CHAPTER THREE

Career Crossroads: at a crossroads in your data career?

Just as everything seems to be going well and straightforward in your career journey, you find yourself hitting a career crossroad.  

Careers aren’t linear, and most people find themselves at a crossroad, roundabout, or whatever you want to call it at some point in their lives. Perhaps life at home has changed; you are now juggling caring responsibilities, children, or the pandemic has paused you to think and reflect on what you want. Maybe you feel you’ve outgrown your current role, and that spark that once motivated you has lost its sparkle. Or you’ve been stuck in a rut: you don’t know how you’ve ended up where you are and want to try something radically different. You may be mulling over a more senior position or having doubts about your career track, or lack of career track. 

Career crossroads can happen at any age: whether you are 10 or 100, you can still be thinking about what “you want to be when you grow up,” and that’s because circumstances change, as do you. 

Our Career Crossroads Chapter is here to help you navigate your crossroad, t-junction, or career cul-de-sac. From spotting the subtle signs it’s time for a change to exploring how big a shift you’re after to what makes you tick are where your talents lie; we are here to support you navigate your career as a woman in data.

Holly says:

Channelling the transformative power of data and ensuring that it has a positive – not nefarious – impact was what first drew me to this space and it’s why I love what I do.

I love creating game plans and delivering impact. I take technology and data-related aspirations and turn them into reality, making a real difference for organisations. On paper, I’m referred to as a strategist, but I’ve been referred to as a ‘professional opportunist’, which resonates with me. I spot opportunities, untangle the knottiest of problems, and then create a plan to take advantage, shepherding resources to make the biggest bang possible. It’s my role to help organisations get excited by data and help them understand and explain to everyone – their people, their customers, their citizens or shareholders – why data truly matters for them.

Bio:

Holly is a multiple award-winning data and technology strategist with extensive hands-on experience in strategy development in the private and public sectors.

Holly works with government and financial institutions supporting their strategic technology agendas. Before joining BAE Systems, Holly held several senior leadership positions within the public sector. Holly is a fellow of the RSA, research manager for The Intelligence Network and a committee member for Women in Data.

Holly is passionate about channelling the transformative power of data and ensuring that it has a positive – not nefarious – impact. She is an engaging conference speaker and writer on strategy development, data ethics, data-driven decisioning making and the opportunities and cultural barriers facing a data-driven society.