Jen’s story: Leaving corporates for charities
Find out how Jen Webster made the move from corporates to charities, after a 30-year career in the IT industry. Jen works at Odyssey House NSW, where she started as the marketing manager and is now on the frontlines as a social worker.
Jen Webster (pictured left) worked in the IT industry for 30 years, spruiking software for some big tech firms until her first child started school.
Needing more flexibility in her work, Jen shifted to a part-time role running her organisation’s corporate social responsibility program… which opened her up to the world of charities.
It was a role she loved for many years until suddenly she was faced with redundancy – a daunting prospect in her early 50s, but also paving the way to make a career change and follow her dream of working for a not-for-profit.
Jen soon discovered that was easier said than done, but her determination paid off. She’s gone on to work in what she describes as the ‘gritty’ end of the charity sector, in areas like HIV, homelessness and drug and alcohol addiction.
Now the Marketing Manager at Odyssey House NSW, Jen has found a great sense of meaning in her work and loves using her marketing skills for good. Inspired by her frontline worker colleagues, she’s also become a qualified social worker and is studying to be a counsellor.
In this episode, Jen chats with host Jacqui Ooi about:
Why she loved working in IT and what drew her to the charity space
Going through a redundancy and the rollercoaster of job-searching and interviews
The challenges she faced and overcame in moving to not-for-profits
What she’s learned from working at different charities helping marginalised people
Her best tips and recommendations for aspiring career changers
Image: Chris Lani-McAllister from Cohab Coffee delivering soup for the community kitchen where Jen worked.
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