to learn and develop more and how that keeps him motivated.
SENIOR IT EXECUTIVE -
Back in 1975 David Leong was having a tough time at school,
He had poor grades and his parents couldn’t understand why he wasn’t making the most of the opportunity they'd fought so hard to get.
But through resilience, David was eventually able to turn his situation around and become a popular school kid and go on to have a successful career in IT.
I’ll talk to David in our second episode about being the Director of IT at a prominent Law Firm, and ditching that to work at a startup at age 56.
But education is the pathway to success, so let’s go back to when David was roaming the schoolyard.
SENIOR IT EXECUTIVE -
It’s a brave move to leave the safety and security of an established career and throw yourself into the hectic and unstable world of a startup.
In fact, some statistics suggest startup fail rates are as high as 97%.
Not many 56 year olds - who can see a comfortable retirement in sight - would be prepared to take that gamble, but David Leong was.
Despite being told he was crazy by people he respected and having to spend a lot of time convincing his family that it was what he wanted, David left a prominent CIO position and joined @DOCS as Director of software solutions.
The risk paid off as @Docs continues to develop, and David’s family now understand his real passion for helping the business grow.
It comes down to having the right attitude and being able to see what others don’t. So, let’s unpack the mindset of somebody bold enough to do what most people never will.
SPORTS PRESENTER AND JOURNALIST -
In his own words, Tony Jones wasn’t the best student and never went to university. Back then, it’s not something that many people did. While Tony enjoyed going to school and he liked English and History, he had no idea about a career path. Like most, he was probably going to find an apprenticeship somewhere. So, how does someone with no career-plan end up a prominent TV broadcaster for the last 30 years? In this episode, Tony reflects on the experiences and opportunities in his early life that led to becoming Sports Reporter for Nine News.
SPORTS PRESENTER AND JOURNALIST -
As is common in media roles, your first job is so often in the country - they send you there first to make your mistakes in a less competitive market. After getting a job as a radio jock in Wangaratta, Tony packed his bags and started his career but he didn’t take to spinning disks naturally. It wasn’t until his manager gave him a chance in the newsroom that a life-long career started. In this episode, Tony steps through the jobs and experiences that led to him becoming a 30 year plus news veteran.
FEMALES IN FOOD - BUSINESS CONSULTANT
Unlike most, Chelsea Ford - a food entrepreneur - knew what she wanted from her career at a very early age. In fact, Chelsea describes her schooling as bordering on being irrelevant because even as a young student she was directed, motivated and knew what she wanted to achieve. In this episode, Chelsea explains where her drive comes from and how she used education to work towards her purpose.
FEMALES IN FOOD - BUSINESS CONSULTANT
Having the drive to achieve something is one thing, but what happens when things don’t go to plan? While she’s kicked some major goals in her career, it hasn’t always been easy for Food Entrepreneur, Chelsea Ford. She’s changed industries, got burnt out because of long hours and even packed it all in to live in Peru with a Shaman. But these experiences were the catalyst for Chelsea to identify a need within the food industry - to support and encourage female food business owners to achieve their goals too. In this episode, Chelsea explains what’s required to start a food business that’s set up to succeed.
SENIOR WATER ENGINEER -
Moving to the other side of the world and starting again at any age is difficult. Fortunately, Luke van Rheenen was a young boy with resilience and was good at sport, so he naturally fit into the Australian way of life. At school, Luke got good grades in subjects like maths and science and it was obvious to his father the career path Luke would take. In this episode, Luke talks about relocating overseas and how it allowed him to have a better lifestyle with greater educational opportunities.
SENIOR WATER ENGINEER -
Luke van Rheenen took up an opportunity as a contamination engineer as his first job after university. While he enjoyed it, something triggered him to want to niche down into water treatment as he believed Australia was a long way behind other countries in the way we treat contaminated land. In this episode, Luke explains what’s required to function successfully as an engineer and emphasises the importance of time management and being organised to keep on top of projects.
PASTRY CHEF
Growing up with an Italian Nonna and mother in the kitchen meant Pastry Chef, Angelica Iuliano, was only going to follow one career path. But that wasn’t evident for Angelica at high school because she never thought a career in food was possible. In this episode, Angelica explains what life was like growing up surrounded by pa
PASTRY CHEF
The transition from a study into cookery was straightforward for Party Chef, Angelica Iuliano. Through a connection of her father’s she was able to land a pastry chefs apprenticeship and hasn’t looked back. But you have to describe Angelica as a double threat because she’s also gone on to become a qualified commercial cook. In this episode, Angelica explains her reasoning behind becoming both a pastry and commercial chef and gives great advice on how to design a dessert menu.
AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL DIRECTOR AT NORMAN DISNEY & YOUNG -
It’s very rare that you find somebody these days that has worked for the same company for three decades.
But that’s what Sam Aloi, Australian Regional Director at Norman Disney and Young has done.
Sam started his career with Norman Disney and Young soon after his study and worked his way up the chain - from Senior Engineer, Director, Office Director to the position that he holds now.
As Sam says, career success starts with a good education. In the 1980s - when Sam was at school - Melbourne went through a building boom and he became fascinated with how structures were developed and turned into buildings.
That led Sam into maths and science and he hasn’t looked back.
In this episode, Sam discusses how education was the driving force behind ultimately becoming the Australian Director of a global company.
AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL DIRECTOR AT NORMAN DISNEY & YOUNG -
It’s unrealistic (maybe even entitled) to believe you should start at the top as soon as you get a job - it’s a process of learning, improving and showing initiative that propels someone forward.
Sam Aloi, Australian Regional Director at Norman Disney and Young, entered the workforce as a young man with confidence open to opportunities and willing to prove himself through hard work.
In the process, Sam has achieved some amazing highs and fallen short on occasion too.
In this episode, Sam reflects on his journey over the last 30+ years and explains how Norman Disney and Young actively support employees coming through, so they both get the best out of each other.
AUSTRALIAN REGIONAL DIRECTOR AT NORMAN DISNEY & YOUNG -
Have a look at the resume of Sam Aloi, Australian Regional Director of Norman Disney and Young.
He’s been involved in the creation of:
Eureka Tower - AAMI Park - Monash University - ANZ Center - Rod Laver Arena - Royal Children's Hospital - State Library of Victoria
And that’s not all of them!
In this episode, we discuss how Norman Disney and Young pitch for and win the job, and what is required to design, develop and implement projects on such scale.
OPERATIC SOPRANO -
Antoinette Halloran is one of Australia’s most accomplished and in demand sopranos.
She has performed with major Australian and international opera companies and symphony orchestras featuring in performances like:
Madama Butterfly - A Streetcar Named Desire - Sweeney Todd - Lady Macbeth - Summer of the Seventeenth Doll
To name a few and she’s a regular on TV and radio.
While being a decent student, it wasn’t until collecting a double bass that Antoinette discovered her passion for opera singing.
In this podcast episode, we start by asking Antoinette if she was always destined to be an entertainer and how her love of performance impacted her education.
OPERATIC SOPRANO -
When you finish your studies with a degree in Law or Medicine there is a career pathway forward.
But it can be very different in a creative field.
You might have the degree and are backed by experience, but your talents and skills are subjective and getting the role - whether acting or musical - often comes down to the personal preference of others.
It’s difficult to get regular work in the entertainment industry, let alone become a respected name.
That’s what soprano Antoinette Halloran has done but it’s taken a lot of hard work and rejection to get there.
In this episode, we discuss how she got her opportunities, how she deals with being told she’s not good enough and her career highlights.
AWARD-WINNING BUSINESS LEADER. ENGINEER. ENTREPRENEUR -
Before Felicity Furey became an award-winning business leader and engineer, she was a young girl from Brisbane who loved to learn. Throughout her school years, Felicity recalled getting a sense of enjoyment from listening to her teachers discuss ancient history, biology, arts and maths. It was this variety of subjects that sparked her interest in studying. In this episode, Felicity shares the experiences that have shaped her and allowed her to realise that to become the best person you can be, you need to discover your strengths and really own them.
AWARD-WINNING BUSINESS LEADER. ENGINEER. ENTREPRENEUR -
We all know that the first job you take right after university may not always be the right one. So, when things don’t work out there, it’s understandable to feel disheartened. The truth is you need to experience opportunities, both the good and bad, to be able to grow in your career. Felicity Furey understood what this was like when she started her first job as a structural engineer. She learned that the position didn’t suit her skill set and preferences. This learning experience allowed her to explore other employment opportunities. Soon, she was able to get a position in the Brisbane City Council, where she was much more suited. In this episode, Felicity shares her career journey and how it led to her being recognised as one of Australia’s most prominent figures in engineering.
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. LEADER -
As we all know, high school gives us the opportunities to find our interests. Whether that be getting into sports like football or basketball or studying advanced maths and science, many of us have discovered our passion and hobbies during these formative years. That same thing happened to Nicole Brown. During primary to high school, she discovered an immense love for studying. And it’s this drive to learn that allowed her to pursue engineering. In this episode, Nicole Brown shares her past experiences in school and how she honed her passion for studying to become an engineering major at the University of Melbourne.
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER. LEADER -
It’s difficult to become a leader in any business in your early twenties.
But it’s not impossible to do, and Nicole Brown is proof of that.
At just 20, she became the CEO of Robogals, an international not-for-profit organisation dedicated to inspire, engage and empower young women to pursue engineering.
In this episode, Nicole Brown discusses how she landed that position at such a young age and how it helped further her career in robotics and engineering.
SOUND DESIGNER. SUPERVISOR & MIXER -
Paul Pirola was never a fan of school. Instead, he always favoured playing music and dreamed of becoming a rock star.
In fact, he even considered leaving school in year 10 to take on an apprenticeship. But he found his way via a course called Tech12 which was a very hands-on approach to education.
Through pure coincidence, Paul discovered a love of sound production after a tour of Crawford’s studios which produced many leading TV programs at the time.
In this episode, Paul talks about his early education, why he wasn’t the best academic student but also how education opened up a career pathway for him.
Award winning Sound FX editor
PAUL PIROLA CREDITS
SOUND DESIGNER. SUPERVISOR & MIXER -
Still not wanting to give up his dreams of being a lead guitarist in a rock band, Paul Pirola tried to focus the early part of his career on music production.
After sending out a bunch of introduction letters to studios across Melbourne, Paul was left with a choice - pursue music production or try film sound production.
From this point on, as Paul says, he never looked back and was able to build a successful career within the film industry.
In this episode, Paul takes us on his career journey which has led to Hollywood and to starting his own Melbourne-based sound production company.
RENEWABLE ENERGY SPECIALIST -
Before Ruby Heard became a vocal advocate for the environment, she was a young student who had a genuine love for engineering.
She enjoyed all aspects of the field, from problem-solving and maths to the psychology of dealing with clients. And in high school, she knew she wanted to be an engineer.
Although she initially lacked support from teachers, she worked hard and even took physics classes between year 11 and 12 to catch up with her studies.
In this episode, Ruby Heard takes us back to her high school days when she first discovered engineering and how it led to her pursuing the degree at university.
RENEWABLE ENERGY SPECIALIST -
Ruby Heard has come a long way since graduating from university back in 2010.
She first started her career as an electrical engineer where she designed electrical and lighting systems for the Tiger Terminal at Melbourne Airport and Mitcham train station.
Her past work here and in San Francisco got the attention of the Designs Futures Council in Australia and she was recognised as an emerging leader in the field of engineering in 2017.
Just two years later, she started Alinga Energy Consulting, an engineering consultancy that has a particular focus on environment and energy accessibility.
In this episode, Ruby talks us through the early parts of her career after graduating from the university and explains what inspired her to create her own engineering company.
PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN -
As a student, Dylan Body was always suited to something creative. So, it makes sense he became a musician for many well-known and leading bands. It’s not as if Dylan didn’t enjoy school though, and he was actually a very strong student. In fact, he loved school so much the trip from Melbourne to school in Kilmore everyday - a 150 km round trip - didn’t curtail his enthusiasm. He arrived home every night with as much energy as when we left. In this episode, Dylan explains why he fell in love with the Assumption College music program and how he was able to find a mentor to challenge and support his musical interests from an early age.
PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN -
As a young musician, you’ve probably been told it’s not a safe career path, but that’s simply not true. Dylan Body has spend his entire career employed within the music industry and has achieved some massive things like: Entertaining pub-goers as a singer and guitarist in cover acts Touring the world with ABBA tribute act Bjorn Again Managing a recording studio Even being part of an Elvis tribute act too In this episode, Dylan explains how he turned his passion for music into a successful career.
RECORD PRODUCER. AUDIO ENGINEER. MIX ENGINEER -
Passion and determination are so often the keys to having a successful career in the music industry.
Whether you’re in the business of songwriting, singing or producing, it’s crucial to have a genuine love for music in order to develop as an artist or a music producer.
It’s this passion and dedication for the craft that made Greg O’ Shea pursue a career in this industry.
At a young age, Greg discovered his love of visual arts and music. And knew this would be his career path.
In this episode, Greg explains what drew him into the world of art and music and what inspired him to pursue music production as a career.
RECORD PRODUCER. AUDIO ENGINEER. MIX ENGINEER -
Before Greg O’ Shea became an in-demand music producer and sound engineer, he started work at Metropolis Audio in the dubbing room.
Although it wasn’t the most glamorous position, Greg saw it as an opportunity and grabbed it with both hands.
After his first job, he continued to develop his skills and ended up focused on studio recording.
Because of his experiences, he got to work with major acts like John Farnham, INXS, Crowded House and Neil Diamond.
In this episode, Greg O’ Shea gives us an inside look into the early part of his career and how it led him to starting his own music production company.
AUTO APPRENTICESHIPS FIELD MANAGER AT THE VACC -
It’s a predicament many students find themselves in - ending high school with no idea what to study or do next! That was the case for Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce’s Chris Whyte. While being good at all things automotive, Chris never really looked at his interest as a possible career path. And while he was accepted into a university course, he was also offered an apprenticeship. After much thought and the realisation another four years of school didn’t appeal to him, Chris took on the apprenticeship and he’s never looked back. In this episode, Chris talks about what life is like for a young apprentice and the various career options for future automotive students.
AUTO APPRENTICESHIPS FIELD MANAGER AT THE VACC -
Note this one down - The Australian Overseas Foundation! If you’re vocationally trained, they might offer you the chance to live, work or study overseas. Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce's Chris Whyte was fortunate enough to be selected to move overseas for two years to boost his skills and learn from others. In this episode, Chris explains what led to this opportunity, how he lived overseas successfully and how he was able to apply himself and move up through the ranks before returning home.
DIRECTOR OF 2CONSTRUCT - CIVIC AND CIVIL CONSTRUCTION -
Any successful businessperson knows that to thrive in your industry, you need to be practical and realistic.
It’s this principle that drove Peter Rahilly to pursue a career in construction.
During his high school days, Peter wasn’t too interested in becoming a doctor or a lawyer.
Instead, he chose a more practical career in construction management.
Through his studies at university, he was able to acquire the people skills needed to manage clients and made him a successful businessman in the process.
In this episode, Peter Rahilly takes us back to his high school days and explains why he chose to pursue a degree in construction.
DIRECTOR OF 2CONSTRUCT - CIVIC AND CIVIL CONSTRUCTION -
Before Peter Rahilly built his construction company, he held several jobs previously.
Through his experiences, he learned that construction is not for the faint hearted.
And to thrive in this industry, you need to be willing to put in the time and effort into understanding and handling the tasks involved on a construction site.
After more than 30 years in the field, Peter is now an established leader within the industry.
In this episode, Peter talks about his past positions and discusses how they led him to co-creating a construction company.
DIRECTOR OF BCC MANAGEMENT - CONFERENCES, EVENTS, AND TRADE EXHIBITIONS -
It’s not an uncommon situation in an Australian school. Ellie Dickinson an Events manager found her feet and made friends when playing sport. What is also common is that Ellie was good at the subjects she liked, but not so great at the ones she didn’t. In this episode, Ellie explains how she initially followed her sporting interest into university study, but an significant accident while on holiday in Southeast Asia forced Ellie to reassess what she wanted out of a career.
DIRECTOR OF BCC MANAGEMENT - CONFERENCES, EVENTS, AND TRADE EXHIBITIONS -
Sometimes a business opportunity is too good to pass up and after a few years working in sport events, Ellie took over an events management business herself. And what a learning curve it was! Fortunately, like any successful business owner, she was supported by people who could mentor her in business. In this episode, Ellie talks about the highs and lows of her career and what conceived her that taking over an events business needed to be her next move.
CAREER MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT AND COACH -
For Cathy Neasmith, the importance of education was understood from a young age and she looks back with appreciation that her mother and grandmother taught the value of life-long learning. Not only was Cathy supported by her mother and grandmother growing up, she also had sisters who moved with her into boarding school when the time came to move away from home. In this episode, Cathy talks about her education and gives advice to students about how to decide on a learning path that suits your interests.
CAREER MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT AND COACH -
Imagine sitting down next to a hardened criminal and trying to teach them to read, write and count. That’s a tough gig, particularly for somebody fresh out of university but that’s where Cathy Neasmith started her teaching career. This role early in her career led to other opportunities - like moving overseas - working for Not-for-profits, corporates and eventually starting her own business in careers guidance and resetting. In this episode, Cathy steps us through her career and gives great advice to students on what to do to identify career options for yourself.
DIRECTOR SILVERCON CONSTRUCTION -
Lee Henderson loved his early high school days and did pretty well, although he does admit it wasn’t an academically-focussed place. When his parents decided to move to Geelong, Lee was sad to say goodbye to Ocean Grove and it meant he was going to attend a more academic school. For the first time, Lee felt he was falling behind in his studies and used a tutor to help him catch up to other students. In this episode, Lee explains how a young kid with dreams of being a professional surf photographer was able to navigate the waves of education to find a career path which led to more opportunities.
DIRECTOR SILVERCON CONSTRUCTION -
Everyone wants to travel when they are young and Lee Henderson was no different. In fact, he was smart about it and moved to the UK with the intention of setting up a building company to earn enough money to travel where (and when) he liked. But, you have to have a certain level of experience to do that successfully. In this episode, Lee explains where he worked before his UK adventure, how he started a building company in a foreign country, what brought him home and how he started all over again once he arrived.
GENERAL MANAGER CONSUMER SERVICES MUSCULOSKELETAL AUSTRALIA - Arriving in Australia with no English is a daunting prospect. As a five year old, Ornella Clavisi’s family moved from Chile to a bed-sit in St Kilda because her father wanted the opportunities for his daughters that we so often take for granted - safety and security, more freedoms and the big one, education. Despite a total overhaul to her life, Ornella was able to settle into schooling and excel at subjects like maths, biology and chemistry. It was the basis for a successful scientific career culminating in a role with Musculoskeletal Australia. In this episode, Ornella reflects on her education and how it encouraged her to pursue a career that she loves.
GENERAL MANAGER CONSUMER SERVICES MUSCULOSKELETAL AUSTRALIA -
A career in the sciences is rewarding and opens up opportunities to work with experts in their field and in research roles within academia. But the skills learnt in the sciences can be used across many industries. In this episode, Ornella explains how her career progression has gone from working in universities to now applying her skill set for the benefit of a Not-for-Profit. Ornella also gives great advice on the process of looking for and applying for scientifical roles. And how to prepare for interviews and what to expect when they arrive.
PROJECT MANAGER. DIRECTOR OF BASIS BUILDERS -
Dan McArdle loved high school because it was a holistic environment to be in. While his grades weren’t the best, it wasn’t the primary focus of his education.
Dan’s schooling was more about doing his best, making his opportunities count and never giving up.
But by far the biggest thing Dan learnt during his education was that there’s always more to someone than what they know academically.
In this episode, Dan talks about how not being the most gifted student didn’t stop him from enjoying school or prevent him from identifying career pathways that interested him.
PROJECT MANAGER. DIRECTOR OF BASIS BUILDERS -
Early in his career, Dan McArdle had to respond to the most difficult of interview questions…what footy team do you barrack for? At least it’s more unpredictable than the “where do you see yourself in five years” question. Turns out, Dan got his answer correct and was given a job after some work experience elsewhere. The early part of his career was a great experience for Dan to learn new skills while on the job, refine his talent and understand how to deal with other people in a professional setting. In this episode, Dan explains how his career led him to co-starting a boutique construction company and how the industry is implementing sustainable practices.
GRAPHIC DESIGNER -
School in the modern age is very collaborative and is not just about teaching students the basics to get a job.
With so much choice, students will follow many paths to find what it is they love and, as we know, it’s rare to find somebody these days that’s held a job within the same company for their entire career.
That journey begins at school and it’s now why schools invest time into students to help them discover what drives them and what they want to pursue.
If parents are part of the conversation too, students will no doubt be able to make informed choices about what subjects are best suited to their interests.
As a recent school-leaver, that was Callen Naesmith’s experience.
Now at 22, the discussions he had back then with his school mates, teachers and mother enabled him to decide on a career, and gave him the tools needed to follow his passion.
GRAPHIC DESIGNER -
Leaving tertiary education and heading into the big bad world trying to find a job can be difficult to adjust to.
It might be a lack of employment opportunities, not enough experience or that 100s of people are applying for the same job.
In the gig economy, short term and freelance jobs are on the rise and can be used as a stepping stone to build the career that you want.
And that’s where Callen Naesmith finds himself.
Callen is currently working as an intern at a Melbourne based digital agency and describes what he does as being an “extra chef” to help and support other designers where possible.
This opportunity is great, but the real question is where does Callen want to take his career?
In this episode, Callen discusses how education helped him transition into graphic design with confidence and what he hopes to achieve in his career.