November 26 2009: A Variety of Career-Related Musings
Filed under Uni/Work
Back in September, I sent an expression of interest and my resume to Family Planning Victoria – essentially letting them know that I was impressed with the work they do (especially after having had my Implanon done with them), and that I was interested in working for them should any suitable opportunities come up. Last week, they called me about a three-day-a-week role as their HR and Payroll Manager. I honestly contemplated taking the offer, and probably would have, had it been more directly related to my Masters in Human Services Management (rather than a HR/Payroll role, something in project management would be preferable). I believe in sexual health and FPV values.
I’ve also been offered the chance at another role. The deputy CEO of the second largest disability services provider in the state (I’ve worked with her on projects in my current role) contacted me and told me she thought I’d be ideal for a part-time/casual event management position that’s soon to open up at her organisation. They’re still to finalise the position, and I’d have to go through the official recruitment process, but when the deputy CEO suggests that you apply for it, you’ve got a fairly good chance at getting it! I have suggested that if they were able to make it casual at two days a week, I could take the role starting in the new year. I do love the organisational side of event management. It would be a fun role, and since I already know a number of people in the organisation through my current role, I know it would be a comfortable working environment.
As for my current position, things have been somewhat frantic these past couple of months. We’re a small organisation – there’s myself as all-around go to girl, and then there’s the executive officer as strategic planner and program developer. We’re both new to the organisation – both starting in the middle of the year when the former executive officer left the organisation. Within three months of starting the role, the EO submitted her resignation as the role wasn’t what she had envisioned, and she finished up this week.
The board of directors already advertised and did one round of interviews to fill her role with no suitable candidates. The next round of interviews is scheduled for the first week of December. Essentially it means that I will be carrying the organisation on my own until the new year. I enjoy the challenge, but it is a lot of responsibility. This combined with the fact that we will be moving to new premises in the next three months (and the work involved in moving an organisation!), means that I’m going to have to make a formal request for extra days (boosting myself up to four days a week rather than three days) so I have enough time to cover both roles in a bare-bones capacity.
The organisation has also recently received some funding for staff training and professional development. The budget isn’t huge, but it would be enough for me to do one short course. The treasurer has advised me to submit a few proposals of different courses I would want to do (that would enhance my performance at work) for board approval. In his words, the organisation is lucky to have me making sure that everything runs smoothly, and would love to reward me in some way. There are currently two options:
- A bookkeeping course
- Prince2 Foundation project management course
For the first, my bookkeeping skills are primarily self-taught – I know enough to do the day-to-day bookkeeping for our organisation, but not enough to do tax returns, etc. If I did a course that qualified and accredited me to do BAS statements, payroll, etc., that’s training that would allow me to basically set up my own business if I wanted to, doing bookkeeping for small companies. I could work in my own time, working as much or as little as I want – and I have to admit that’s an attractive concept as I’m always thinking of work that would fit around the children I plan on having. For the second, the Prince2 course is internationally-recognised and universally-applicable project management training. It is the preferred accreditation for project managers and supervisors in many Australian government departments (and there’s no job more secure than a government job!).
I suppose the consideration is upon the portability of the qualification, and what it could allow me to do in later life. I’ll have to weigh up the Australia-only nature of the book-keeping qualification, with the flexibility of work that it would offer me when I’d want it most. Then there’s the international recognition of the Prince2 training which I could use to get a decently-paid job in pretty much any English-speaking country. The fact that it is fairly corporate and bureaucratic is a turn-off though; as a Gen Y, I do value work environment and flexibility, and how it fits around my own personal life, over any sort of renumeration. A traditional 9 to 5 would just about kill me mentally.
Anyway, long story short, I’ve basically been very much caught up in work and various career-related thinking. There seems to be some actual career trajectory and a certain amount of “notable people beginning to recognise that I’m awesome” happening – which, considering my still-a-student status, is very promising.
3 Responses to “A Variety of Career-Related Musings”
Leave a Reply
I reserve the right to edit or delete your comment as I see fit, though I only delete comments from anonymous commenters, or people with multiple aliases. Using a genuine name/email combination will ensure that your comment is approved.
Maybe it’s because I’ve never had a job, but I always find these posts about your career details so interesting… :P
I don’t know which of those two courses I’d pick myself, so good luck with the decision!
Kaylee on November 26 2009 #
What sort of bookkeeping course were you thinking? If it’s just a MYOB-type course at TAFE or something, then you can probably enroll yourself and it won’t be too expensive.
Would the Prince2 course more relevant to your masters? I’m planning to do that next year too!
kat on November 28 2009 #
The Australia Accounting standards are mostly IFRS compliant in the public sector so if you choose to the bookkeeping course, the stuff that you learn would probably be applicable in countries that use IFRS (I think the only major country to not adopt IFRS is the US). The accounting for not-for-profit organizations are a little different though. I guess because I’m studying accounting that I would go for that qualification but from personal experience, I know that its very tedious. The project management course on other hand is probably a lot more interesting. Both would better yourself in the long run so good luck with choosing!
Grace on November 29 2009 #