Writer, Podcaster, Career Change Specialist, NSW, Australia

Please introduce yourself and describe your career. What do you do for a living?

My name is Jacqui and I’ve had a few different chapters in my career! I started out working in the heady world of women’s magazines. Being a writer and editor at some of the biggest titles in the country was pretty exciting in my 20s, but I always had a sense there was more I wanted to do. I had a big interest in social and global issues so in my 30s, I decided to follow a long-held dream of working in international aid. For the next decade, I loved working with colleagues all over the world – from Cambodia to Ethiopia to Papua New Guinea and here in Australia – to support children and families in need.

Now in my 40s, I’ve stepped away from office life to work for myself and enjoy more freedom and flexibility. I still consult with a handful of charities, but I’ve also started a career education platform called What She Did Next for women seeking a career change. It began as a podcast where I interviewed women across Australia (and a few Kiwis!) about their inspiring career changes. Over time, I started to recognise a gap in support for women navigating career change and it became such an interest and passion of mine that I ended up going back to study career development and career counselling, and now support women through an online course.


As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a dancer! So much so, I went to a performing arts high school. But as time went on, I realised I didn’t have what it takes to be a professional dancer, so I turned my attention to my next love, which was writing.

What did you study? How much schooling do you think is required to get into your role? What could you have skipped?

I studied a Bachelor of Arts in Communications (Journalism), which set me up well for my first career in magazines. Having a journalism degree wasn’t essential back then but what was valuable about the course was its connections with industry, which meant we were writing for local newspapers and being published from our first year of study. Graduating with a portfolio of published work definitely helped me stand out from the crowd and quickly land my first job as a journalist and subeditor. 

When I decided to make the leap to the not-for-profit sector, I went back to uni and studied a Master of Social Development (International Social Development). Partway through the course, I landed my dream job at a global children’s charity, working on their media and communications team. Again, the degree probably wasn’t essential as I had relevant work experience, but it gave me a great foundational understanding of the new field I was moving into and showed prospective employers I was serious about making the move and a willingness to learn. 

Since launching What She Did Next and becoming fascinated by the career change process, I have recently undertaken yet another degree (after swearing I would never study again!) to formalise my qualifications as a career development practitioner. A lot of people work in this space without a formal qualification, but the industry has become more professionalised in recent years and it is definitely recommended to complete a course of study. I chose to do a Graduate Certificate in Education (Career Development and Counselling), which is a fairly short course but one that is endorsed by the industry peak body as meeting the Professional Standards for Australian Career Development Practitioners. So I’ve managed to notch up three degrees in three decades!

Was your path hard or smooth getting to where you are in your career? (Can you briefly describe what it was like on your journey so far?)

I’d say it’s been a mix of hard and smooth. Looking back, I’ve been really fortunate to work in so many interesting roles that many would consider ‘dream jobs’. I’ve also successfully navigated a couple of career changes. The trickiest move was probably the one I made more recently, when I left my job at an education charity to work for myself. Initially I didn’t know what I wanted to do next. I just knew I wanted more freedom and flexibility, and had an urge to work on my own projects. Little did I know that starting a podcast would lead to a whole new career!

Walk us through your typical work day—when do you start, end, and do all day? (Where do you work from?)

I don’t really have a typical workday now, which I love. Mostly I work from home but I also go to a co-working space a couple of days a week. I like having a change of scene and being around other people… and eating lunch at nice cafes! 

Generally I start work quite early as my brain is firing better then. That could be anywhere between 6-8am, although some days I’ll go for an early walk first and start work around 9 or 10am. If I’m working with a not-for-profit client, I might have a couple of Zoom meetings and spend the day working on some creative projects for them. If I’m working on What She Did Next, I could be writing content for the site or our newsletter, developing course materials or recording video lessons, running a mentoring session on Zoom or working with one of my freelance team on socials, marketing or the podcast. I don’t have a set finish time but I tend to do long-ish days earlier in the week and taper off to shorter days by the end of the week!

What are some questions someone should really ask themselves if they want to get into your industry / career path?

Working for yourself has lots of perks but it isn’t for everyone. You need to be aware of how you work and what you need for work to feel enjoyable for you. I’d probably also recommend a few years of working for other people first, as there’s so much value in learning how organisations run. 

Some questions to ask yourself would be: Are you someone who likes being part of a team or are you happy working independently? Do you have a savings buffer or financial transition plan to tide you over as you’re getting started? Are you comfortable with the fact your income may not be consistent from month to month? Also, how reliant are you on work for social connection? If team lunches and after-work drinks are a big thing for you, how would you feel about letting that go or how could you create similar connections in self-employment? 

If you’re looking for more freedom and flexibility, the other piece to consider is your work habits and how they might help or hinder you. For example, if you have trouble setting boundaries and you’re prone to taking on too much work, that can still be a problem as a self-employed person. So you might need to make some shifts within yourself to achieve that more flexible work life.

What do you enjoy most about your career? (What do you enjoy least?)

I most enjoy having the freedom to manage my own work and being able to combine my creativity with helping people. I don’t love the admin side of running a business and sometimes it gets a bit tiring juggling all the moving parts. I do have some amazing freelancers who help me and a very supportive community at my co-working space, but one day I’d love to have a bigger team.

What tools/resources do you frequently use? (Books, podcasts, mentors, wellness habits, software, etc.)

There are many! Running your own business and particularly an online course requires lots of different tech – I use LearnWorlds to host my course, Acast to host my podcast, plus lots of helpful business tools like Calendly, Typeform and Xero. Canva is probably my most-used tool. I use it most days to design various bits and pieces for the business, from course materials to social content to pics for the newsletter and website. 

In terms of my health and wellbeing, I try to get out for a coastal walk most days. We live near the beach so I’ll either get up early and go for a big walk or head out in the afternoon while the sun is still shining. I also recently discovered something called yoga nidra, which has been rather life-changing for me! It’s literally the opposite of exercise – you’re lying down under blankets, with a pillow and eye mask, and the teacher takes you through a guided meditation set to music. It’s the most relaxing thing I’ve ever done and the perfect antidote to our busy world.

What is something you do when things get difficult? How do you handle stress/ challenges?

Rest! Usually when things are feeling hard, I find the best thing to do is to switch off for a bit. I go for a walk, look at the ocean, find something to watch on Netflix… it always feels better the next day. I also find if I pop my AirPods in and do a yoga nidra session before bed (I have a few recordings on my phone), I have the BEST night’s sleep and wake up feeling clear-headed, calm and super-productive the next day.

What advice would you give to someone who is trying to figure out what they want to do (for work) in general?

Spend more time out in the real world than trying to think or Google your way to a dream career! We often assume if we just keep researching or gathering information, somehow the lightbulb moment will come. But figuring out what you want to do requires testing and trying out different interests and ideas… plus you need to do a deep-dive into really getting to know yourself and what you need for work to feel good. These are essential skills but a lot of people don’t know how to do this. In Australia, the career guidance most of us have had is pretty limited. That’s why I moved into the careers space to support women with this process. 

Do you have any mentors or key pieces of career advice that helped you get to where you are today?

Oh gosh, I think probably the most impactful piece of advice I’ve been given was when I was feeling pretty stressed and down in my career. A colleague gently suggested that maybe I needed to check in with my values. I didn’t know exactly what she meant at the time but now I understand what a difference it makes when you’re really clear on what’s important to you and what ‘lights you up’, and you create a career path that aligns with that.

What excites you about the future OR what's up next for you in the near future? (Could be career-related, life-related, or even a future career pivot / path)

I really have found a sweet spot with the work I do now. I get to be creative and help people, which is the dream for me! So I’m excited about continuing to build What She Did Next to be a go-to for women seeking a career change and helping more women through our online course and other new offerings. I wake up every morning with more ideas! It’s just finding the time to make it all happen.

Where can readers find/connect with you if they have questions? OR How can we support you? 
You’ll find lots of great info on our website: whatshedidnext.com.au. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn or follow What She Did Next on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn.