Pivoting Before Redundancy Hit: Lisa’s Story
From Career Pivot and Redundancy to Recognised Expertise and Future Security
Business, Project Management & Compliance“I wanted to be ready before everything changed, not after.”
Highest Qualification Achieved
BSB50420 Diploma of Leadership & Management
BSB50820 Diploma of Project Management
Other Qualification Achieved
BSB50120 Diploma of Business (Compliance)
Key Outcomes at a Glance
Drawing on her diverse career experience, Lisa used Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) to strengthen her position before redundancy and prepare for future opportunities.
Project Officer and Business Improvement Specialist
Job Level
Diploma of Project Management
Diploma
Recognised Before Redundancy
RPL Completion
Business, VET, Compliance, Project Delivery
Industry
Project Officer and Business Improvement Specialist
Job Level
Diploma of Project Management
Diploma
Recognised Before Redundancy
RPL Completion
Business, VET, Compliance, Project Delivery
Industry
Background and Starting Point
Lisa built a broad career across industries, developing strong business, training and project delivery capability over time.
Previous Role
Business Development and Training Roles
Industry
Hospitality, Events, VET, Government-Funded Training
At This Point
Facing Redundancy and Career Uncertainty
The Journey Begins
1
Early career progression
Lisa started in a business traineeship and quickly moved into business development roles, gaining early exposure to sales, operations and client management.
2
Building a diverse career
She went on to work across multiple industries, including hospitality, events and training, building capability in program delivery, facilitation and stakeholder engagement.
3
Career pivot and growing responsibility
Lisa transitioned into the VET sector, where she delivered large-scale programs and later moved into operational and project-based roles, taking on increasing responsibility.
Why Churchill Education?
Why Lisa Cox Decided on RPL with Churchill
Learn more about the decision that helped Lisa prepare for change and strengthen her career position.
“I needed RPL done and dusted to put it on my resume.”
Key Reasons
Lisa recognised that her experience had been built over time but was not formally documented in a way that employers could easily assess.
With redundancy approaching, she needed to act quickly to ensure she was competitive in the job market.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) provided a fast and practical way to convert her experience into nationally recognised qualifications.
The Turning Point
Lisa’s story highlights the importance of acting early and positioning yourself before change happens.
Background Journey
Lisa built her career through hands-on experience and growing responsibilities, balancing professional demands with family life. As her role evolved and priorities shifted, she recognised the importance of securing her future—prompting her to take a proactive approach to formalising her experience.
Phase 01
Changing priorities
As a working mother, Lisa’s focus shifted toward balance, flexibility and long-term career stability.
Phase 02
Increased responsibility
She was selected to lead a major organisational project, managing large-scale process mapping and transformation work.
Phase 03
Redundancy confirmed
Funding changes meant her organisation would close, creating urgency around her next career move.
Phase 04
Taking proactive action
Lisa gathered her evidence while still employed and completed her RPL before leaving the organisation.
Phase 05
Qualifications awarded
She achieved three nationally recognised qualifications aligned to her real-world experience.
Challenges and How They Were Overcome
Every career journey has obstacles. Discover how Lisa addressed hers through RPL.
Who this is suitable for
Challenge 1: Limited Time and Competing Priorities
Balancing work, family and career planning made traditional study unrealistic.
Solution 1: RPL Pathway
RPL allowed Lisa to gain qualifications without additional study, using experience she already had.
Challenge 2: Career Uncertainty
Facing redundancy created pressure and uncertainty about future opportunities.
Solution 2: Prepared Before the Transition
By completing RPL early, Lisa positioned herself strongly before entering the job market.
Career Outcome and Impact
How gaining nationally recognised qualifications through RPL strengthened Lisa’s career and future readiness
Project Officer and Business Improvement Specialist
Security and Risk Consultant, Co-Founder HALO Training
Business, Project Management & ComplianceImmediate Credibility
Her qualifications made her experience visible and competitive in the job market.
Formal Validation
RPL confirmed the value of her experience across leadership, projects and compliance.
Career Progression
Lisa is now positioned to move confidently into new roles aligned with her capability.
Future Security
She is better prepared to navigate future career changes and opportunities.
The RPL Experience
What Lisa’s journey was really like
Initial Communication
Lisa became aware of Churchill through local visibility and internal recommendations.
Gathering Evidence
She organised her work into structured folders, making the process efficient and manageable.
Support Along the Way
Churchill provided guidance in aligning her experience with the right qualifications.
Recognition of Real Experience
RPL allowed Lisa to convert years of work into recognised qualifications without starting again.
Lisa’s Advice to Others
Guidance from someone who prepared early and took control of her career
“Things can change quickly, and you need to be thinking in advance about your career.
If you’re preparing for change, do what you can ahead of time, because once you’re time poor, it becomes much harder.”
Lisa
Looking Back: Reflection and Summary
Lisa’s final thoughts on taking control before her career was disrupted
“It made me realise the value of everything I’ve done and gave me confidence going into what’s next.”
Lisa
Don’t Wait
Prepare before change happens.
Get Organised Early
Your evidence is easier to access while you are still in the role.
Recognise Your Experience
You’ve likely achieved more than you realise.
Plan Ahead
Think strategically about your career before disruption occurs.
Use RPL
Recognition of Prior Learning helps you formalise your experience quickly and effectively.