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Published by Jane Butler
Have you ever said "I wish someone had told me what the job was actually like" or "I wish I knew that job existed" If you have or you're trying to avoid thinking it in five years from now this show is for you. The 20 Minute Career gives students, graduates and real professionals the honest conversations about jobs and careers that nobody else is having. Twenty minutes. One real professional. Zero filter. Every episode covers the Path, Pressure, Price and Payoff of careers across every industry. Real people. Real jobs. Honest conversations. Follow now. www.the20minutecareer.com
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Ask most people what they think it woould be like be a pilot and you'll get the same picture: crisp uniforms, layovers in glamorous cities, that effortless confidence walking through the airport. Instagram is full of it the cockpit selfies, the sunset landings, the caption that makes it look like one long holiday with better parking. Craig Harmon has lived the real version for twenty-five years. He always wanted to fly chose his school subjects around it, went through the Air Force to get there, and now flies long haul for a major airline. What he'll tell you is that the job is real, but so is everything the Instagram photos leave out. The reality is methodical and unforgiving. Every six months, Craig sits check rides that decide whether he keeps the licence that lets him do his job at all. There's no such thing as coasting the standards reset, over and over, for an entire career. And the job doesn't run on a normal calendar. Aviation operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, which means Craig often won't know where he'll be for Christmas until the week before. That cost doesn't just land on him. It lands on his family too. But he's clear that he'd do it again. The financial trajectory. The travel. And something harder to put a number on flying into Sydney on a clear day and still not quite believing he gets paid to do it. If you've ever wondered what the job actually asks of the person flying the plane, this one's the one you need to listen to. In this episode: [01:19] The three real pathways into aviation, and why Craig chose the Air Force route [03:08] What a day in the life of a long-haul pilot actually looks like [06:05] Why pilots sit check rides every six months, and what's riding on them [07:24] The financial cost of breaking into aviation, early career vs. established [09:21] Why Craig often doesn't know where he'll spend Christmas until the week before and what that costs his family [10:30] The payoff: the passion that hasn't faded, and the moments that still don't feel like work [17:00] What Craig would tell his twenty-year-old self Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.
Sarah Clisdell spent 18 years climbing the corporate ladder before she ever stepped into a boxing ring. Straight out of school, Sarah moved roles and industries every 18 months, testing out different paths until she landed in one corporate role for the next 18 years. She built a career around big job titles, big pay packets and proving to herself she was capable. Then, in her 40s, she hit a wall in both her career and her fitness journey, and found Muay Thai. In this episode, Sarah takes us through her honest path from corporate leader to owner and coach of RISE Muay Thai Fitness, a women's only gym she built from the ground up during COVID. We talk about the discipline that carried her from corporate life into the ring, the loneliness of running a business alone, and why she still doesn't feel "ready" for what's next, and does it anyway. We cover: Why she left a stable corporate career to open her own gym in the middle of a pandemic The emotional cost of business ownership no one talks about How she structures her day around a 4am start to protect her most productive hours Why she works with a business coach, even as the coach The skills from corporate life that carried straight into running RISE Why communication will matter more, not less, as AI reshapes work What she'd tell her 20 year old self about fear and failure This one's for anyone who feels stuck choosing between stability and what actually lights them up. Especially the students and career changers who think starting over means starting from zero, it doesn't. Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.
Anna Lohkemper didn't grow up dreaming of a career in tech. She grew up dreaming of Broadway. At 18, Anna moved to New York for musical theatre school, chasing a career in performance. After two years of auditions against hundreds of girls fighting for the same roles, the dream didn't work out. She moved home to Atlanta feeling like a complete failure, and started over. In this episode, Anna takes us through her honest, non-linear path from performer to Solutions Consultant at Workday, and how the skills she built on stage, reading a room, adapting on the spot, staying calm under pressure, are the exact skills carrying her through boardrooms across Europe and the Middle East today. We cover: What a Solutions Consultant actually does day to day Why the "5% of the job is the demo, 95% is the prep" How she juggles 25-30 live opportunities at once Becoming the trusted advisor in the room, and why that matters more than being the salesperson How she uses AI to manage note-taking, follow-ups and RFP responses The real cost of the role: travel, always being "on," and switching off Why she believes nothing she learned chasing her dream was ever wasted This one's for anyone who feels like their path took a detour it wasn't supposed to. Especially the students, parents and mid-career professionals who think their old skills don't count for anything, they usually do. Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.
What does a digital marketer actually do all day? Danni Russell started out studying science at university, then left after realising a lab job wasn't for her. She eventually found her way into digital marketing — and now runs her own digital marketing agency. In this episode, Danni breaks down digital marketing careers in plain terms why it's less about clever captions and more about data, testing, and numbers. What you'll learn: The difference between SEO and AEO (AI engine optimisation), and why it matters now How AI has quietly shaped marketing for years, long before ChatGPT made it obvious Why a scroll-stopping ad still won't save you if your landing page has a broken button What a day in the life of a digital marketer really looks like The skills that will matter most as AI takes over the busywork What it's like running your own marketing agency, including the lifestyle trade-offs If you're a student considering a marketing career, or you think digital marketing is just clever captions and pretty ads, this conversation will change your mind. Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.
Josh Nicholls left school in Year 10, started his electrical apprenticeship at 15, and by 22 had launched his own business with nothing but a van and a plan. Twenty-five years later, he's the founder of two national companies, Platinum Electricals and Jet Black Plumbing, and he's already stepped back from the day-to-day. In this episode, Josh breaks down what it actually takes to go from apprentice to business owner: why you don't need to be the best tradesperson to succeed, how to build a business that can run without you, and why he believes EQ will matter more than any technical skill as AI reshapes the workplace. This one's for any student weighing up a trade, an apprenticeship, or starting their own business one day. Josh proves the traditional path isn't the only path to success. In this episode: Starting an apprenticeship at 15 with zero understanding of electrical work Why "focus on your strengths, delegate your weaknesses" changed everything Building two national businesses without sacrificing family time Why trades won't be replaced by AI His advice to his 20-year-old self Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.
What do psychologists actually do at work if they're not a therapist? Jaymon Kirk is an Industrial Organisational (IO) Psychologist at HireVue, one of the world's leading hiring assessment companies. His job is to apply psychology science to hiring making sure the AI-powered tools companies use to assess candidates are valid, fair, and actually predict who will do well in the role. In this episode Jaymon breaks down what Industrial Organisational psychology is, how he accidentally ended up in the field (he started engineering), and what it looks like to apply psychology inside global organisations across Australia, Asia and the US. What you'll learn: What IO psychology actually is and how it differs from clinical or counselling psychology How AI is being used in hiring right now and why the human psychology lens matters How Jaymon went from engineering to working with global companies Why critical thinking is the skill he thinks matters most for young people What he wishes he'd known at 20 Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.
Ever wondered who tracks down the wealthy people who give away millions to universities, charities and causes? This week on The 20 Minute Career, Jane talks to Stephanie Papadopolous who works in Prospect Development/Research at the University of Sydney, uncovering and researching the donors behind major philanthropic gifts a career almost nobody knows exists. Steph's path in was anything but linear. She studied journalism, then made a pivot to veterinary science. Decided to do some travelling and did some marketing in Spain before returning to Sydney and landing ther job in Prospect development where she researches and identifies potential donors for one of Australia's largest university advancement teams. In this episode, Steph breaks down what Prospect Development/Research actually involves, why due diligence is becoming a bigger part of the job, and how AI is already shifting her team's work from generating information to reviewing it. Underneath it all, she's clear that people skills and human judgement are what keep the role from ever being fully automated and that watching a gift finally land, like a recent $100 million donation for STEM scholarships, is what makes the work worth it. What we cover: How Steph landed in a career she'd never heard of, via journalism, vet science and a stint in Spain What Prospect Development/Research actually is, and how it fits into the philanthropic funnel Why due diligence and risk assessment are a growing part of the role The difference between fundraiser personalities and prospect development personalities How AI is shifting her team from generating content to reviewing it The $100 million gift that reminded her why she loves the job Her honest take on pressure and working in the not-for-profit space Advice on aiming for 70% done, and why she wishes she'd found a mentor sooner Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.
Ever wondered what a career in marketing actually looks like beyond the creative brief? This week I sits down with Rushenka Perera, VP of Marketing at SAP, to find out what B2B marketing really involves — and it's a lot more than you'd expect. Rushenka shares her honest path into marketing emerging from university straight into a recession and grabbing the first opportunity with both hands. From that starting point she's built a career spanning global teams, major events, and some of the biggest enterprise brands in the world. In this episode Rushenka breaks down what field marketing actually is, why pipeline is the number one goal, and how AI is already reshaping the way her team works from predicting which customers are ready to buy, to replacing hours of manual data analysis. But underneath all of it? Her belief that marketing is fundamentally about human connection. And that's the one thing AI can't replicate. What we cover: How Rushenka found her way into marketing and why she stayed What field marketing actually is and what it looks like day to day Why pipeline, brand and customer advocacy are the three goals that drive everything Running 250+ events a year across Australia and New Zealand How AI is being used right now inside one of the world's biggest tech companies The real cost of working in a fast-paced global tech role Why human connection is still the most powerful tool in a marketer's arsenal Her advice on networking, being bold and never having regrets Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.
What does it actually look like to build a career around reducing waste and do it inside a major retailer? Pen Turnbull didn't plan a career in sustainability. She started by volunteering five hours a week at a tiny social enterprise salvaging timber from earthquake rubble in Christchurch. That one email changed everything. Now she leads waste minimisation and circular economy programs across a large retail group keeping unsellable product out of landfill, shifting how thousands of employees think about materials, and proving that real change happens inside big organisations, not just small ones. In this episode How a late career pivot led to her most purposeful work Why she chose corporate over social enterprise and why it was the right call The emotional weight of caring about the planet as part of your job What circular economy actually means in a retail context Why she'd tell her 20-year-old If you're drawn to environmental work, sustainability, or any role where your values and your job need to align this one's for you. Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.
Engineering is one of those careers that sounds straight forward from the outside. You build things. You solve problems. You apply what you learned at university and get on with it. Mark Sproule started where a lot of engineers start curious, hands-on, and drawn to figuring out how things work. As a kid it was old boats. At university it was biomedical engineering. At ResMed it was prototyping with 3D printers, and the thrill of seeing a design come to life. But after four years inside one of Australia's most recognised medical device companies, Mark realised something - he was a very small cog in a very large machine. And he wanted to know what it felt like to build the machine himself. So he left and joined a University friend and co-founded Reach Robotics a company building underwater robotic arms for underwater drones. Robots sent to disarm underwater mines so humans don't have to. Arms attached to unmanned underwater vehicles monitoring offshore oil rigs for corrosion. Niche, complex, and genuinely important work. What followed was the founder journey in full and Mark doesn't sugarcoat any of it. The pressure doesn't arrive once and stay constant. It arrives in waves. First it's whether you can actually build the product. Then whether anyone will buy it. Then whether you can make it reliably enough that customers don't call you at midnight saying it's failed in the field. And underneath all of it, every single month, can we make payroll? He also talks about the ethics decision - their biggest ever purchase order, a foreign buyer, and an Australian Defence Force disclosure requirement that forced a choice between revenue and integrity. They chose integrity. And he gets honest about the cost. When you're a founder, you never really clock off. The business lives in your head at dinner, at bedtime, and at 2am. That kind of mental load compounds. But Mark also reframes it, if you deeply care about what you're building, is that really a cost? What surprised him most was what the whole experience gave back. Not just professionally but personally. Building something from nothing, selling a product people were willing to pay for, developing systems he was proud of. If you're thinking about engineering, curious about what it actually takes to start something, or just want to hear an honest account of the founder life this one is worth 20 minutes of your time. In this episode: How fixing old boats as a kid led Mark to a career in engineering What it felt like to leave a stable job at ResMed to co-found a startup from scratch What Reach Robotics actually built — and why it mattered The wave of pressures every founder faces — and why they never really stop The ethics decision when running a business Why working with people is harder than any engineering problem What building something from nothing did for his confidence What Mark would tell his 20-year-old self Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.
Law is one of the most popular career choices young people nominate year after year, cohort after cohort. And it’s not hard to see why. For generations, students have grown up watching legal dramas - LA Law, Suits, The Good Wife and wanted that life. The sharp suits. The courtroom wins. The confidence of Harvey Specter walking into a room and owning it. It looks like the perfect career. High stakes, high reward, and never boring. The reality is more complicated than that. Arj Puveendran is a partner at top tier commercial law firm Thomsons leading a team, running his own book of clients, and doing the legal equivalent of building a business within a business. He’s worked across small and large firms to get there. And what he’ll tell you is that the gap between the TV version and the reality is significant. Cases don’t resolve in a week. You don’t walk into court the day after taking a brief. The work is methodical, precise, and unforgiving and the stakes are real. A missing signature or a misplaced clause can unravel months of negotiation and cost a client everything. He also talks about what AI is starting to mean for the profession and it’s significant. Platforms like Legora and Harvey are already in the market, automating the research, the drafting, and the routine work that junior lawyers have always used to learn the craft. The process work that once built foundational skills is being absorbed fast. But AI is not infallible and in a profession where the consequences of an error can be catastrophic, lawyers still need to know enough to interrogate the output, not just accept it. For graduates entering the field right now, the impact of all of this on how they learn, how they work, and what will be expected of them is only just beginning to play out. And he gets honest about the cost. The long hours. The stress that internalises quietly and shows up in your body in ways you don’t always notice until much later. But it’s not all hard. The intellectual engagement that keeps your brain working at its best every single day. The financial trajectory. The ability to do meaningful pro bono work. And a professional credibility that opens doors well beyond the law. If you’ve ever considered law this one is worth 20 minutes of your time. In this episode: Why Arj chose law over a medicine scholarship and why he’s never questioned it What lawyers actually do all day and where the Harvey Specter version falls apart How AI is reshaping the profession and what that means for graduates entering the field right now Why in law, getting it wrong is never a small thing The long hours, the stress, and the cost of building a career in a high stakes profession What the career gives back financially, intellectually, and beyond What Arj would tell his 20-year-old self Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.
Nobody grows up wanting to be a salesperson. Dan Ridd didn't. He dropped out of university, fell into a business development job at a telecoms company, and made £10,000 in his first month at 21 years old. That was the beginning of a 15 year career at the very top of enterprise sales working with organisations like Atlassian, Canva and HSBC across Australia and the UK, closing deals worth millions. And here's what's interesting none of it required a degree. What got Dan to the top wasn't a qualification. It was a very specific set of skills all based around his ability to form strong honest relationships. Knowing everything about an organisation before you walk in the door. Getting past the gatekeeper. Building the kind of trust that makes a Chief People Officer take your call. Understanding a problem so well that you've already started solving it before the meeting begins. In enterprise sales, these skills are literally worth millions. And in this episode Dan gets specific about what they are, how he developed them, and why in a world where AI is rapidly taking over the research, the admin and the outreach, they've become the only thing that truly separates the good from the exceptional. He also gets honest about what the job costs you the 70 to 90 hour weeks, the targets that never switch off, and why he was away from his husband 80% of the time at the peak of his career. And what it gave him in return. If you've ever written off sales as a career, this one is worth 20 minutes of your time. In this episode: - What enterprise sales actually is and how it differs from other sales roles - How Dan went from university dropout to million-dollar targets - Why finding a mentor early can define the entire trajectory of your career - The skills that matter in sales and why none of them require a degree - The pressures, the sacrifices, and the honest financial reality - Why relationships are the one thing AI will never replace in sales - What Dan would tell his 20-year-old self Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.
Most people hear the word philanthropy and think it's someone else's world. The world of billionaires and big cheques. Tori Grimes is here to tell you it's not. Philanthropy and fundraising sit at the intersection of purpose, people and pressure. It's a career where you spend your days building relationships with people who care deeply about changing something in the world and then asking them to put their money behind it. Tori's path here was anything but direct. A gap year in Africa at 18 changed everything. Witnessing real poverty on the ground gave her a clarity about her career that no careers counsellor or job description ever could. She came back knowing she wanted to spend her professional life making a difference. In this episode Tori breaks down what philanthropy actually looks like from the inside. The relationship building, the targets, the pressure of asking someone for money, and why she believes more people could do this job than think they could. She also gets honest about the hard parts the emotional weight of working on problems that can never be fully solved, and the personal cost of a role that follows you outside of working hours. And her advice on the skill she wishes more young people would develop? It might surprise you. Twenty minutes. One person. One real career. No filter.
Every big project inside an organisation needs someone to run it. Not just manage the timeline but own it, drive it, and get it over the line. That person is a project implementation manager. Krystal didn't take the linear path to get here. A science degree, finance job, and no real clear idea of where she was actually heading. She'll be the first to tell you that's more normal than you think. What changed everything was doing her own research and finding a role that looked like everything she was looking for the people, element, the problem solving, the variety. She tracked down someone inside her own organisation who had that exact job and sent a cold email asking for 15 minutes. That conversation confirmed she was on the right track. From that point on, every single move she made was deliberate each one a stepping stone to exactly where she wanted to be. Now she runs projects at Canva. And in less than 20 minutes she'll tell you exactly what that looks like, what it really takes, and why the most important skills in her job have nothing to do with technology. If you're good with people, love solving problems, and want a career that keeps you on your toes this one could be for you.
C ustomer Success is one of the most important roles in tech. Get it right and you retain customers, drive growth, and add millions to the bottom line. Get it wrong and the cost to an organisation can be just as significant. And yet chances are you've never heard of it. Let alone considered it as a career. Jana Zafirovska has built an entire career in Customer Success and in this episode she breaks down what the role actually looks like from the inside. The variety, the pressure, the global reach, and how AI is already changing the way the best in the field operate. She also gets honest about the hard parts. And why, despite them, this is a career she wouldn't trade. If Customer Success isn't on your radar maybe it should be. Twenty minutes. One person. One real career. No filter.
Most people think change management is just processes, meetings, and rolling out new systems. In this episode, Amii Hansen explains why the role is really about people. Amii shares how she found her way into change management, what the job actually looks like day-to-day, and the pressure that comes with helping people navigate uncertainty and resistance during workplace change. We also explore how AI tools like Gemini are changing the way she works while also reinforcing why human skills like trust, empathy, and communication are becoming even more valuable. Through stories and practical examples, Amii gives a real insight into the realities of the role, the skills that matter most, and what it actually takes to help people move through change successfully in today’s fast-moving world.
Most people only think about cybersecurity when something goes wrong. A hacked account. A data breach. A compromised credit card. Alex Hogue thinks about it every single day because that's the job. Working at the sharp end of one of the most in demand fields in tech, Alex protects the data that millions of people trust with their lives. And here's what most people don't realise it's not just about stopping hackers. It's about understanding every vulnerability, every weakness, every angle of attack before anyone else does. The perfect breach is the one nobody notices. That's what keeps people like Alex busy. After completing their degree, Alex built a career that most people their age had never even considered. In this episode they break down what the job actually looks like from the inside. The pressure. The pace. The parts nobody tells you about before you start. If you've ever wondered whether a career in tech is right for you this is the episode to listen to first. Twenty minutes. One person. One real career. No filter.
Nobody told you what the job was really like. Not the pressure. Not the politics. Not the moment you realise the role you've been working towards looks nothing like the reality. The 20 Minute Career is the conversation that fixes that. Every week, one real person in one real career sits down and tells you exactly what the job is like from the inside — the path they took, the pressure they didn't see coming, the price they paid, and whether the payoff was actually worth it. Because the world of work is changing faster than anyone is telling you. AI is reshaping roles in real time. The career you're heading towards today may look completely different by the time you get there. You need real information. From real people. In real careers. Twenty minutes. One person. One career. The conversation nobody was having — until now. Follow along and never miss an episode.
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Observed September 14, 2026. Cached outside the daily freshness window; the positions keep the date they were taken on.
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