Career development is an ongoing process where individuals strategically enhance their skills, knowledge and experiences to advance in their chosen profession. It’s not just about climbing the corporate ladder, it’s about continuous growth, building meaningful relationships and making the most of opportunities.
Angie Deegan’s public health career exemplifies this approach. From her early days as a policy and project officer to her current role as a health promotion and policy manager, she has navigated her career with purpose and adaptability. In this article, Angie shares the key moments that shaped her path, how she progressed her career and her practical tips for professional growth.
About Angie Deegan
Angie Deegan holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Honours) in health promotion from Deakin University and a Master of Public Health specialising in public health policy from La Trobe University.
She has over 20 years of experience spanning a multitude of roles including working as a project officer at Cancer Council Victoria, an assistant director at the Australian Department of Health and as a policy and engagement manager at the Aged Care Workforce Industry Council. Currently, Angie works as a health promotion and policy manager for the City of Melbourne.
How Angie’s career evolved over time
Like many others, Angie’s career journey hasn’t been linear. Instead, it has featured a series of peaks and troughs.
Early beginnings: from theory to real-world practice
Angie’s first professional role was as a policy and project officer for the Australian Community Support Organisation (ACSO) where the organisation supported individuals recently released from prison in reintegrating back into the community.
This role was pivotal for Angie, providing her with real-world exposure to health theory in practice. Hearing the personal stories of individuals who had ended up in prison or struggled with drug use allowed her to experience the “demonstration of the social determinants of health in practice.” Angie shares that while she had encountered these theoretical concepts in university, experiencing the real-world implications directly was eye-opening and foundational to her early career.
After her role at ACSO, Angie moved into a role at the Cancer Council. Not long after, she was approached for a general practice liaison coordinator position at Diabetes Australia. Here, she learned about the vital role that GPs play in healthcare delivery and how important it was to provide them with adequate support.
Most significant growth: the WorkSafe years
Thereafter, Angie moved into a role at WorkSafe. The role had a steep learning curve and it was here that Angie experienced the most significant career growth.
“I’d worked for not-for-profits until that point,” Angie shares. “So when I moved to WorkSafe, it was a big organisation with a lot of governance and structure in place. There were also really high expectations because we were implementing this multi-million dollar program that had a lot of scrutiny.”
Despite the challenges, Angie flourished at WorkSafe, progressing from senior project officer to senior policy officer, ministerial WorkHealth advisory group secretary and into a managerial role over a nine-year tenure.
Embracing change: taking a leap of faith
Following her success at WorkSafe, Angie continued to explore new opportunities across various government roles. Over a span of three years, she served as assistant director at the Australian Department of Health as part of the COVID-19 outbreak management team and at Comcare, where she led a project that showed how early intervention in injury management could significantly improve outcomes.
Although she had a permanent role at Comcare, Angie decided to pivot and take on a role at the Aged Care Workforce Industry Council. She started out as a policy and engagement manager before stepping into an acting executive director role.
Reflecting on the experience, she shares, “It was a really good learning experience as I got to work really closely with the board and learn from CEOs of really big aged care organisations and facilities who were trying to balance so many priorities.”
When plans don’t match reality
Not every career move, however, went as expected. When funding for her role at the Aged Care Workforce Industry Council came to an end, Angie accepted a role as director of stakeholder engagement at the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.
She soon discovered, however, that the role differed from her initial expectations. “I thought that the role would really be about stakeholder engagement, but it turned out to be much more of a secretariat role.”
This experience also led her to reflect on where her true passion lied. “I was working with one of my team members who had a really strong passion for aged care. Upon reflecting, I realised that I had the same level of passion for public health. It was then that I was like, this has been great and I’ve learned a lot but it’s time to go back to my roots.”
This realisation led Angie to step into her current role as a health promotion and policy manager at the City of Melbourne. Here, she manages a team of nine, overseeing public health initiatives in areas such as food policy, mental health and wellbeing and smoking and vaping.
Ways that Angie progressed her career
Looking back at Angie’s career trajectory, it’s clear that her success came from a combination of seizing opportunities and taking deliberate steps to develop her capabilities. From developing leadership skills to advocating for herself, here’s some ways how Angie actively shaped her career progression.
By developing her leadership skills
One of the ways that Angie developed her leadership skills early in her career was by supervising students during their placement at WorkSafe.
“Often, universities would approach different organisations to mentor or supervise students when they’re finishing their placements,” she explains. Angie embraced these opportunities, using the experience as a springboard to build her leadership skills, allowing her to “gain the confidence and experience to manage and lead people.”
She also took part in a mentoring program with Juno Consulting, where she mentored a young person who had been unemployed for some time, helping them take steps towards securing paid employment.
Beyond developing her leadership abilities, Angie found these experiences to also aid her when she was applying for roles. “It gives you examples to draw on in interviews for management or leadership positions,” she notes. Rather than speaking about leadership in abstract terms, she was instead able to reference specific situations where she had mentored and guided others.
Through leveraging her master’s qualification
Completing a Master of Public Health specialising in policy couldn’t have come at a better time for Angie. Just as she graduated, a policy-focused role opened at WorkSafe. Though initially hesitant about applying, Angie found herself encouraged by colleagues who recognised how well her qualification aligned with the opportunity.
“Colleagues at work knew my postgraduate qualification was in policy and when the position came up, I was strongly encouraged to apply for the role,” she states. “That [ encouragement] gave me the confidence to apply as I thought, ‘okay, people can see that I’ve got the ability,’” she reflects.
Angie’s postgraduate qualification aided her in securing the role and the knowledge that she acquired from her postgraduate degree also helped her with transitioning into the position. In addition, this experience helped to boost her self-confidence and served as a catalyst for future opportunities. “It gave me the confidence to apply for other roles and put my hand up to try new things,” she shares.
Stepping outside her comfort zone
When she was working for Comcare, Angie decided to leave the security of her stable Commonwealth government position for an opportunity at the Aged Care Workforce Industry Council.
While she could have stayed in her role at Comcare, she shared that she sought out a new opportunity as she “was looking for a challenge and keen to try working in a startup environment.”
Despite it being a risky decision since she was joining a small not-for-profit startup that had limited funding, Angie decided to embrace the uncertainty. “I decided I’d give it a go and see what happens because I thought to myself, ‘what’s the worst that could happen?’” she reflects.
The risk paid off as Angie ended up eventually stepping into an acting executive director role where she gained leadership experience, was exposed to high-level strategic decision-making and developed organisational leadership skills.
Embracing a growth mindset
From the beginning of her career, Angie demonstrated a willingness to evolve and seek new challenges rather than staying comfortable in familiar territory.
“In my role at ACSO, I loved it and learnt a lot," she says. “But I got to a point where I wanted to do something different. I realised I hadn’t really used my health promotion skills yet, so I was keen to find a job where I was working in a health promotion organisation.” This led her to transition from her role at ACSO to a role in Cancer Council Victoria.
This growth mindset continued to guide Angie’s decisions as she progressed through her career. Whenever new opportunities arose, Angie viewed them through a lens of growth and she’d think to herself, “This opportunity is here, it’s new, it’s different and it gives me a chance to evolve.”
Advocating for her own value
A pivotal moment for Angie occurred while at the Aged Care Workforce Industry Council. After the CEO left, her manager stepped into an acting CEO role and Angie found herself taking on her manager’s former responsibilities. “I was doing a lot of the work that she had done but I was still in the same role,” she recalls.
Rather than hoping someone would notice the additional work she had taken on, Angie proactively initiated a conversation with her manager. “I spoke to her and I said, ‘ I think that I’ve taken on an additional role. I’m taking on the tasks that you used to do, but I don’t feel like it’s being represented by my title or my wage,’” she explains.
By advocating for her own value, she was able to negotiate a successful outcome. “I was able to negotiate a role as acting executive director,” she shares. “We negotiated a pay rise as well because I was doing extra hours and taking on more responsibility.”
Networking and building relationships
Networking played an important role throughout Angie’s career journey. Within the tightly-knit public health sector, she shared that opportunities often arose through personal connections and word-of-mouth recommendations.
“Public health isn’t huge,” she explains. “Sometimes you hear on the street that there’s a new job coming up, or people in the network will let you know. A lot of it is word-of-mouth and knowing people in the industry.”
This is exactly how Angie learned about a role at WorkSafe. A former colleague from Cancer Council who had moved to WorkSafe reached out to Angie when she was preparing to leave her position. “She contacted me and said, ‘I’m leaving this job, but I think this would be a good job for you,’” Angie recalls. “That’s how I found out about the opportunity.”
Angie knew the role was geared towards someone with both a clinical background and public health experience, so she wasn’t sure she’d be the right fit. However, she ended up getting the role and later discovered the vital role that her former colleague’s recommendation played.
“I found out afterwards that if I hadn’t had coffee with my former colleague, who then recommended me and told the manager to keep an eye out for my CV, they probably wouldn’t have interviewed me,” Angie says.
Angie’s tips for career growth
Throughout her diverse career journey, Angie has learned valuable lessons about professional growth and advancement. Here are some of the tips she’s shared:
Seek informal leadership opportunities
Angie emphasises that there are multiple ways to build leadership skills, even without being in a formal leadership role. “You might not be managing a staff member, but you could be in a position to influence others or lead a project,” she explains. “You’re still setting expectations, creating a vision and checking in to make sure things are getting done.”
These informal opportunities allow you to build essential leadership capabilities while also giving you a chance to test the waters and see if stepping into a formal leadership role is the right fit for you.
Keep up-to-date with what’s happening
Particularly relevant for public health, Angie emphasises the importance of staying informed about developments in the field. “I think it’s important to stay up-to-date with what’s happening. So, being aware of policy changes, new budget items and maintaining that broader awareness of how these things affect your role. It helps you connect the dots and see the bigger picture,” she advises.
Get an outside perspective
Sometimes we’re our own worst critics, which is why Angie recommends seeking advice from trusted colleagues or friends, especially when you’re feeling uncertain about your abilities or what your next steps should be.
“I think sometimes we tend to undersell ourselves,” she says. “If you’re writing a job application or are unsure about applying, it’s always helpful to get advice from a trusted colleague or friend. I’ve had moments where I wrote an application, asked a friend to review it and they said, ‘Are you serious? You’ve written this, but you’ve actually done so much more.’ And I’ve done the same for others too, pointing out where they’ve undersold themselves and encouraging them to highlight their strengths further.”
Document your achievements
Angie recommends tracking your achievements regularly. “Write down the achievements you're proud of. It’s a great way to remind yourself of what you’ve done and you can also look at it when you’re having a bad week to remind yourself of what you’ve achieved so far.”
In addition to the above, having your accomplishments on hand can also be helpful for when you’re preparing for a job interview or updating your resume.
Ask for feedback
Another key tip from Angie is to actively seek feedback and be open to hearing both sides, whether that be the positives or the areas for improvement.
“Don’t get upset if the feedback is critical. It’s about looking at how you can use that information to grow, change or learn. If you ask someone for feedback and then react badly because you don’t like what they say, they’ll be less likely to give you feedback again. You have to show that you genuinely want to hear it and that you’re open to taking it on board,” she shares.
Don’t limit yourself to your role
Angie shares that while it’s easy to stay within the boundaries of your position description, growth often comes from stepping beyond it. As long as you’re mindful of your capacity and won’t burnout, she recommends, “just saying yes when something sounds interesting and you think you can gain some experience or knowledge.”
Cultivate positive working relationships
Angie emphasises the value of building positive working relationships throughout your career. “Being a team player helps build positive relationships with your colleagues, especially since you never know who you might end up working with down the track”, she says.
This is especially pertinent for a close-knit field like public health where today’s colleague could be tomorrow’s hiring manager or the peer who recommends you for your next opportunity.
Invest in continuous learning
While Angie’s Master of Public Health has proved to be valuable throughout her career, aiding her in aspects such as “writing internal policy, documentation and understanding how policy applies,” Angie also recommends investing in other aspects of professional development to complement your core expertise.
In her case, she completed a women in leadership course and explored areas like strategic planning and strategic thinking. “I look for opportunities to strengthen my skills along the way. Not just in public health, but in other areas as well,” she explains. “As you move up, you need things like leadership and strategic thinking so I try to fill those gaps or give myself a framework to use in work that I don't have through my public health qualifications.”
Demonstrate impact in every interview
When it comes to job interviews, Angie emphasises the importance of showcasing your impact, not just outlining the process.
“Make sure you highlight the results,” she explains. “ A lot of people talk about the steps they took and the actions involved, but they forget to mention the outcome. In an interview, it’s important to show what you actually achieved, not just what you did.”
Advance your public health career with these postgraduate healthcare courses
Inspired by Angie’s journey? If you’re looking to follow a similar path or advance your existing healthcare career, postgraduate education can be a game-changer. Just as Angie’s Master of Public Health opened doors and boosted her confidence, the right postgraduate qualification could position you for greater opportunities and career growth.
Public health postgraduate courses
Whether you’re new to public health or looking to deepen your expertise, these courses can provide the knowledge to jumpstart or advance your career in public health.
Graduate Certificate in Public Health
Perfect for busy professionals, most of these qualifications can be completed part-time and will provide you with essential public health foundations without the long-term commitment. It’s ideal if you’re already working in the field or looking to pivot into public health from another sector.
In the Graduate Certificate in Public Health at Victoria University, for example, you’ll complete the course in eight months part-time and study foundational units such as Public Health in Practice, Culture and Society in Public Health and Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
Want to be able to tailor your studies? The Graduate Certificate in Public Health at the University of Technology Sydney allows you to select electives tailored to your interests and career goals.
The courses below are listed by qualification level, from lowest to highest.
Graduate Diploma in Public Health
Looking to dive deeper? Consider completing the Graduate Diploma in Public Health at the University of Technology Sydney. You’ll be able to complete this degree in 16 months part-time and study units such as Health Promotion, Social Perspectives in Public Health and Fundamentals of Epidemiology.
Master’s in Public Health
A Master of Public Health is a comprehensive qualification that is typically completed over 18 to 24 months part-time. Many courses also offer specialisation streams allowing you to focus on areas such as health promotion, global health leadership or data analytics.
Victoria University’s Master of Public Health course, for example, offers a specialisation in health promotion where you’ll be able to undertake health promotion focused units such as Innovative and Evidence-Based Health Promotion and Global Contexts of Health Promotion Practice with Diverse Populations.
Health leadership postgraduate courses
These leadership-focused courses may be ideal if you’re looking to develop the management, leadership and strategic thinking skills essential for career advancement.
The Master of Healthcare Leadership at Southern Cross University is designed for ambitious healthcare professionals ready to lead change. You’ll be able to choose from a range of electives and complete core units such as Contemporary Health Leadership, Leading Change in Healthcare and Building a Professional Portfolio.
For those seeking to develop business acumen skills, the Master of Business Administration (Health) at the University of Technology Sydney could be a good fit. The course combines healthcare knowledge with business skills in areas such as accounting, marketing, finance and strategy. Ideal if you’re eyeing roles that bridge healthcare and business sectors.
The courses below are listed by qualification level, from lowest to highest.
Take the next step in advancing your career
Angie’s story shows that strategies such as building relationships, staying open to new opportunities and continuously developing your skills can help with career advancement and professional growth.
If you’re ready to invest in your professional development through postgraduate study, browse the full range of postgraduate courses in psychology, counselling, mental health, nursing, public health and social work on GlobalHealth Education. To apply, simply select a course and enquire to speak with a Student Enrolment Advisor.
Book a complimentary professional development strategy call with our Education Consultant, Catriona.
