Clare Salt arrived in Australia from the UK in 1995, and joined Flinders University soon after. We asked Clare about her career at Flinders, what International Women’s Day means to her, and learn what advice she would offer to her younger self.

What is your role and what does your work focus on?

A fortnight ago, I started a new role as a College Support Officer, so primarily I’ll be providing a range of administrative and organisational support roles for the senior leadership team in CEPSW. Before this, I was a Work Integrated Learning Support Officer in CEPSW.

What journey brought you to this point in your career?

I arrived in Australia in November 1995 and began my Flinders journey four weeks later, as a casual administration assistant in the Environmental Health Unit, based in Flinders Medical Centre.

I then became receptionist and admin assistant to the Manager of Personnel, Policy and Practise (as it was then) in the Registry, then my career advanced as a Human Resources Advisor providing support to the Senior Advisor and the Faculty of Health Sciences.

I remained in HR for 18 years before moving to a student-centred area, working as a Placement Officer in the School of Education, which then became a Work Integrated Learning Support Officer in the College of EPSW during the PSP.

Today is International Women’s Day – what does IWD mean to you?

To me, International Women’s Day is about celebrating and acknowledging women who came before me and fought hard for equality in all aspects of life, so that women such as me and my daughters, along with future generations of women, can all achieve our dreams.

What is something you love most about your work?

I love the connections and collaborations I’ve built with work colleagues. Flinders had provided me with some lifelong friendships and support for me as I’ve started my new life in Australia.

If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid to try something new. It’s never too late to try, and if it doesn’t work out, just think of it as a learning opportunity, acknowledge what happened and move on.

How do you like to relax or spend your spare time?

Anybody that know me well knows I have a passion for being creative and crafty, so usually I’m found in my dedicated craft space with my cricut machine, sewing machine, paints, alcohol inks and unlimited amount of card stock. I also love reading and have a keen interest in photography.