This talented polymath is an experienced #Gigster and has experienced huge changes in the workforce, despite her diminuitive years. Here, she talks to us a little more about her greatest pleasures, the pros and cons of being a professional freelancer, what she loves most about being a Weployee.
What was your first job: I made beaded jewellery and sold it at the local market when I was 9 years old.
What was your best job: Being the Sub-Editor of an international travel publication,
swapping the office for a remote tropical beach and my desk for a hammock.
Who was the biggest influence in your career: Anyone who has challenged the social constructs of a traditional career.
What would your ideal job be? Simply put, to write with no boundaries.
If you could have one super-human power what would it be? Teleportation. It would eliminate travel expenses, transit time, planning and jet lag.
What’s your guilty pleasure? Going to sleep without an alarm on for the next morning.
Do you have any other skills or talents others don’t really know about? Hypergraphia - the intense urge to write.
Name a few of your daily habits? Drinking coffee, daydreaming and cooking too much food for one person.
What publications do you regularly read? Future Women, Monocle, Collective Hub, Vogue and Medium.
Can you tell us a little bit about the challenges you’ve faced trying to find employment?
Having been a freelancer for the last 15 years, I have learnt how to hustle and make hay while the sunshines. Finding work I enjoy is definitely a challenge sometimes, but more so the challenge lies in having contracts/jobs fit together seamlessly so I can make ends meet. Also, on paper, being a polymath sounds advantageous, but it’s rare that recruiters/employers know how to use my broad skill set...
This means I have chosen to carve out my own multifaceted path where I can offer all the things I'm great at.
How do you feel that the current structure of hiring has disadvantaged some people and not others? Do you feel the hiring landscape really allows you to showcase your skills? Why or why not?
The landscape has changed drastically throughout my time in the workforce. Technology like Weploy has disrupted the hiring process by favouring anonymity, therefore discouraging discrimination during an interview process. Focussing on a candidate's aptitude and not being influenced by social factors will see more diversity and equality in the workplace. Also, the current hiring landscape doesn’t allow much of a chance for me to truly show all the possibilities of my full potential, especially when employers/recruiters ask for a one page CV!
Did Weploy change your situation significantly? If so, can you tell us two ways it has helped further your career path?
Gaining temporary employment through Weploy has freed up the time and brainspace I need to focus on other jobs I am working on. Also being able to do work for lots of different companies has seen my professional network grow exponentially.
Do you feel that opportunities through Weploy changed your perspective?
Yes, absolutely. During all my Weploy contracts I have been given an overview of different industries and company structures. It’s been super interesting to see how culture and people differ from one workplace to the next.
What made you try Weploy?
A friend of mine was working at Weploy HQ and suggested I give it a go to see if it helped during lull periods of my freelance/contract work.
What was the process like for you?
Once the onboarding process was complete, everything was a total breeze. Having an app that notifies me when there are jobs that might be suitable for me is great! Not having to be endlessly searching for something that suits my timeline or skills and not having to go back and forth with a temp agency is a dream.
What was the biggest surprise using Weploy?
Weploy have some really interesting clients at different points in their process. From rapidly growing startups like Neighbourlytics, to large and well established groups like Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation. I’ve had to adopt entrepreneurial thinking as a freelancer, continually reinventing myself and taking opportunities that will allow me to grow my experiences. So surprisingly, in the short term contracts that Weploy has offered me, I have been able to expand my knowledge and interests which has shifted my career trajectory immensely.
Has Weploy helped your work-life balance?
I guess in a way it has. Freeing up time and taking pressure off finding work gives me more time to focus on all the other awesome things that life is.
Work may take up a lot of my time, but it is a diminutive portion of what makes me happy.
