This is a talk for anyone who’s sick of being told they need to ‘come out of their shell’. In a society that favours outgoing and charismatic leaders, collaborative workspaces, and networking, sometimes it feels like the only way to get ahead is to become someone we’re not. But being ‘quiet’ doesn’t have to be a weakness. In this talk, I’ll tell you how I learnt to harness my ‘quiet’ strengths and overcome some of the hurdles of living in a loud world.

The fear of taking risks keeps us comfortable but hinders our growth. Relying on others, perfectionism, self-doubt are all habits that can prevent us from making changes in our lives. As an introvert, I’m naturally risk-averse and have to make calculated decisions. In this talk, I’ll share my story of learning to take risks in my design career and personal life and how it’s helped shape me. I hope you will leave with some techniques on how to navigate change in your life.

When I learned I was going to be a dad and shared with other people my fears, the common response was “You’ll be fine”. When trying to understand what fine would look like to me, I took a lot of reassurance from reading about other dad’s experiences . I hope this talk, aside from being a free therapy session for me, will be of some support to others.

PT Engineers are few and far between, as are the companies that offer/advertise part-time roles. However engineering is a field that’s ideal for PT workers, and in my experience the company benefits just as much. I’ll talk a little about my experiences, both good and bad; why I think companies should embrace the opportunity to hire part time developers; and why as parents, we shouldn’t shy away from conversations around flexible working arrangements.