When Olivia Sutton was ready to return to work after starting a family, she found her priorities had changed. Yes, she wanted a role that would offer more flexibility, but she wanted more than that—she wanted to give something back.
Olivia kept encountering obstacles balancing the costs and time commitments of retraining with a young family, but then she found the answer at Main Roads Western Australia.
“I was wandering around a careers expo pushing a pram and surrounded by high school students (feeling like the oldest jobseeker in the room), when I came across the Main Roads stand. I chatted with the stall holder and found out they offered a two-year traineeship where you study a Diploma while working with Main Roads. It was a win-win situation!”
It was the start of an exciting new career trajectory.
Making a difference
For most of her career, Olivia worked as a designer and draftsperson in the residential building industry. She enjoyed the day-to-day work and had built up a wealth of technical skills, but she no longer found it personally fulfilling.
“Starting a family made me look at the world differently. I loved designing houses, but it mostly focused on creating something that benefitted the individual. I wanted a career change with a focus on community. I wanted to be a part of something bigger.”
A mini career pivot meant she found her dream role: Technical Officer of Engineering at Main Roads – ‘but a more descriptive title would be Draftsperson!’
“In my current role, I’m updating the Main Roads standard drawings. I get to geek out reading up on Australian Standards, Austroads Guide to Road Design and Main Roads internal guidelines to discover why things are done the way they are, and helping to ensure that the drawings convey accurate information and make sense. Roads may seem like they would be rather boring, but because our network is vast and each application has so many variables, it makes it very interesting!”
Regain your confidence
Many parents who take a break from the workforce while their children are young report experiencing a dip in confidence – and Olivia can relate.
“I almost didn’t apply for the traineeship. I had reached a point where I had lost confidence in myself and the skills I had to offer. I felt like all I was good at was baking and being a mum! I think this happens to many people who take time out from their careers for parenting.”
Luckily, in part due to the encouragement of a friend who reminded her of all the new skills she has acquired in parenthood, Olivia stuck with the application—and she hasn’t looked back!
“I am so thankful to a friend who supported me through the process and opened my eyes to all the transferrable skills parenting adds to your toolkit. I’m a much more patient person than before kids, which can be very helpful, especially in an open-plan workplace!”
Although changing careers takes a big leap of faith, retraining and starting a new career was exactly what Olivia needed to rebuild her confidence and remind herself of her strengths.
“Completing the Diploma has definitely been a highlight for me. Embarking on study in your forties in a field that does not come naturally to you (maths can be tricky!) was a difficult challenge. It reminded me of my resilience and dedication when deciding to do something. This achievement has given me so much self-confidence.”
Main Roads supports working parents back to work.
Find out about their other policies and benefits.
Continue to develop your career
As part of the Diploma, employees rotate through different departments to find the area they enjoy most and gain a wider understanding of how the business operates.
“The study rotations gave me amazing exposure to the many varied roles at Main Roads and to try new things that I didn’t even know existed. During my first rotation, I got straight back into drafting, and it felt so good to be back! This was my ‘ah ha’ moment! I still had a very open mind to trying new things, though, and I’ll be forever thankful for the opportunity to get outside of my comfort zone”
Trying out different areas of the company is not just for trainees—all employees are encouraged to expand their skill set and continuously grow in their careers.
“From the beginning, I have felt supported with my career progression. Employees are given exposure to as many learning opportunities as possible. There is a culture of knowledge sharing that makes you feel welcome and supported. Main Roads offers many career development opportunities because of its diverse areas of expertise.”
Olivia loves her current role, but is excited to know that Main Roads is a place she can grow in the future.
“I look forward to continually learning. I feel like this is the sort of workplace where this is a reality.”
Finding flexibility
Flexibility is a top priority for working parents. Olivia was drawn to Main Roads because the flexibility allowed her to work alongside her studying, while still meeting her responsibilities to her family. Since starting her permanent role, Olivia has found the perfect balance.
“I have found Main Roads to be the most flexible workplace I have experienced. Main Roads offers flexible working conditions, which meant while studying for the Diploma, I could juggle the logistics of having young children and working. I now enjoy working three days a week, which gives me the time and space to find work-life balance.”
Speaking to other new parents, Olivia was struck by how the challenges she faced getting back into the workforce were far from uncommon. Olivia believes businesses need to do more to support parents back to work—or risk losing valuable skills from the workplace entirely.
“At a gender equality job-matching event for parents returning to the workforce, so many people I spoke to were grappling with the same self-doubt struggles I had faced before starting with Main Roads. I walked away from that event thinking that as a society, we need to do more to support parents through this transition period when returning to work and provide more opportunities for fulfilling and rewarding part-time work.”
Mapping her own route
Olivia encourages everyone to regularly assess their career progress and consider their next move. Keep your core values in mind, ask what you want to contribute, and consider what you want from your working life. Then, don’t be afraid to take a risk.
“Taking this position at Main Roads has given me so much more than a job; it has given me my spark for life back and made me feel more connected to the community. What more could you want from a job!?”
