After beginning my career in digital advertising, I spent eight years working at Google. Started out supporting Google’s Australian clients with programmatic advertising, then I moved to the UK to support brands like ASOS, Boots, and Adidas to use Google Marketing Platform, before returning to New Zealand as Google’s agency lead.
Mark was my first career mentor, and he told me the best way to be successful is to help other people succeed. I took that wisdom to heart. Even when people were lining up at my desk asking for help and the overwhelm was intense, I’d ask myself, how can I support this person to be successful?
When I moved to London, the Google product I'd been hired to sell was sunset the week I arrived. In this tight spot, I went back to Mark’s advice and tried to figure out what success looked like for my managers and my clients. I did my best to help them and developed a reputation as someone who cared about helping others succeed. That created a network of champions who spoke up for me.
If you aren’t valued in your role, it’s easy to start to doubt your own value. And even when things go well, it can be hard to see your own strengths.
One of my skills is being able to show you the value you bring, help you articulate that value, and show you ways to increase your hireability and your worth. For example, many people who join the Challenge are active in the Microsoft community. I can help you describe the value in your volunteering so your contribution supports your career success.
You contribute most when you’re being yourself, so a key success factor is having the confidence to bring your whole self to your role. I also help you align success with your values and find the pathway that’s right for you, so your success sits well with who you are.
After leaving Google, I became certified as a change manager, facilitating the adoption of tech. Tech exists to solve problems. So, it’s all very well offering people access to tech, but if no one uses it, it's worthless. Knowing how to foster adoption is key.
I'm also on a mission to help people raise their AI literacy and use tech to advance their careers, organisations and communities. I train Microsoft's global teams in Design Thinking and AI adoption patterns, and teach business leaders AI Fundamentals, so when it comes to change and adoption and infusing AI into your daily workflow, I’m your go-to coach.
You’ll also see my face on the Q&A calls every two weeks, and I’m in the WhatsApp community every day answering questions and helping out. I can’t wait to help you figure out your pathway for your Microsoft career.
Take the 90 Day Mentoring Challenge and accelerate your Microsoft career.