By Staff Writer
In every person’s life, there’s always a fork in the road that you will meet – when it comes to your career, these crossroads can seem especially daunting with question marks around what each of the prongs of the fork will lead you to.
In those moments, it’s always crucial to find your trusted peers, leaders, sponsors or mentors and seek their advice – not to change your mind, but to provide a fresh perspective on how to tackle a situation and perhaps create an opportunity.
We spoke to some AFLW players in flexible working roles, and some leaders in their field, about what was the best career advice they’ve ever received.
“Ask questions – ask questions even [if] there’s a bit of shame in asking. For me, I didn’t like to ask questions because if something says something once and you need to ask again it felt like you weren’t listening the first time. There’s so much information going around and in my world, so asking questions, take a pen and paper everywhere you go – take down things. You may feel silly, but at the end of the day you want to consume everything you can.” – Chloe Molloy, Sydney Football Club.
“Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life. It’s something I’ve really delved into – having a passion for something and then going for it.” – Mua Laloifi, Carlton Football Club.
“The best career advice I ever received and this is particular to what I do at Fox – is don’t shy in front of the camera. The reason I got into my work that I’m in, is that I was willing to have fun and show the personality that I am. For my particular line of work, it’s continue to be yourself and don’t shy away when the cameras turn on.” – Ruby Schleicher, Collingwood Football Club.
“To put yourself out there, you don’t need to have 10/10 on the job description to go for the job, you can learn on the job. My career in broadcast and sports administration has been a little like that. So just throw yourself in there, you will get better and you will be able to thrive if you believe in yourself.” – Nic Livingstone, General Manager – Women’s Football, AFL.
“To say yes – to say yes to opportunities that come your way rather than sticking to what appears to be a linear plan. Often women are very conservative and potentially overthink things that come their way. My strong advice is to say yes and that opens the door to so many new and wonderful opportunities that you may never have experienced.” – Sarah Fair, Executive General Manager – People, AFL.
“Slow down. In every aspect – be more considered, slow down your brain, don’t rush through things. On a daily basis, I find myself doing this check and it helps me to be a better manager, leader and teammate.” – Bronte Enright, Strategic Talent Programs Manager, John Holland.
