ruth
To understand how successful career changers tap into happendipity (happenstance/serendipity), I continue my interview series with Sonia Singh, the creator of Tree Change Dolls – a hobby that went viral. She was previously a science communicator and is now studying to become a speech pathologist.
Here are the key takeouts from the interview about her career change. Read the interview below:
Sonia Singh’s career journey offers several key takeaways about embracing change and serendipity:
Key Takeouts:
- Turning adversity into opportunity: “When I lost my CSIRO job, I wasn’t expecting it and I wasn’t happy about it, but this led me in a very unexpected direction.”
- Embracing unexpected opportunities: “My payout gave me time to get creative and create Tree Change Dolls which went viral, which was totally unexpected for me.”
- Prioritizing personal interests and growth: “One of the most important things to me in a job is that it’s interesting to me and I’m not getting bored.”
- Flexibility in career planning: “I’ve never really planned out my career… As long as I’m doing something interesting to me currently and it seems to be leading in a useful and satisfying direction, I don’t plan further than a year or two.”
- Looking out for opportunities “Even something that seems like it was chance, was actually an opportunity you noticed because you were on the look out for a change anyway.”
These takeaways highlight Sonia’s ability to adapt, embrace change, and find fulfillment in diverse career paths. Read the full interview below.
Interview transcript
Q: What is your career story? What have you done previously?
A: I have had a number of changes in my career, but they all follow on in some way. I studied science at the University of Tasmania, and worked in food and water microbiology/chemistry for a few years, before accepting a scholarship program to run away to Canberra’s science centre Questacon to study science communication and be trained to deliver science shows in schools around Australia. (Which is where I met Ruth!) I stayed in the field of science communication for about ten years, working in science museums, Melbourne Museum and for CSIRO delivering school programs and public holiday programs.
Back in Tasmania, I was made redundant from my CSIRO position and while looking for another job, I accidently created one, when a hobby I’d started went viral. I was really into sustainability and not wasting things, and I started upcycling old fashion dolls (Bratz dolls mostly) and giving them a more childlike, natural appearance. I called them Tree Change Dolls, and you can still check them out on Facebook or Instagram. There is a cute 10min documentary on YouTube, if you just search SBS Tree Change Dolls https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG-7e1vaB18, which helped the idea go viral across the world. Tree Change Dolls ended up being my job for about ten years (which was great while my kids were little).
Q: What are you doing now?
A: I’m now working at my children’s school as a speech aide and teacher assistant while I study for my Master of Speech Pathology.
Q: Why did you make this change?
A: I wanted a job that was more connected to my local community, rather than my online Tree Change Dolls with mostly overseas customers I never met. Plus, secondhand fashion dolls were becoming harder to find so I didn’t feel like my dolls business could continue to be my job indefinitely even I’d wanted it to. I started working in my daughter’s kinder class, which was fun and very convenient – it didn’t really feel like a proper job at all! I’m now really interested in my studies. I love talking to children and learning how to analyse and interpret their speech and language is a new challenge that the scientific side of me really enjoys.
Q: What role has chance (happendipity) played in your career?
A: I think that when I lost my CSIRO job, I wasn’t expecting it and I wasn’t happy about it, but this led me in a very unexpected direction. My payout gave me time to get creative and create Tree Change Dolls which went viral, which was totally unexpected for me.
Q: Are you someone who embraces or rejects chance (happendipity)?
A: I guess I embrace it, but I’m sure there’s still plenty of chances that have passed me by, or I’m been oblivious to the opportunities that exist.
Q: Can you think of a chance event or events (happendipity) that changed your career?
A: I’m trying to think of examples, but sometimes even something that seems like it was chance, was actually an opportunity you noticed because you were on the look out for a change anyway.
Q: What have you learnt about the process of changing careers?
A: I’ve never really planned out my career. I guess I like learning new things and one of the most important things to me in a job is that it’s interesting to me and I’m not getting bored, and that I feel like I’m achieving something useful or making a difference.
Q: What advice would you give to someone else faced with a chance event (happendipity) that could change their career?
A: If it’s something that I find interesting, I would just pursue it. I’ve never really planned my life out long-term. As long as I’m doing something interesting to me currently and it seems to be leading in a useful and satisfying direction, I don’t plan further than a year or two. But I don’t like to give advice because everyone is different. Their circumstances are different, and what gives them security and purpose in life is different
Check out my previous interview on happendipity with:
Images: Natalie Mendham