Emma's relaunch leads the way
Emma spent ten years working as geologist before pivoting to photography, a profession that gave her the flexibility she needed while raising her four young children.
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Emma's relaunch leads the way
Emma spent ten years working as geologist before pivoting to photography, a profession that gave her the flexibility she needed while raising her four young children. As her children got older, Emma sought a path back into the science field and joined GHD’s Career Relaunch Program in 2018. Today, Emma works as a Business Group Leader with GHD managing a team of 40 professionals. Below, Emma shares some of her career insights and the value of the Career Relaunch Program.
Emma spent ten years working as geologist before pivoting to photography, a profession that gave her the flexibility she needed while raising her four young children.
Where has your career taken you so far?
I studied Earth Sciences at university and spent the first 10 years of my career working as a mining and exploration geologist in Western Australia and Tasmania, followed by a move to Mexico for three years where I worked as a geologist while raising twin boys. After that, my family relocated to Canada for nine years where I had two more boys and found limited opportunity to pursue my geological career due to the time at home that my children required. As an alternative, I decided to study photography and ran my own small photography business which gave me the flexibility I needed to raise young children with a partner whose work meant they were away much of the time.
What led you to the Career Relaunch Program?
On returning to Australia, my partner and I separated, and as much as I loved doing photography, I knew I wanted to find a way to redevelop my scientific career to satisfy my own interests and to also provide stability while raising my children as a single parent.
I spent a year looking for a role before I came across GHD’s Career Relaunch Program. It was refreshing to find a program where an employer acknowledged the challenges people face coming back into the workforce after a break, along with the strengths each individual can bring to the company. The program has honestly been life changing for me. Prior to being offered a spot in the Career Relaunch Program, I saw no other company offering anything similar, and I thought I’d have to go back to study to re-skill. I also found there had always been an expectation from employers to work full-time, with lots of time away from home and a general lack of flexibility around those conditions.
What were you excited about most about your return to work?
While the role I took on with GHD required many of the skills I already had, it also required a steep learning curve since I had been out of the consulting workforce for so long. I was concerned that I might not be up to the task but was excited to feel valued for the contribution I could make to the business and to get my science career back on track. As I settled in, I loved being able to connect every day with so many talented, interesting people, working on challenging projects, and learning lots of new skills.
What do you do in your current role?
When I first joined GHD I started working across both the Contamination & Environmental Management (CEM) team and the Environmental Assessment and Planning team as a senior environmental geologist. Both teams were welcoming and supportive of my transition back into the workforce, providing me with valuable mentoring and guidance. At the end of the program, I was offered a permanent position and moved fully into the CEM team where I worked on a range of contaminated land projects, gaining experience in field programs, reporting and project management.
During my first year with GHD, I was also offered roles as the team Health and Safety representative and Finance Champion. I accepted both roles because I’m a firm believer in the importance of contributing to our team and to GHD in ways that are beyond the scope of the role we initially sign on for. In return, these opportunities have helped me to connect and collaborate with people outside of the team which has been rewarding.
After two years with GHD, I was approached to take on the Acting Business Group Leader (BGL) role for the CEM team while the then BGL was on three months’ parental leave. It was a fantastic opportunity to step up into a leadership position, learn what the role encompassed and work with Sydney’s leadership team. Following that, the BGL position became available full-time. I applied and was fortunate enough to be offered the role which I still currently hold. The CEM team is a group of talented and inspirational people, and without their hard work and commitment, I could not be effective in this role.
And as for photography? You will regularly find me out on project sites with my camera getting shots of the team in action. Someone once told me that photography is the perfect art form for scientific minds; it combines the artistry of composition and lighting with the mathematical understanding of apertures and shutter speeds. As someone that can’t draw to save their life, it is a wonderful artistic release for me!
About GHD’s Career Relaunch Program
At GHD, we think differently about returning to work after a career break. We offer a 10 week, paid, flexible program with the opportunity and goal of ongoing employment. This program is offered Australia and New Zealand-wide each year.
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