Sarah Meredith
Director
What work do you do?
I’m the Australian Country Director at Global Citizen – a community of people around the world who want to take action to end extreme poverty. My role is to grow the Global Citizen movement in Australia and the region.
When you were at school did you know what you wanted to do?
No, when I was at school, I wanted to be a netball umpire. I loved everything about the sport and wanted to be part of it in my professional career. Through my participation in sport, I became involved in the local community and that eventually led to me getting involved in politics.
Who helped you get to where you are today?
My mum has been the biggest support. She is the person that has been with me the whole way through the ups and the downs. She has also given me with lots of wisdom and perspective on life, love and she’s been there for all of the wins.
How did you get started?
I’ve always been passionate about how we look after the vulnerable in our community. I have sponsored children overseas since I was 18 but I didn’t feel like that was enough. I was hungry to know how we solve the bigger challenge of extreme poverty. In 2010 I started my Master of International Development which I completed in 2015. After many years working in ministerial offices, I wanted to work in the international development policy space.
Has technology changed your industry in the last 5-10 years?
Yes; Global Citizen harnesses technology to engage with as many people as possible in our mission to see a world without extreme poverty by 2030. At globalcitizen.org we have actions that people can take right now to secure policy change and new commitments towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (17 goals that are the world’s roadmap to ending extreme poverty). To create change we need as many voices as possible. We’ve been able to channel the potential of tech platforms, social media and apps to give millions of people a strategy and easy actions to seek change.
Do you have any advice for girls thinking about a career in your industry?
My advice is to be confident in who you are and your values, fiercely curious in whatever job you do and how to be good at it (from reception to executive). Also, be willing to take advice and direction from people. I have jumped into a couple of professions and I hope to try new areas – we have a long career and it will present many opportunities. Be patient and kind to those you work with at all levels. Perspective and work-life-balance is something I’m constantly working to get right and I’d advise any young person to remember that you only get one life, so try to look after yourself and if you lose perspective, stop and think through next steps.
What makes you feel strong at work?
Confidence is really important to me and it’s taken me a long time to find true self-confidence. In fact, I think it is a lifelong journey. To me the only way I feel confident is when I keep promises to myself. For example, I wanted to run 5kms for a long time, but it wasn’t until I blocked three training sessions a week in my calendar and secured a coach to help me get through the tough times that I was able to do it. That was my commitment to myself and the more I stuck to it and delivered on my promise, the more confident I felt. I also think that is true of boundaries and relationships. If you have an important value, it’s important to uphold that.
What was your biggest fail along the way?
I fail all the time, but for me the biggest failures have happened when I jump too quickly into a decision with emotion. There is plenty of time to review and you need to know your value.
What is your biggest accomplishment to date?
My proudest achievement is running 5km believe it or not. I know it is small, but I worked so hard and it changed my life. I think all of the things I value the most have been the hardest to achieve. Securing my master’s degree whilst working full time for a Cabinet Minister was also pretty gruelling – lots of all-nighters, which I don’t recommend!
In your wildest dreams, what would you love to do every single day and get paid for it?
I’d love to be a travel blogger, review all of the best cities in the world, dive into different cultures and explore the natural wonders of the world. I’d love to find my favourite place to watch a sunset!
Contact
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