It takes a village

As a Senior Comms and Engagement Advisor at Development Victoria for the past four years, Kelly Olsson has worked on some exciting and diverse projects before she embarked on the biggest one of her life.

Becoming a mother.

In March 2021, Kelly took parental leave from Development Victoria and weeks later she and husband Rob welcomed their daughter Imogen into the world.

The next few months were a special time for the new parents as they bonded with their daughter and adjusted to their new life. Towards the end of 2021 Kelly started preparing to return to work and was delighted that she was able to come back on a flexible arrangement.

Since returning from parental leave in February 2022, Kelly works Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays every week – but crams enough into those three days!

Kelly says the support of her manager, colleagues and the business overall made the transition back to work seamless.

“Prior to returning I met with my manager and my request to work on a part-time basis, three days a week, was met without question."

“Any feelings of trepidation and unease I had about returning to work immediately disappeared and was a reminder to me that my team represent Development Victoria’s core values,” Kelly says.

“Learning a new way of working was a challenge, figuring out how to best deliver my work priorities in a shortened 3-day week and setting expectations of my colleagues."

“Fortunately, this was made easy with the knowledge that I was not being judged for having to juggle priorities at home and at work. What mattered most was that I delivered my work to the same high standard and on time."

“Most importantly my project workload was decreased to reflect what I could realistically achieve in a part-time work week. I was also placed on two fantastic projects I had been working on prior to going on parental leave and was able to pick up where I had left off."

“This was integral to minimising the feeling of being a new starter all over again.”

Development Victoria provides unique and rewarding career opportunities, which are enhanced by our diverse range of projects that really matter to people and to the future of our state – making every workday worthwhile.

The diversity and complexity of our work means we look for people with a broad range of skills, experience and qualifications to join our team.

We are proud to support a culture where our people thrive because of the diversity that they bring – this is recognised as key to the success of our organisation.