62. My career story: From immigrant to CEO.
Dec 28, 2020
Introduction
Here we are, at the end of 2020, a year that turned our worlds upside down and inside out, and starting 2021 with a new sense of hope that our lives and careers will get back on track.
As my team and I take a break from working non-stop since the launch of this podcast back in October 2019, I have selected for you a very special episode from our catalog, which I feel is a perfect listen for this time of the year. You may not have heard this episode yet, or it may be worth re-listening if you have. I have picked it to match the times we live right now, and I feel it will be a great companion as you walk your dog, prepare a meal, or get ready to take action on your New Year's resolution.
About this episode
From a very young age, I remember my favorite play game was to pretend I was working. I was the teacher, the secretary, the horse-jumping instructor! My dolls were doctors and vets, and this was before you could buy a "professional" Barbie! My family had great aspirations for me, which involved me getting a job and being successful at it. I started working very young and became very independent; I never looked back. It's been great for me, and I encouraged my kids to do the same.
In this episode, you'll listen to me explain what my husband and I took to move to Australia and why we did it. It's great sharing my story on the podcast, as many people ask me about it: why I've moved to Australia, why and how I changed jobs, and how I got to where I am now.
In this Facebook Live, which we have now edited into a podcast, I focused on what I believe were my critical challenges along the way: finding a career in a new country and juggling career and family.
Here are some key takeaways from what I learned along the way:
- How building relationships are essential for your career and sanity!
- Planning and designing your lifestyle and budget to reach your career/life goals and passion.
- How to make the best of every opportunity, if not creating your own.
In sharing my story, I hope to inspire you and encourage you wherever you may be in your path right now.
Timestamps:
- 5:08 - Lynne's career progression and her experience in the corporate sector need to be perfect
- 8:55 - Difference between going for perfect, which is impossible, versus going for complete and accurate information, which is an achievable goal
- 10:35 - Perfectionism, job hunting, and how to improvise
- 13:50 - How Lynne wrote the book using improv techniques and how this is an excellent example of how to treat your resume, and the concept of version control
- 22:25 - How "Perfect" is still expected: in the recruitment and selection world, and the corporate world in general: Lynne's tips to dealing with sectors and industries where Perfectionism is expected. 3 main types of Perfectionism.
- 26:30 - Me explaining the dissonance between the perfect picture put together by companies for job applicants when they go to market looking to hire versus the candidate working solo trying to meet what is most times "over the top" expectations from recruiters and hiring managers.
- 29:13 - The Pareto Principle: How job hunters can prepare themselves for the job market and not worry about not being "perfect."
- 31:57 - Why putting more effort into something can get you worse results and the idea of iterative improvement of resumes.
Click here to open the transcript of this episode on our new blog.