Megan Long: be proactive and take ownership of your career

Almost seven years ago Megan Long started her Scentre Group career in the Leasing and Retail Solutions team as a Retail Delivery Coordinator. Having built her knowledge on the job and worked flexibly to complete a Masters degree, all while raising a young family, this year Megan achieved her long-term career aspiration to join the Development team.

When my son was young, I commenced a Masters degree to complement my learning at Scentre Group and with the aim of moving into a Development role in the future.

There were two options for my course, to undertake late night classes which meant I wouldn’t get home until after 10:30pm, or to do block mode study when you take six days off throughout a semester.

When my manager raised the option for me to work flexibly and take study leave I immediately knew it would be a huge help balancing work, study and home life; it meant I could study without it affecting my time with my son which was hugely important to me.

It felt amazing to come first in my degree after four years of studying and I genuinely think that was because I was supported to study the way I did.

After graduating my family continued to grow and I had two more children, taking parental leave each time which I really valued.

When I returned from parental leave last year, I felt ready to take the next step in my career. I still wanted to move into Development because it’s an all-encompassing role that allows me to make the best use of my skills and qualifications.

Having spoken to my manager about career opportunities, I introduced myself to Stewart White, Director Development and Ed Hardy GM Development, and explained my career aspirations and qualifications.

I was very happy when I was later offered an Assistant Development Executive role. I feel so lucky to have this rare opportunity.

I’ve been working in the team for a few weeks now and I’ve already learnt so much; I love it as much as I always thought I would. It feels great to have achieved what I set out to and make this career transition but also to so without having to leave a company that I love.

I’ve always been proactive in speaking to my managers about my aspirations and seeking out opportunities to continuously develop my skills and knowledge because I believe no one cares about your career more than you do and you need to take ownership of it. At Scentre Group, that has always been met with an openness to support me, including through flexible working and study leave opportunities, a generous parental leave policy and my recent opportunity to move into the Development team. I have felt supported every step of the way, which is inspiring because it makes you feel like you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

If you’re interested in joining Scentre Group and achieving your career aspirations, explore the current job opportunities we have available: https://careers.scentregroup.com/en/listing