SHINE A LIGHT
FIND YOUR NICHE IN YOUR CHOSEN FIELD
ONCE a worker has their foot in the door of their chosen industry, the next step is to find their niche.
Having an area of expertise or specialisation sets them apart in their field and helps to shore up their future career.
Human resources adviser Karen Gately says a worker’s niche is their “sweet spot” – and the way to find it is to find their passion. “What are the things you are interested in, enjoy
thinking about and enjoy doing?” she says. “We get energy from certain things and it’s quite revealing.
“Some people find their calling, passion and who they want to be when they are 90, others do it at 17.”
Career Development Association of Australia vice-president Carolyn Alchin says a niche can help workers establish their reputation, remain relevant and ensure they are employable into the future.
“Being an expert in any field is valuable because if you can have a reputation of knowing what you are talking about and having a high level of skill, you are more likely to get people coming to you to communicate in the workplace, which can widen your opportunities,” she says.
She advises workers to ask themselves a few questions about their experience to date. “What part of their career are they best at?” she says.
“What subjects inside the industry are they drawn towards?
“They should also ask whether (the niche) will add value to their life because if they can create a reasoning strategy, it will be easier to drive learning and push through bad days.”
The Little Red Company co-director Adam Brunes hired Auslan interpreter Leanne Beer for the Brisbane shows of Lady Beatle at La Boite Theatre and says a background in the arts helps interpreters who want to specialise in this field.
“It’s rare for an interpreter to have an artistic background professionally, though more often than not they’re arts enthusiasts,” he says.
“This is certainly true of Leanne, who has devoted her career to providing the best possible access to mainstream artistic performances for the Deaf community.”
Beer’s business Creative Access provides specialist performance and theatre interpreters.
“I just love this type of work,” she says. “As a freelance interpreter, I am booked to interpret for Deaf/hard of hearing people who use Auslan as their primary mode of communication. Those appointments might be in hospitals, or perhaps in court, staff meetings, social settings and events in the theatre.”
Beer began learning Auslan as she has a son who is deaf and uses Auslan and she wanted to be able to communicate with him at the same level as with his older brother in English.