“The main thing I like about
working at Treasury is the attention paid to reaching your potential through
the many personal and professional development opportunities made available. I
also appreciate that although there are many clever and talented people working
at Treasury, the focus is not on who is the smartest in a room.”
I'm currently in my last year of the Treasury cadet program. The cadet role varies depending on what branch you are in and how far through the program you are. Right now, I'm working with the Deputy Secretary for the Corporate and Governance Division. This rotation has been very challenging, and I am learning about corporate governance issues and how Treasury operates as an organisation. Past rotations have involved working within a project team on the Treasury Secretary's Fiscal Sustainability Report and on new regulations subordinate to the Gaming Control Act. In these roles, I have had the opportunity to both participate in and directly observe high‑level decision making processes within Treasury.
My path to working in Treasury has not been typical. For nearly twenty years, I worked in the broadcast television industry out of Sydney. I had an amazing career flying around the country and sometimes the world, producing news broadcasts, election coverages and sporting events. However, after I had my daughter Molly in 2013, I stepped back from fulltime work in the television industry and started looking for a career that aligned more with my core values. Initially, I was concerned that my skills were not transferable, and I had no other qualifications. I felt like my options for a career change were limited.
At the age of 39, I started an undergraduate Bachelor of Business degree at the University of Tasmania. It was within my studies that I discovered economics and I knew that was my thing. Economic theory explains so much about government policy decision making and more importantly, how those policy decisions affect outcomes for ordinary people. Completing a university degree was long on my to-do list, both of my parents were educators and a tertiary education was always regarded highly in my family. Nothing has made me more proud, confident and optimistic for my future than when I successfully completed my first year of university studies with a perfect GPA.
When the opportunity to apply for a Treasury cadetship came up, I thought I was too old to be a cadet. I thought my previous career wouldn't count for anything in the public service and that I was woefully underqualified. Even though I didn't hold out much hope, I called Treasury for more information and learned that Treasury actively seeks to engage a diverse workforce. I was told that my work and life experiences would be valued and that I should definitely apply for a cadetship. The cadetship has proven to be the perfect entry for me into a new and unfamiliar working environment. Throughout my television career I learnt valuable skills such as creative problem solving, effective teamwork, conflict management, and how to work effectively under pressure. It turns out these skills have proven to be valuable at Treasury.
I really value the attention paid to reaching your potential through the many personal and professional development opportunities available here. I also appreciate that although there are many clever and talented people working at Treasury, the focus is not on who is the smartest in a room. It is a truly collaborative environment where engaging discussions about real issues with colleagues can lead to real world results. The feeling of contributing to better outcomes for Tasmanians, even in a small way, is tremendously satisfying.
The other thing I would say is great about working at Treasury is how flexible working arrangements and a generally supportive environment have taken the stress and anxiety out of the constant work, study and family responsibilities juggling act I am currently knee-deep in. Also, as a cadet, you are given plenty of time to focus on your studies and are supported to maintain your academic performance. This is so important for parents, and especially for women, for which these factors can be significant barriers to achieving a successful mid-life career change or re‑entering the workforce after caring for young children.
Art was important to me during school and recently I have been getting back into painting. There's so much inspiration in the colours and textures of the extraordinarily beautiful Tasmanian landscape.
My husband and I are getting in to breeding miniature goats which is equal parts hilarious, terrifying, and labour intensive.