Why is it so many
of us consider
an occupational
diversion, but so
few of us make
the employment
leap? Sure, it feels
overwhelming and
scary to start fresh
as a rookie in a
new and unfamiliar
industry, but it’s
full of pros! The
Career Transformer
founder and principal
Barbara Mallick
says job change
can be mutually
beneficial for both
employer and
employee. As a new
employee, you’re
excited about your
position, are exposed
to new professional
development
opportunities and
are conscious of
your performance.
‘On the flip side, the
employer gains a
motivated, engaged
worker with fresh
ideas and a new
outlook,’ she says.
‘It’s a win-win.’‘ O N M Y
FIRST WEEK
ON THE JOB
I WAS IN
SHOCK. I FELT
LIKE I WAS
LIVING
SOMEONE
ELSE’S LIFE’‘I’d worked in branding,
design and advertising
for eight years. However,
as I neared 30, my work
life started to take a toll
on my health and lifestyle,’
Lisa says of the career she
pursued after university.
Taking a week off her
job as an account director
at a marketing agency to
clear her head, Rowlinson
wrote down what she
wanted from life and soon
realised that earning six
figures wasn’t everything.
Armed with an interest
in hairdressing and a need
for work-life balance, she
interviewed hairdressers
about what they liked and
didn’t like about their job.
‘I set up some work
experience at a premium
salon in Sydney and fell inlove with it. From there
I started planning how I
could financially make the
move work.’
She found a salon that
would take on a mature-
age apprentice and the
rest, as they say, is history.
‘On my first week on
the job I was in shock. I felt
like I was living someone
else’s life. It took a good
six months to settle into
my new schedule, which
included being on my feet
and being the absolute
bottom of the food chain.
‘However, three years
on, I have now completed
my apprenticeship and am
in one of Australia’s best
salons. It’s comforting to
know that I can always go
back to my corporate life.
It’s great to have options.’‘I swapped a six-
figure salary for an
apprentice wage’
Lisa Rowlinson, 32, was working 13-hour
days when she decided she needed a changeGETTY IMAGES; ISTOCK
COSMOPOLITAN June 2017 89
work