In light of International Women’s Day, SEEK backed startup Sidekicker is celebrating some of the women who are furthering their dreams and goals by taking advantage of the flexible work Sidekicker provides its 11,000 employees.
The employment landscape has drastically changed over the past decade, from one where many stayed in the same career for most of their working life, to a landscape where job changes and career pivots can happen multiple times a year.
Due to an increasing desire for better and more flexible work/life balance, many workers are choosing short-term roles over long-term employment, with analysts forecasting that 40% of the Australian workforce will be working casually by 2020 (currently at 30%).
Sidekicker is a mobile app that facilitates a connection between workers (known as Sidekicks) seeking short-term roles in skilled labour verticals, with businesses looking to capitalise on the agility and flexibility a casual workforce can offer.
“In light of International Women’s Day, Sidekicker is celebrating the women who Sidekick to further their dreams and goals,” says Sidekicker co-founder Jacqui Bull. “Our core mission at Sidekicker is help people reach their potential, and the stories we are celebrating as part of International Women’s Day include mums looking to re-enter the workforce at their own pace, young women discovering exhilarating new career pathways, and Olympic skiers fitting in work around their training schedules. We are really excited to celebrate the women changing the status quo of The Career Woman.”
Taylah O’Neill
‘Sidekicks’ around her training schedule as a Winter Olympic Athlete
Taylah O’Neill is an Olympic Freestyle Mogul Skier, competing in 2014 Winter Olympics, narrowly missing out on the 2018 games. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Media, in PR and Advertising at the University of New South Wales.
Her long term goals? The Winter Olympic Games in 2022, followed by a career in PR.
Taylah uses Sidekicker to find flexible work in the events industry to make some extra money on the side between her training camps.
“As an elite athlete and university student (currently studying a Bachelor of Media at UNSW) my schedule is quite busy and always changing,” Taylah says. “It’s difficult for me to commit to a full-time or even part-time role, as I am never home longer than 3 weeks at a time. Sidekicker is the perfect platform for me as it allows me to pick and choose when I work. I am able to fit in some one-off jobs here and there enabling me to make some money to go towards both my sporting career and general lifestyle.”
Felicity McGlinn
From temp working to Operations Manager of Disruptive Accounting Startup
After returning from a stint living in Europe, Felicity became a Sidekick hoping to discover what career she wanted to pursue by trying out a few different jobs. Through Sidekicker, she picked up a temp role as an office manager with accounting firm Liston Landers. Liston Landers were blown away with Felicity’s talent and approached Sidekicker asking if they could hire Felicity full-time to head up their disruptive new technology startup Bigger Fish.
“Prior to becoming a Sidekick, taking on the role of Operations Manager for a disruptive startup is something I never even dreamt of. To have the opportunity to do what I do now can only be described as spectacular.”
Anna Baker
Back To Work Mum Chooses When And Where She Works
Anna Baker is a new mum and highly skilled hospitality worker and train business admin professional, who was suffering from self-doubt and guilt for wanting to get back into the workforce, unsure of how to approach the transition.
“Finding Sidekicker and having simple access to short-term shift work has given me the opportunity ease myself back into the workforce,” Anna explains. “The flexibility of being able to choose the hours I work around my home commitments lets me put my children first. It’s opened so many doors and possibilities for me and re-ignited my passion for hospitality. I have been able to find myself again outside of family life, get my confidence back within the hospitality industry and see a real career path for myself.”
Deborah Rogers
International Opera Singer who Sidekicks in-between tours
Deborah Rogers is an international opera singer, who Sidekicks in Australia and New Zealand to make extra money in between her world tours.
Debora explains, “As a contracted performer, being a Sidekick gives me all the flexibility I need and the ability to meet new people, have new experiences and at the same time be available to enjoy my passion. The versatility and ease flexible work allows me to do the thing I love the most. Now jobs can fit around my schedule, instead of the other way around.”
Alice Burrows
From Sidekicking to Community Operations Specialist at Global Powerhouse Uber
Alice Burrows became a Sidekick in 2016. One of her Sidekick jobs was in promotions for Uber Eats. Standing out as exceptional worker, Alice was picked up by Uber Eats head office staff and over the past 2 years has worked her way up to become the Community Operations Specialist for Uber ANZ.
“Sidekicker can either be your full-time job, or a doorway to opportunity you’ve never even dreamt of. As the Community Operations Specialist at Uber I get to be customer obsessed, which is a really fulfilling and incredible role. I work closely with Uber team to ensure our customer support is world-class and our processes optimised for seamless customer experience. They don’t tell you about these types of roles at school.”