UC Women's Group Mentoring Program/Participant 6's story

Most Significant Change

Contact details

Name of storyteller: Participant 6

Name of person recording story: Mark Spain

Location: UC Campus

Date of recording: 21 July 2010

Questions

How did you become involved in UC WGMP?

It was recommended by my supervisor.

1. What changes have you noticed since you have finished the program?

1. Networking was important for me. I was just starting out in my career as a young person, new to higher ed and I came from a small community organization
2. Undertaking complex tasks with help from the right people across the university.
3. Very empowering environment for me. This was where I wanted to be. People helped me with my resume.

2. What has been the MOST significant change?

The most significant change for me was being empowered to take more initiative.

Beginning (situation before the change)

I had been a U3 admin officer for six months in 2003. I didn’t know anyone. I had aspirations of going further than UC3. I was looking for experiences in administration and large corporate organizations.

Middle (what happened)

I’d get asked to do complex tasks and I didn’t want to feel embarrassed asking my supervisor for assistance if I was unsure about the task or how to go about it. I wanted to take the initiative to solve the problem myself. It was great to ask my mentoring group. My group was very helpful. They would say you just do this or talk to this person.

End (situation after)

It made me feel capable of doing more than just my job as an admin officer. It helped me be confident about taking initiative and that other people would support me and that there were lots of resources around to help.

3. Why was this change significant for you?

It confirmed that I had made the right life choices. I left a management position and came to an admin role. This had some risks but it confirmed for me that I had made a good decision and people supported me. I noticed that it was also valuable for others to hear my story and be involved in my experience. It was satisfying to make a positive choice for myself and to be with others creating more rewarding career experiences for themselves.

from Jess Dart http://www.clearhorizon.com.au