When people think about career progression, they often picture a straight path upwards. Sandie-Leigh’s recent development opportunity within the People and Culture team demonstrates that growth can also come from being willing to put yourself forward for opportunities outside your usual role.

Having spent more than 10 years working in Scottish Autism services, most recently as a Senior Autism Practitioner, Sandie-Leigh had developed a strong understanding of service delivery and the recruitment and retention challenges services can face. Through her role, she saw first-hand the impact that vacancies and staff turnover can have on both teams and the people we support.

When an opportunity arose to gain experience within the People and Culture team as a Business Partner for Recruitment and Early Retention, she saw it as a chance to learn new skills while bringing a valuable service perspective to the role:

“I hoped to gain further knowledge and experience in recruitment and early engagement while using my service-based experience to support effective recruitment, staff wellbeing, and retention across Scottish Autism. I was also keen to develop my skills and contribute to improving the experience of both candidates and employees.”

Through the experience, Sandie-Leigh developed a broader understanding of Scottish Autism as an organisation, gained valuable insight into how People and Culture supports services, and saw the strategic work that underpins recruitment, engagement, and retention across the organisation. She also built strong relationships with colleagues across the organisation, expanded her professional network and increased her confidence.

One of the most significant things Sandie-Leigh gained from the experience was an appreciation of the variety of development opportunities available within Scottish Autism.

“It has been a great opportunity for my development and one that I may not have had externally as I do not have formal HR qualifications. It has given me valuable knowledge and experience that I can take forward into my future career development. The opportunity has also shown me that there are a variety of career paths within Scottish Autism and opportunities to develop through different roles and experiences across the organisation, which I would encourage others to explore.”

Sandie-Leigh’s story is a great example of how taking a chance on a new experience can build confidence, broaden perspectives and create opportunities for growth. It is also a reminder that career development is rarely a straight line, and that some of the most rewarding opportunities come from being open to trying something different.