From BusOps to be kicking goals as a Project Manager 

“I have been lucky to have inspiring mentors at LAB³ who have believed in my ability to achieve my career goals. I feel just as supported by the team today as I did 5 years ago when I first joined.” 

Karly enjoys being part of the collaborative work environment at LAB³ just as much as she looks forward to playing sport at the end of her workday. On the soccer pitch, Karly excels in defensive positions where she brings strategy to help the team succeed. At work, Karly is also a formidable team player and aims to keep everyone on-side to achieve the common goal of ensuring great client outcomes. 

Recently Karly achieved an ambition to become a Project Manager having originally joined LAB³ as a member of the BusOps team.  

“When I joined LAB³ the company was in the startup phase and it was an exciting time to be in BusOps, helping establish and mature that side of the business,” says Karly. As time passed, Karly’s role became less challenging for her, and she became interested in the delivery side of the business. Karly set her sights on becoming a project manager. 

“Working directly with clients appealed to me, and because I enjoyed the vibe at LAB³, I approached my manager about my desire to change career direction and become a PM. My request was supported from the outset, and I have been encouraged every step of the way.” 

Along with the supportive culture at LAB³, Karly also appreciates the opportunity for remote work. Not only has she been encouraged to grow her career, but she has also been able to spend more time with family and pursue her love of team sports. 

“I live quite close to my parents and with remote work it is possible for me to take up impromptu invitations to go around to their house for dinner on a weeknight. It also makes it easier for me to fit in my training and competitions,” says Karly. 

Over winter Karly plays high-level soccer for a State League club and trains for this mid-week. She also plays social indoor soccer and netball year-round, enjoying the social connections as well as the physical work out. 

“Sport has always been an important part of my life, as a chance to completely switch off from my studies and work,” says Karly.

“It makes it so much easier to commit to team sports working from home, knowing that at the end of the day, I can eat and rest a little before training without having to face a long commute and rush.” 

When Karly moved across to the LAB³ Project Management Office, she thrived on the challenge of learning a new profession. She credits her background in BusOps as giving her a head start with some aspects of being a project manager, in terms of understanding procurement, invoicing, and HR. As her responsibilities increased Karly gained confidence to undertake all the tasks involved in being a project manager throughout the project lifecycle, including the art of client engagement. 

“I was lucky to be placed on a client facing project in a support role, under the guidance of a senior project manager. I learnt so much by observation and asking questions – of everybody in the PM community. Everyone was always generous with their time,” says Karly. 

Understanding the technology was more of a challenge and continues to keep Karly on her toes, but with the help of engineers she has gained the level of understanding needed to guide projects.  

“I am comfortable acknowledging I don’t know a lot about technology, especially with new versions being released ongoing,” says Karly. “My strength is listening to understand the client’s questions and requirements, and then consulting with the engineers, and vice versa. In most meetings with clients the Engineering team are represented and cover the technical questions.” 

Now as a fully-fledged Project Manager, Karly has embraced the advice of her PM mentors in how to approach the role.

“My motto is to build an environment where engineers are supported in their roles. Just as I feel comfortable in approaching them with my questions, they can be unafraid to approach me with their questions or issues, so together we can kick goals for clients.”