The 20 Minute Career

Jane Butler
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Have you ever said "I wish someone had told me what the job was actually like" or "I wish I knew that job existed" If you have or you're trying to avoid thinking it in five years from now this show is for you. The 20 Minute Career gives students, graduates and real professionals the honest conversations about jobs and careers that nobody else is having. Twenty minutes. One real professional. Zero filter. Every episode covers the Path, Pressure, Price and Payoff of careers across every industry. Real people. Real jobs. Honest conversations. Follow now. www.the20minutecareer.com

  1. 2d ago

    Muay Thai Gym Founder — She Built Confidence Through Discipline

    Sarah Clisdell spent 18 years climbing the corporate ladder before she ever stepped into a boxing ring. Straight out of school, Sarah moved roles and industries every 18 months, testing out different paths until she landed in one corporate role for the next 18 years. She built a career around big job titles, big pay packets and proving to herself she was capable. Then, in her 40s, she hit a wall in both her career and her fitness journey, and found Muay Thai. In this episode, Sarah takes us through her honest path from corporate leader to owner and coach of RISE Muay Thai Fitness, a women's only gym she built from the ground up during COVID. We talk about the discipline that carried her from corporate life into the ring, the loneliness of running a business alone, and why she still doesn't feel "ready" for what's next, and does it anyway. We cover: Why she left a stable corporate career to open her own gym in the middle of a pandemicThe emotional cost of business ownership no one talks aboutHow she structures her day around a 4am start to protect her most productive hoursWhy she works with a business coach, even as the coachThe skills from corporate life that carried straight into running RISEWhy communication will matter more, not less, as AI reshapes workWhat she'd tell her 20 year old self about fear and failure This one's for anyone who feels stuck choosing between stability and what actually lights them up. Especially the students and career changers who think starting over means starting from zero, it doesn't. Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.

  2. Aug 4

    SaaS Solutions Consultant - What The Job Actually Involves

    Anna Lohkemper didn't grow up dreaming of a career in tech. She grew up dreaming of Broadway. At 18, Anna moved to New York for musical theatre school, chasing a career in performance. After two years of auditions against hundreds of girls fighting for the same roles, the dream didn't work out. She moved home to Atlanta feeling like a complete failure, and started over. In this episode, Anna takes us through her honest, non-linear path from performer to Solutions Consultant at Workday, and how the skills she built on stage, reading a room, adapting on the spot, staying calm under pressure, are the exact skills carrying her through boardrooms across Europe and the Middle East today. We cover: What a Solutions Consultant actually does day to dayWhy the "5% of the job is the demo, 95% is the prep"How she juggles 25-30 live opportunities at onceBecoming the trusted advisor in the room, and why that matters more than being the salespersonHow she uses AI to manage note-taking, follow-ups and RFP responsesThe real cost of the role: travel, always being "on," and switching offWhy she believes nothing she learned chasing her dream was ever wasted This one's for anyone who feels like their path took a detour it wasn't supposed to. Especially the students, parents and mid-career professionals who think their old skills don't count for anything, they usually do. Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.

  3. Jul 28

    What Nobody Tells You About Digital Marketing

    What does a digital marketer actually do all day? Danni Russell started out studying science at university, then left after realising a lab job wasn't for her. She eventually found her way into digital marketing — and now runs her own digital marketing agency. In this episode, Danni breaks down digital marketing careers in plain terms why it's less about clever captions and more about data, testing, and numbers. What you'll learn: The difference between SEO and AEO (AI engine optimisation), and why it matters nowHow AI has quietly shaped marketing for years, long before ChatGPT made it obviousWhy a scroll-stopping ad still won't save you if your landing page has a broken buttonWhat a day in the life of a digital marketer really looks likeThe skills that will matter most as AI takes over the busyworkWhat it's like running your own marketing agency, including the lifestyle trade-offs If you're a student considering a marketing career, or you think digital marketing is just clever captions and pretty ads, this conversation will change your mind. Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.

  4. Jul 21

    Electrician - The Trade That Builds Its Own Business

    Josh Nicholls left school in Year 10, started his electrical apprenticeship at 15, and by 22 had launched his own business with nothing but a van and a plan. Twenty-five years later, he's the founder of two national companies, Platinum Electricals and Jet Black Plumbing, and he's already stepped back from the day-to-day. In this episode, Josh breaks down what it actually takes to go from apprentice to business owner: why you don't need to be the best tradesperson to succeed, how to build a business that can run without you, and why he believes EQ will matter more than any technical skill as AI reshapes the workplace. This one's for any student weighing up a trade, an apprenticeship, or starting their own business one day. Josh proves the traditional path isn't the only path to success. In this episode: Starting an apprenticeship at 15 with zero understanding of electrical workWhy "focus on your strengths, delegate your weaknesses" changed everythingBuilding two national businesses without sacrificing family timeWhy trades won't be replaced by AIHis advice to his 20-year-old self Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.

  5. Jul 14

    Industrial Organisational Psychology - The Psychology job that isn't therapy

    What do psychologists actually do at work if they're not a therapist? Jaymon Kirk is an Industrial Organisational (IO) Psychologist at HireVue, one of the world's leading hiring assessment companies. His job is to apply psychology science to hiring making sure the AI-powered tools companies use to assess candidates are valid, fair, and actually predict who will do well in the role. In this episode Jaymon breaks down what Industrial Organisational psychology is, how he accidentally ended up in the field (he started engineering), and what it looks like to apply psychology inside global organisations across Australia, Asia and the US. What you'll learn: What IO psychology actually is and how it differs from clinical or counselling psychologyHow AI is being used in hiring right now and why the human psychology lens mattersHow Jaymon went from engineering to working with global companiesWhy critical thinking is the skill he thinks matters most for young peopleWhat he wishes he'd known at 20 Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.

  6. Jul 7

    Prospect Development & Research - The Detective Job Behind Big Donations

    Ever wondered who tracks down the wealthy people who give away millions to universities, charities and causes? This week on The 20 Minute Career, Jane talks to Stephanie Papadopolous who works in Prospect Development/Research at the University of Sydney, uncovering and researching the donors behind major philanthropic gifts a career almost nobody knows exists. Steph's path in was anything but linear. She studied journalism, then made a pivot to veterinary science. Decided to do some travelling and did some marketing in Spain before returning to Sydney and landing ther job in Prospect development where she researches and identifies potential donors for one of Australia's largest university advancement teams. In this episode, Steph breaks down what Prospect Development/Research actually involves, why due diligence is becoming a bigger part of the job, and how AI is already shifting her team's work from generating information to reviewing it. Underneath it all, she's clear that people skills and human judgement are what keep the role from ever being fully automated and that watching a gift finally land, like a recent $100 million donation for STEM scholarships, is what makes the work worth it. What we cover: How Steph landed in a career she'd never heard of, via journalism, vet science and a stint in SpainWhat Prospect Development/Research actually is, and how it fits into the philanthropic funnelWhy due diligence and risk assessment are a growing part of the roleThe difference between fundraiser personalities and prospect development personalitiesHow AI is shifting her team from generating content to reviewing itThe $100 million gift that reminded her why she loves the jobHer honest take on pressure and working in the not-for-profit spaceAdvice on aiming for 70% done, and why she wishes she'd found a mentor sooner Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.

  7. Jun 30

    Field Marketing - The Job That Puts Brands in Real Life

    Ever wondered what a career in marketing actually looks like beyond the creative brief? This week I sits down with Rushenka Perera, VP of Marketing at SAP, to find out what B2B marketing really involves — and it's a lot more than you'd expect. Rushenka shares her honest path into marketing emerging from university straight into a recession and grabbing the first opportunity with both hands. From that starting point she's built a career spanning global teams, major events, and some of the biggest enterprise brands in the world. In this episode Rushenka breaks down what field marketing actually is, why pipeline is the number one goal, and how AI is already reshaping the way her team works from predicting which customers are ready to buy, to replacing hours of manual data analysis. But underneath all of it? Her belief that marketing is fundamentally about human connection. And that's the one thing AI can't replicate. What we cover: How Rushenka found her way into marketing and why she stayedWhat field marketing actually is and what it looks like day to dayWhy pipeline, brand and customer advocacy are the three goals that drive everythingRunning 250+ events a year across Australia and New ZealandHow AI is being used right now inside one of the world's biggest tech companiesThe real cost of working in a fast-paced global tech roleWhy human connection is still the most powerful tool in a marketer's arsenalHer advice on networking, being bold and never having regrets Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.

  8. Jun 23

    Sustainability - The Job That Starts at the Landfill

    What does it actually look like to build a career around reducing waste and do it inside a major retailer? Pen Turnbull didn't plan a career in sustainability. She started by volunteering five hours a week at a tiny social enterprise salvaging timber from earthquake rubble in Christchurch. That one email changed everything. Now she leads waste minimisation and circular economy programs across a large retail group keeping unsellable product out of landfill, shifting how thousands of employees think about materials, and proving that real change happens inside big organisations, not just small ones. In this episode How a late career pivot led to her most purposeful workWhy she chose corporate over social enterprise and why it was the right callThe emotional weight of caring about the planet as part of your jobWhat circular economy actually means in a retail contextWhy she'd tell her 20-year-old If you're drawn to environmental work, sustainability, or any role where your values and your job need to align this one's for you. Subscribe for more honest career conversations, new episodes every Wednesday. 🔗 Everything in one place: https://linktr.ee/the20minutecareer 📲 Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @the20minutecareer 🎙️ The 20 Minute Career — Real People, Real Jobs, Honest Conversations.

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About

Have you ever said "I wish someone had told me what the job was actually like" or "I wish I knew that job existed" If you have or you're trying to avoid thinking it in five years from now this show is for you. The 20 Minute Career gives students, graduates and real professionals the honest conversations about jobs and careers that nobody else is having. Twenty minutes. One real professional. Zero filter. Every episode covers the Path, Pressure, Price and Payoff of careers across every industry. Real people. Real jobs. Honest conversations. Follow now. www.the20minutecareer.com

Information

  • Creator
    Jane Butler
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Jane Butler
  • Show Website
    The 20 Minute Career

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