Building a fulfilling career isn’t just about technical skills, it’s also about the personal qualities and habits that help you grow, connect with others, and meet challenges along the way. We asked three academics in the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport to share the career insights that have guided them.
The value of feedback
Dr Peta Johnston highlights the importance of feedback.
“Feedback is essential to enhance and improve performance,” she says.
“Growing up I vividly remember a coach saying during training ‘perfect practice makes perfect’, highlighting to me the need to take on board feedback to help perfect my practice. This is something I still do in my professional role.”
“Nowadays, I actively try and seek feedback from as many different sources as possible, including students, clients, peers, mentors, the literature and myself.”
The importance of continuous learning
Professor Christian Barton says it is important to focus on continuous learning and growth.
“I ask questions, try new things, and seek out formal training which might help me develop new skills or ways of thinking about a problem. I have become comfortable with failure – it can teach you a lot.”
“If you feel overwhelmed trying to pursue continuing development in your career, that is normal. Finding time can be especially challenging when you are busy with work, family and other commitments.”
“I have always found it helpful to do very practical courses and subjects where I get to learn how to improve in work I am already doing.”
“You also don't need to be, or want to be, extending yourself for extra learning all the time. There are times where if might be close to impossible, such as when caring for young children. Use these times to plan, talk to mentors, set and refine goals. Then when you get some time and energy again, you can act.”
Be consistent, dependable and trustworthy
Professor Kate Webster points to the importance of personal qualities like reliability and trustworthiness.
“The top personal quality or trait that I think is most valuable for the workplace is reliability,” she says.
“Reliability is about being consistent, dependable and trustworthy. This is important for an employer because if they allocate a task, they need to have trust that it will get done and get done well.”
