Career Story: Senior Programme Advisor

What does a day in your shoes feel like? And what are the key skills that can make or break a career in your field?

We’ve asked a diverse group of Apolitical members to share their career story with us and the tips they have for junior public servants. In this article, Sydney Statulevicius explains why it’s important to take the plunge and learn from failure in their role as Senior Programme Advisor.

What is your current role and how do you spend your time on a standard day?

I'm a Senior Programme Advisor within a Chief Information Officer (CIO)/Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) corporate office. We are situated within Government Technology Ontario, Ministry of Government and Consumer Services.

I was offered a stretch opportunity within this office to help develop learning programming, employee experience action plan implementation, and to support corporate communications. In a nutshell, I spend my days in meetings, writing, designing, developing, researching and advising staff and leadership within my organisation.

What did you do before taking up this role?

Before taking this role, I was in an acting position as a Senior Programme Lead working exclusively on employee programming for an organisation consisting of around 1,000 staff. I was offered this acting role a month before the pandemic was called and everyone was mandated to work remotely. The biggest challenge was to develop and build employee programming suitable for remote work, in place of in-person employee programmes.

I was an event coordinator/employee experience program analyst for roughly 11 years. I have many lessons learned as a woman working in an industry that is largely male-dominated.

In your opinion, what are the most important skills someone needs to excel in your field?

An important skill everyone benefits from is failing fast. Doesn't sound like a skill does it? But, really it is. Having the courage to take the first plunge, develop a first draft or to present a different approach for problem solving is key. It does a few things in a group/team setting: it gets people thinking, actions ideas, even if it's just a draft, it demonstrates commitment and motivation, and it propels further action even if what you produced is not well-received.

Another important skill is active listening. What I mean by this is receiving information, connecting the dots and using what you heard or learned as a way to reconnect and strategically communicate. It also bolsters trust. As we know, being heard is critical for anyone and conveys a sense of belonging (being heard and included).

What is your favourite part of your job?

I love writing speaking notes. For me, it's like playing a piano. I get a burst of energy and speak aloud as I type. I value creativity. The office I work in really encourages this in many different ways. It can be through a unique data visualisation, an impactful presentation (people feast with their eyes), a different approach for data collection and analysis, or fun improvised conversation at staff events.

What advice would you give to young public servants who are interested in a career in your field?

The advice I was given and did not heed is the same advice I'd give new/young public servants. Move every few years so you're gaining different perspectives, experiences, exposure to different work and different work environments.

Earlier in my career, I became comfortable (I didn't move very much) and I now understand that, at the time, it stagnated my professional growth.

Getting back on track was difficult, but I've been rewarded with really interesting work that I care about.

Want to share your own career story with the Apolitical community? Use this form to let us know about your job.