Professional Development Forum
94 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago -Professional Development Forum (PDF) was established to help diverse young professionalsf find fulfilment in the modern Australian workplace.
We believe that everyone, not the elite few, should have access to the knowledge, mindset and network to develop themselves.
We believe that by becoming the best version of ourselves, we lead a happier, more fulfilling life and inspire those around us to do the same.
We do this by running events that aims to inform, connect and inspire, and share what we learnt with our community.
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Episodes
Webinar: How to get yourself ready for a mentor? with John Di Natale
September 30, 2020 22:00 - 57 minutes - 52.5 MBMentors can help you develop your career and maximise your opportunity for success. So where do you find a mentor? Join us for a interactive session to hear more about the importance of mentorship. Key takeaways from this session: What a mentor is and what it’s not? Why do you need a mentor anyway? Getting clear on what you want and need. How to identify and approach a mentor? Getting the most from the mentor relationship. About John Di Natale: John is passionate about helping you ...
Interview: Don't follow your passion, become passionate following need with Eddie Woo
September 29, 2020 22:00 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MBIn this episode, we speak with Eddie Woo. As Australia’s most famous teacher, Eddie Woo makes mathematics fun. He is the head maths teacher at Cherrybrook High, the largest secondary school in NSW. With infectious enthusiasm, the father-of-three's unique approach to teaching has made maths accessible to everyone. A brilliant student himself, Eddie would have excelled in any field. But in defiance of social conventions and his parents, he chose to pursue a career as a teacher. Eddie's Yout...
Webinar: How to become an exceptional writer with Shani Raja
September 25, 2020 01:30 - 1 hour - 62.9 MBShani shares his “secret sauce” of great writing — the four magical ingredients that can transform even the most dull and mediocre nonfiction writing into engaging and captivating prose. He has helped thousands of students get their writing noticed using this simple but powerful formula. What makes an exceptional writer? Discover the 4 ingredients of exceptional writing o Simplicity o Clarity o Elegance o Evocativeness About Shani Raja: Shani Raja was an editor at The Wall St...
Servant Leadership: Yvonne Lee (Manager, Transport for NSW)
September 23, 2020 22:30 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MBEpisode Theme In this episode, Yvonne Lee and Jeffery explore the concept of servant leadership, what it means, why it works, and if it is a leadership philosophy that is universally effective. About Yvonne Lee Yvonne Lee works at Transport for NSW, she stood up and runs the award winning Transport for NSW Open Data and Innovation Program. Her team manages the platform and the programs to support third party app developers and other interested parties with transport-related data - such a...
PDF Career: The importance of utilising your professional networks with Shayney Liu
September 22, 2020 21:30 - 13 minutes - 12.4 MBIn this episode, Patrick talks to Shayney who has experience in both agency and internal recruitment. They cover key areas in recruitment such as the importance of utilising your professional networks, and what makes a candidate stand out in the current market, as well as the difference in perspectives between the client and the recruitment agency.
Webinar: The Why and How of Optimism with Victor Perton
September 10, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 54.9 MBOptimism may help you live longer and lead better. What is optimism? At its simplest, optimism is an expectation that good things will happen and that things will work out in the end. Join the Optimists Group on LinkedIn with over 1000 people which is great way to surround yourself with optimists. Twitter: Follow @victorperton and @centre4optimism About Victor Perton: Victor Perton is "that optimism man". He is the Founder and Chief Optimism Officer of The Centre for Optimism and also t...
How to prepare for a career as a board director: Michele Phillips (Executive Search Expert)
September 08, 2020 22:30 - 24 minutes - 22.7 MBEpisode Theme Have you ever wondered how board directors and CEOs are selected? How does one make the transition from middle management towards senior leadership? What skills and attributes are vital for success at that level? In this episode, Michele shares the 4 key things she looks for when considering candidates for CEO and board level roles and what you can do to start preparing yourself for that journey ahead. About Michele Phillips Michele Phillips is a former Partner at Korn Fe...
Webinar: How to thrive in the era of rising global tensions with Jason Yat-Sen Li
September 04, 2020 01:30 - 57 minutes - 52.9 MBJason Yat-Sen Li is no stranger to the spotlight, having recently appeared on ABC's Q&A as a balanced voice on the Sino-Australian relations. We are honoured to have Jason join us at PDF for a night of interactive discussion. With rising global tensions due to the pandemic and apparent anti-Asian sentiments in the media closer to home, it can be a challenge to maintain a positive outlook. In this session, Jason share his views on the impacts and challenges that this will have on Australia ...
Interview: The Business Case Beyond Superficial Cultural Diversity with Thang Ngo
September 01, 2020 22:30 - 42 minutes - 38.6 MBIn this episode, Ricky interviews Thang Ngo on the benefits of cultural diversity beyond skin-deep tokenism. About Thang Ngo Thang Ngo has two decades of multicultural marketing with roles on client and agency sides. He currently heads IDENTITY Communications, Australia’s largest full-service multicultural marketing agency, part of the Mediabrands group of companies. He pioneered several multicultural marketing firsts in Australia including the setting up Mini Australia’s Weibo Chinese s...
Career: Technology Transformation in Banking - Craig Chu
August 31, 2020 02:30 - 5 minutes - 5.07 MBPatrick talks to Craig Chu, a technology director in Fintech about the acceleration of technology/digital transformation in Banking Industry and what to expect as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Do Data Better: A Career in Data Analytics (Jia Du - DuData)
August 23, 2020 22:30 - 24 minutes - 22.2 MBEpisode themes Challenges as an entrepreneur and in the data industry. Insights on the data industry and the different roles in data. Advice for graduates and young professionals looking to build a career in data. About Jia Du Jia Du is the Founder and Managing Director of Dudata. She has a decade of experience extracting value from data sets in the context of sales and marketing uplift, retail site network planning, enterprise-wide restructures, regulatory reporting, fraud and financia...
Interview: How 100 lunches with strangers transformed my life with Kaley Chu
August 19, 2020 05:00 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MBKaley Chu talks to Jeffery about how 100 lunches came to be. This follows her webinar from a few weeks ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJOhzMINS1Y When Kaley moved to Australia from Hong Kong, for the first twelve years, she couldn't interact with people outside her circle due to her shy nature. But she managed to overcome this by having 100 lunches with others and she is now an author, Keynote & Motivational Speaker, people connector. In this interview, Kaley shared the real story a...
Interview: How 100 lunches with strangers transformed my life
August 19, 2020 05:00 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MBKaley Chu talks to Jeffery about how 100 lunches came to be. This follows her webinar from a few weeks ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJOhzMINS1Y When Kaley moved to Australia from Hong Kong, for the first twelve years, she couldn't interact with people outside her circle due to her shy nature. But she managed to overcome this by having 100 lunches with others and she is now an author, Keynote & Motivational Speaker, people connector. In this interview, Kaley shared the real story...
Webinar: It's not who you know It's who know you with Robert Hossary
August 16, 2020 22:30 - 53 minutes - 49.2 MBEveryone has a network and most of us think we know how to use our network to generate business or opportunities. But do we? How many contacts in your network will take your call or even know who you are? How many will go out of their way to help you with an opportunity? Do you even know who your contacts are or what opportunities they are seeking? Robert Hossary has learnt these lessons throughout his career and will share some simple skills that you can apply to your network and online...
Interview: Building Resilience in the Age of Entitlement with Dominic Soh
August 15, 2020 21:36 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MBDominic Soh is like Rocky, no matter how many times you knock him down, he always gets back up. Dominic had to send 526 resumes over 561 days before he finally landed a job, that's anything but smooth sailing. Still, he has never let excuses get in the way of his dreams and has a strong message for young people who is about to enter adulthood. "Things are about to get a whole lot tougher, but what matters is what you do about it!" Dominic shares his thoughts about how to build resilience ...
Webinar: How your diverse heritage makes you a better leader? with Ranil Sharma
August 04, 2020 03:42 - 1 hour - 62.2 MBAs culturally diverse individuals, it is important for us to understand the unique value and insights that we possess. Only by seeing our diversity as a strength, can we then go on to become great leaders. Ranil Sharma is currently the Senior Director at Oracle Utilities. He has previously worked in different roles, from sales to marketing to consulting and M&A strategy developments for large companies, such as Telstra. Ranil will share how coming from a diverse background does not have to...
Equipping Women with the Skills & Confidence to Lead: Sarah Liu (The Dream Collective)
August 02, 2020 07:40 - 43 minutes - 39.4 MBEpisode Themes (timestamps below) · Cultural & gender barriers in Australia & what we can do to improve these · Sarah's global entrepreneurial journey & advice for others on a similar journey · How the She Pivots program is helping women re-skill & upskill during COVID · The opportunities for women in the tech industry · Having a positive mindset and turning your obstacles into opportunities About Sarah Liu and The Dream Collective The Dream Collective was founded in 2012 by Sarah Liu...
Discussion: Should you change your name for your career?
July 31, 2020 03:37 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MBIn this discussion, the PDF digital team examines the notion of changing your name in order to advance your career. We explore the practice in Australia and abroad, and whether ethnic sounding names put you at a disadvantage when it comes to job search. We also explored whether accents play a big part in the recruitment process and some helpful tips to give yourself the best shot at landing a job interview.
From Refugee to Venture Capitalist: A Non-Linear Career Path - Shelli Trung (REACH Australia & SE Asia)
July 27, 2020 10:00 - 1 hour - 66.7 MBEpisode Themes (timestamps below) Shelli's upbringing in Australia as a refugee Her non-linear career path (Scientist → Real Estate → Venture Capitalist) The importance of networking & taking chances Proptech investment themes across APAC & impact of COVID-19 on startups Thoughts on cultural & gender barriers in the workplace About Shelli Trung Shelli Trung is the Managing Partner for REACH Australia and Southeast Asia. REACH is a scaleup program for the real estate industry created b...
Career: Barsha Karki - International Student turned Consulting Engineer
July 27, 2020 01:39 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBThis is the story about how an International student from Nepal made a career as a highly skilled IT consulting engineer in Australia. Very few international students make the transition into a successful career in Australia. While studying at UTS, Barsha Karki did what she had to do to get by. What she didn't realise was her waitressing job gave her the vital communication and relationship skills required to stand out from the crowd. Barsha talked about having the weight of expectations...
PDF Career - Barsha Karki - International Student turned Consulting Engineer
July 27, 2020 01:39 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBThis is the story about how an International student from Nepal made a career as a highly skilled IT consulting engineer in Australia. Very few international students make the transition into a successful career in Australia. While studying at UTS, Barsha Karki did what she had to do to get by. What she didn't realise was her waitressing job gave her the vital communication and relationship skills required to stand out from the crowd. Barsha talked about having the weight of expectations...
Interview: Great leadership can come from the intersection between East and West - Wesa Chau
July 24, 2020 05:06 - 1 hour - 57 MBIn this interview, Jeffery and Wesa explores what great leadership means and the differences between the East and West. We discuss leadership in context of the global COVID pandemic, the relative strengths and weaknesses of each approach. We close with some practical advice on how a humble leader could approach self-promotion. 00:00 Intro 00:40 Wesa's story and how she became an advocate for International students 12:00 What is the cultural (bamboo) ceiling? 14:00 Cultural diversity not ...
Retail Property, Startups & Introversion as a Strength: Brad Chan (Banna Property Group & Haymarket HQ)
July 19, 2020 08:00 - 57 minutes - 52.3 MBEpisode Themes (timestamps below) · The impact of COVID-19 on Chinatown, retail property & startups · Brad’s upbringing & struggles to fit in as an Asian Australian · Haymarket HQ & helping startups across to APAC · The challenges of running a family business · The importance of self-awareness & the strengths of introversion Episode Quotes It's ok not to fit in...we spend so much time trying to be part of a particular group and to fit in. A lot of people don't have the confidence to ...
Introversion, Struggles to Fit In & Startups: Brad Chan (Banna Property Group & Haymarket HQ)
July 19, 2020 08:00 - 57 minutes - 52.3 MBEpisode Themes (timestamps below) · The impact of COVID-19 on Chinatown, retail property & startups · Brad’s upbringing & struggles to fit in as an Asian Australian · Haymarket HQ & helping startups across to APAC · The challenges of running a family business · The importance of self-awareness & the strengths of introversion Episode Quotes It's ok not to fit in...we spend so much time trying to be part of a particular group and to fit in. A lot of people don't have the confidence to ...
Webinar: So You Really Want to Be a CEO? with Dr. Duff Watkins
July 16, 2020 11:33 - 57 minutes - 52.8 MBMany of us aspire to the top job in the corner office, but how many of us really understand what it takes to be a CEO? What does it really take for a CEO to be successful? Dr. Duff Watkins is Managing Director of ExecSearch International - Australia, with more than 25 year's experience in executive search around the globe. He will share insights into what mistakes to avoid when climbing the career ladder. Dr Duff Watkins social link https://au.linkedin.com/in/duffwatkins Follow Syd...
Finding The Edge In Your Career & Life: Dr Tanveer Ahmed (Psychiatrist, Author & Speaker)
July 13, 2020 02:00 - 1 hour - 55.2 MBEpisode Themes (timestamps below) Tanveer's upbringing in Austalia and migrant experience The importance of combining technical & non-technical skills The importance of taking risk and having broader experiences & friendship groups Thoughts on cultural & gender diversity About Tanveer Dr Tanveer Ahmed is a generalist adult psychiatrist who sees a broad range of patients and is the author of two books. The first is a migration memoir called “The Exotic Rissole” published by New South in...
Webinar: Overcome your shyness forever - Kaley Chu
July 12, 2020 06:48 - 52 minutes - 48.5 MBWhether you have recently arrived in Australia and don’t yet have a network or whether you’ve been here all your life and have struggled to connect, this inspiring presentation will show you how to: Be more confident Step out of your comfort zone Connect with new people and new opportunities Transform and enrich your life. Kaley’s 100 Lunches journey is an inspiring story of one woman’s journey to real fulfillment. The strategies, stories and lessons she shares will help you do the same...
Webinar: Confessions of a Chronic Perfectionist - Cathy Ngo
July 12, 2020 06:44 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBCathy is an entrepreneur, writer, presenter, speaker and thrives at the intersection of comedy and activism. She will be sharing how the trauma of family and domestic violence and her journey towards healing and unlearning helped her to learn to let go. Cathy will explore cultural identity, the ‘bamboo ceiling’, dealing with imposter syndrome, harnessing the power of positive procrastination and the need to create boundaries to prevent burnout. Cathy's social link https://www.linkedin.com/...
Webinar: Boosting your confidence and emotional well being - Siebe-Thijs Hoogwout (ST)
July 12, 2020 06:39 - 50 minutes - 45.8 MBIn a world of constant changes, you will tend to feel up and down throughout the week. Siebe-Thijs Hoogwout (ST) will discuss ways to help you strengthen your mindset and resilience that will increase your confidence and emotional wellbeing. Despite adversity, you will learn to reinvent your thoughts and be ready to take on new challenges and achieving the goals in your life with more confidence. About Siebe-Thijs Hoogwout (ST): Siebe-Thijs Hoogwout (ST) is obsessed with the power of conne...
Changing Careers, Journalism Industry & Australia-Asia Relations: Su-Lin Tan (SCMP Correspondent)
July 06, 2020 00:35 - 56 minutes - 52.1 MBEpisode Themes (Timestamps below) Losing a job during the GFC and pivoting careers. Advice for others in similar situations. Diversity and racism in Australia. The Australia-China relationship. The lack of understanding about Asia. The journalism industry in Australia, HK and advice for young journalists. Pushing your comfort zone and being curious. About Su-Lin Tan "Su-Lin Tan joined the Post in 2020 after the Australian Financial Review where she covered housing and commercial pro...
Helping Startups Succeed in Asia & Pursuing Your Passion: Elisa Chiu (Anchor Taiwan)
June 03, 2020 06:15 - 1 hour - 77.4 MBEpisode Themes (Timestamps below) Building a career in high finance, then giving it all up to pursue one's passion. Cultural & gender barriers in the workplace and how to overcome them. Advice for young professionals in building their careers. Overview of the Taiwan startup scene (VC players + accelerators). Reasons to consider Taiwan as a place to build or grow your startup. About Anchor Taiwan Started in 2017, Anchor Taiwan is an Entrepreneurial Residency, Tech Community & Investor ...
The Importance of Cultural Diversity in Leadership with Wesa Chau (CEO of Cultural Intelligence)
May 31, 2020 14:25 - 42 minutes - 38.9 MBKey Episode Themes · Culturally diverse leadership / cultural biases · Managing family expectations and pursuing a different career · Leadership models / leadership skills · Advice for university graduates / young professionals amid COVID-19 About Wesa Chau Wesa is the CEO of Cultural Intelligence, a specialist consulting firm that help organisations better understand cultural diversity and its impacts on design, decision making, customer service, messaging and policy setting. In her c...
Advice for Job Seekers during COVID-19 with Patrick Wong (Recruitment Specialist)
May 31, 2020 13:55 - 31 minutes - 28.5 MBEpisode Themes · Impact of COVID-19 on recruitment industry · How-to best position yourself in this difficult job market · How to tell the difference between a good and bad recruiter · Barriers you may face from a cultural and diversity perspective About Patrick Wong Patrick Wong has been in the recruitment game for over 13 years within the Australian market, recruiting for small to enterprise companies across Australia, predominantly in IT. He has been in various internal and external...
The Importance of Connections, Perspective & Purpose During a Crisis: with Siebe-Thijs (ST) Hoogwout
May 20, 2020 09:00 - 37 minutes - 34.3 MBIn context of the pandemic and the impact its having on livelihoods and employment across the world, we sit down with Siebe-Thijs (ST) Hoogwout to discuss challenges and opportunities during COVID-19. We talk about the importance of maintaining good connections & perspective, advice if you've lost a job, finding & pursuing your purpose, and the importance of good workplace culture. About ST ST is obsessed with the power of connection. He knows how connection is the starting point to excep...
Cultural Diversity & The Asian Century with David Thomas (China Expert & Speaker)
March 09, 2020 23:55 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBOur guest today is David Thomas, a.k.a the China Expert. Over the last 30 years, David has inspired, motivated and educated global business leaders, entrepreneurs and investors to pay attention to the massive growth potential offered by modern China and other emerging countries and taken them on a journey to identify and build long-term business and cross-cultural relationships. In this episode we’ll talk about: · Why Australia isn’t taking advantage of the Asian Century? · Advice for you...
The PDF Podcast with David Thomas, a.k.a the China Expert
March 09, 2020 23:55 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBOur guest today is David Thomas, a.k.a the China Expert. Over the last 30 years, David has inspired, motivated and educated global business leaders, entrepreneurs and investors to pay attention to the massive growth potential offered by modern China and other emerging countries and taken them on a journey to identify and build long-term business and cross-cultural relationships. In this episode we’ll talk about: · Why Australia isn’t taking advantage of the Asian Century? · Advice for you...
The Importance of Cultural Diversity with David Thomas, a.k.a the China Expert
March 09, 2020 23:55 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBOur guest today is David Thomas, a.k.a the China Expert. Over the last 30 years, David has inspired, motivated and educated global business leaders, entrepreneurs and investors to pay attention to the massive growth potential offered by modern China and other emerging countries and taken them on a journey to identify and build long-term business and cross-cultural relationships. In this episode we’ll talk about: · Why Australia isn’t taking advantage of the Asian Century? · Advice for you...
Why aren't there more Asian Australian CEOs?
February 07, 2020 05:39 - 1 hour - 83.7 MBAsian-American professionals, both men and women, are the most likely of any ethnic group to aspire to promotion and think they will get there one day. Yet they are the least likely to be promoted to management. This is also true of Asian-Australians anecdotally. What is preventing that desire from translating into actual advancement? To debate on this sticky topic, the Sydney Professional Development Forum is delighted to be joined by a panel of Asian-Australian business leaders with deca...
Why aren't there more Asian Australian CEOS?
February 07, 2020 05:39 - 1 hour - 83.7 MBAsian-American professionals, both men and women, are the most likely of any ethnic group to aspire to promotion and think they will get there one day. Yet they are the least likely to be promoted to management. This is also true of Asian-Australians anecdotally. What is preventing that desire from translating into actual advancement? To debate on this sticky topic, the Sydney Professional Development Forum is delighted to be joined by a panel of Asian-Australian business leaders with deca...
Live Event: Why aren't there more Asian Australian CEOs?
February 07, 2020 05:39 - 1 hour - 83.7 MBAsian-American professionals, both men and women, are the most likely of any ethnic group to aspire to promotion and think they will get there one day. Yet they are the least likely to be promoted to management. This is also true of Asian-Australians anecdotally. What is preventing that desire from translating into actual advancement? To debate on this sticky topic, the Sydney Professional Development Forum is delighted to be joined by a panel of Asian-Australian business leaders with deca...
Mental Resilience for Success in a Disruptive World with Dominic Soh
January 10, 2020 08:50 - 1 hour - 97.2 MBLife and work are full of challenges. Whether you are a fresh graduate, entrepreneur, employee, employer or executive, you'll need grit and resilience not just to survive, but to thrive, so it pays to push your game forward. Learn from the insights from high performers (U.S. Navy SEALs, Olympians, fighter pilots, surgeons, Michelin-star chefs) on how you can develop the resilience to thrive under stress, stay focused and determined to goals, keep pushing forward when others have given up, a...
Live Event: Mental Resilience for Success in a Disruptive World with Dominic Soh
January 10, 2020 08:50 - 1 hour - 97.2 MBLife and work are full of challenges. Whether you are a fresh graduate, entrepreneur, employee, employer or executive, you'll need grit and resilience not just to survive, but to thrive, so it pays to push your game forward. Learn from the insights from high performers (U.S. Navy SEALs, Olympians, fighter pilots, surgeons, Michelin-star chefs) on how you can develop the resilience to thrive under stress, stay focused and determined to goals, keep pushing forward when others have given up, a...
Live Event: Quietly Powerful - Unlock your hidden leadership strength with Megumi Miki
November 21, 2019 00:13 - 56 minutes - 51.6 MBMegumi will share experiences from her own career, her coaching program participants and insights from interviews with Quietly Powerful Leaders who succeeded by using their quiet strengths.
Quietly Powerful - Unlock your hidden leadership strength with Megumi Miki
November 21, 2019 00:13 - 56 minutes - 51.6 MBMegumi will share experiences from her own career, her coaching program participants and insights from interviews with Quietly Powerful Leaders who succeeded by using their quiet strengths.