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
Images: Natalie Mendham
Check out my previous interview on happendipity with:
If you are interested in career storytelling coaching, find out more here.
[…] Sonia Singh, science communicator to Tree Change Dolls creator to speech pathologist […]