Featured TC: Vanessa Roberts

June

In recent years Vanessa Roberts has changed jobs - from being a policy analyst for ministerial ethics advisory committees at the Ministry of Health for seven years, to being a writer at the privately-owned technical communication company Streamliners in Christchurch.

What was it like to go from working as a Govt policy analyst to being a TC?

It was a positive shift. I get to focus on the aspects of my last job I enjoyed the most - various forms of writing, publications, etc. It's a bit different working for a small-medium private business.

How easy is it to transition from one job to the other?

I had no idea TC existed as a career. My husband stumbled across the GDID [Graduate Diploma in Information Design at CPIT and being a sucker for study I was happy to throw myself into that. I’d done a Masters in Political Science, and had only ever worked as policy analyst. I had a couple of years away from paid work after my daughter was born, and wouldn't have been brave enough to have sought TC jobs based solely on my background as a policy analyst. The GDID confirmed TC is something I really enjoy, suits me, and could open more doors.

Did you feel well supported/trained/mentored as a policy analyst?

Yes - there was always some sort of guide as to what your role as a policy analyst was, and how you could do your job better, although we seemed to go round in circles about the way we described competencies and performance criteria and so on. There were always opportunities to learn from your peers, or more senior, more experienced people. It was a large organisation but the structure was such that there was always someone you could go to easily for guidance. In terms of career progression, it felt more difficult to move to a senior role within the organisation than it would have been to apply for a senior role at another department.

What learning/personal development (PD) opportunities were there?

There were lots of opportunities for professional development[see those noted below]. Very rarely would a request for PD be turned down.

  • Weekly directorate meetings
  • "Brown-bag" sessions (lunchtime presentations)
  • Young/new policy analyst meetings (self-organised)
  • Mentor scheme (although this never really got going in my time)
  • Inter-agency meetings
  • Courses - internal and external, and very wide-ranging (I did a lot of Write Group courses)
  • Conferences
  • Post-graduate study

Also, each person would have their own PD goals that were specific to their job – like taking the lead on a project, or organising a particular event or meeting.

Did you feel valued as a policy analyst?

Yes and no. In the grand scheme of the ministry, and government bureaucracy, you're one of many but in the context of your job/role you're hopefully working on projects you think are worthwhile and will make a difference to people's lives...eventually!

Do you feel well supported as a TC? Do you get enough PD opportunities?

I think TCs are pretty well-supported and this is improving all the time - it's just finding the time to make the most of the support that comes your way. I had a lot more time for that sort of thing as a policy analyst. I think it was also much easier to ask for PD as a policy analyst because it was built in to your personal development plan and there always seemed to be budget for that sort of thing. The “policy analyst” role is also pretty broad so it can be quite easy to justify a wide range of PD. For example, weekly te reo lessons were common but it would seem a bit odd to request that in work time now.

Do you feel more or less valued, now that you’re a TC?

Probably about the same. One difference would be that as a content developer and writer, I see more immediate results from my work, which is satisfying. In this respect, the work I do is probably acknowledged more often.

What do you miss about your old job?

The luxury of time to consider long-term and big-picture issues, the buzz of all things government, coffee on Lambton Quay. Considering ethical issues, as I worked for ethics advisory committees, was also very interesting and the content I work with now is more procedural and prescribed.

What do you enjoy about your new job?

The flip side of the last question - I actually prefer a very busy day and finishing a lot of smaller tasks. A focus on clear communication. A fancy coffee machine and Calci+ milk at work. People get things done, and pretty fast, and that's the expectation. It's exciting to work for a small-medium business that's growing so quickly. As opposed to the stress of restructures, change management processes, and job losses! I also enjoy having continued involvement with the health community through Streamliners work on HealthPathways.

Would you like to be interviewed about your work, or nominate a colleague? Contact the Communications Coordinator today.