Career stories
Regrets? I've had a few...
Trevor Churchley ·
Frank Sinatra famously sang 'Regrets, I've had a few'. My regrets are real sliding doors moments. While the power of hindsight is wonderful, I do wonder what could have been. How about you?
I'm very proud of what I've achieved in my professional career. Not bad for a kid from a working-class background from Sydney's South-Western suburbs, but there are two key sliding moments that I sometimes think about and wonder 'what if?'
The first was in 1988, my final year of my HSC. My ambition was to become a Chartered Accountant (yep, it's true). I did everything to achieve, great grades, work experience with Deloitte, everything! I got a cadetship with Deloitte! Just needed to get to uni.
Well, just before the HSC exams, I got glandular fever. I'd studied too hard and overdid it. I missed out on a uni placement by 2 marks! I was devastated. My dream was now in the toilet and I was naturally depressed and my world collapsed around me.
3 months later, my dad 'strongly encouraged me' to do a marketing diploma and it sang to me! I loved it! I graduated at the top of my class and got a Marketing Exec role with Garuda Indonesia! I had such a great time with amazing mentors like Mike Parker-Brown.
The second was in 1996. I returned from the UK after working and travelling and working for 3 years. I was searching for a job in tech marketing when a recruiter called me and said 'have you ever considered becoming a recruiter?'. I responded 'absolutely not, all recruiters are a**eholes!' but I interviewed anyway and got the job! I never looked back!
The third was in 2016. I was unhappy with my job and needed a change. I was talking to two different companies. One was a growing IT professional services company who had an awesome founder / CEO. The other was a global recruitment company who wanted to grow their IT professional services business. My head and heart were saying different things, but I went for the global only to learn that the person who recruited me was made redundant 3 MONTHS LATER!!! FFS!!! What could have been Ian Blackburn Gary Hinksman?
Either way the sliding doors have swung, where I am right now with Talentology AU is exactly where I want to be. I'm totally grateful to the world for being largely kind to me.
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