Karen Schmidt didn’t ever want to be a scientist, chemist or teacher. But, for a while, she did wish she wanted a job with a neat title, one that ended in an ‘ist’ or an ‘er’.
She completed a Bachelor of commerce and took on her first few jobs because they seemed ‘interesting’. Those roles led her to a career in general management which she now revels in.
Schmidt, Murdoch University’s director of commercial services, is the first ‘real role model’ in our new regular series giving you some insight into the interesting and inspiring lives of women.
What is your job now?
I am the Director of Commercial Services at Murdoch University. I look after the university’s commercial operations, including student accommodation, sport and recreation, commercial tenancies, bookshop, print room, food and beverage, the on-campus retirement village, and oversee the development of two new campus precincts – a $3.3b, 40ha mixed use precinct and an integrated sports precinct.
Describe an average day for you.
My days start at 5am with either a run (hooray) or reading my emails (boo). Before I drive down to campus, I will check that my kids have everything they need for school, take them to before-school training or rehearsal, and will often meet one of my mentees for a coffee. A typical day on campus will include meetings with line managers to review progress against the operational plan, project team meetings, approving contracts, meeting with clients and contractors, reviewing budgets, and helping staff to solve problems. I don’t spend much time on my own at my desk anymore. The end of my day varies. On some days I will leave campus early to spend time with my family and on other days I will have late afternoon meetings and evening commitments. I think it is important that senior staff lead by example in the workplace and that if we want to be a workplace that is family friendly, having a director who says “good night everyone, I’m off to pick up the kids” a couple of times a week is a pretty compelling message.
How did you get there? (Did you wing it or plan it?)
I used to agonise that there was never anything I wanted to be that ended in *ist or *er. I graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce and chose my first few jobs because they sounded interesting rather than where they might fit in a career path. When I came to general management in my mid-30s, I knew that this was the right place. I love the variety and the mess of general management; in one morning I can be approving a contract on a billion dollar capital works project, helping a staff member prepare a professional development plan, and reviewing collateral for a marketing strategy. I’m becoming wiser about my strengths, though. I think the next steps in my career might be a little more considered now that I have a better understanding of the type of business and industry where I can best contribute.
How do you manage the logistics of your career and your life outside of work?
I’m afraid my answer is not very exciting. I work hard and I keep fit and healthy. All of that stuff our mums said about 8hrs sleep, drinking lots of water, and eating your vegies? I do it all.
What is the easiest part of your working week? and/or What is the hardest part of your working week?
The easiest part is anything to do with staff development. Working with staff to develop their careers and create meaningful working lives is above and beyond the most satisfying thing that I do. The hardest part is anything I need to do when I have not looked after myself during the week and I’m tired.
How do you think your younger self would view your current career?
I think she’d be relieved that she’d found something that she likes doing every day! I think she would also be pleased that she’d been able to influence peoples’ working lives for the better. That’s a good feeling.
If someone else out there wants to develop a career like yours what advice would you give them?
I find it difficult to give career advice now that I understand that our careers all unfold so differently and that there are many different pathways. I work with a few early-career mentoring programmes and find that many mentors say the same thing. I think it is important to recognise that we don’t have to pick an *ist or an *er and set ourselves on a straight line path to having that career. (Although it is perfectly wonderful if that is the career path for you.) I think perhaps, it is more important to develop a body of knowledge that you find interesting (mine was organisational psychology) and choose jobs that you enjoy. Many people early on in their careers also ask when is the right time to look for their next job or promotion. I think the more important question is “when I do leave my current job?”. For me, the answer is always: “when you have finished what you went there to do”.