For many years I was an urban planner in the public sector. I had the very fortunate opportunity of working in a few different municipalities in the eastern Greater Toronto Area where I grew up and have called home for most of my life. I feel very proud of my time in the public sector where I got to work on many amazing policy and strategic projects and plans, as well as exciting and often complex development applications. The cherry on top was being able to work with such a wide range of colleagues in the industry and at various levels of government (public and private sector technical experts, different developers and consultants, etc.) and work very closely with the community. Every day was a new challenge or learning opportunity.

I started my career during a recession and was only able to get contract work initially, which actually turned out to be fun since I got to try out different roles with different organizations and see what felt like a good fit!

Once I was lucky enough to secure a permanent full-time role, working in the public sector meant there weren’t always opportunities to advance within the municipality where I was working. More often than not, I had to change organizations to continue to progress in my career. Because of this, I benefitted from different organizational training opportunities, observing different institutional structures and processes, different leadership styles and mentorship, growing my professional network, and lots of practice with applying and interviewing for roles. I was always passionate about professional development and got involved early in my career with professional organizations like the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Ontario Professional Planners Institute where I have held several volunteer leadership roles.

In the later stages of my public sector career, when I was doing a lot of policy work that involved working very closely with developers, I took a more active role in the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and I am so glad I did. I decided to participate in ULI Toronto’s Mentorship Program. Honestly, I was thrilled at the opportunity to be a mentee again since the years of working experience for mentees in this program were much higher than in other formal mentorship programs. I think most of us want to continue being mentored throughout our careers, even (and especially) when we are in roles where we are mentoring others. The opportunity for formal mentorship doesn’t always feel like it is there when you ascend into more senior levels of your career, apart from mentorship from your direct leadership. I felt like I really had to intentionally continue to seek out those opportunities – and still do!

When I left my full-time role, I was able to combine my love of planning practice with supporting other planners and aspiring planners in their career journeys. I also decided to apply for a Ph.D. program, which was something that I had always wanted to pursue but the timing never quite felt right. Most importantly, I gained the flexibility to be more present for my 3 children (one of whom has special needs) and my partner who also has a demanding job.

I was able to take on a couple of planning projects as an independent consultant through connections in my network and convenient timing matching up with my needs. All of those years of involvement in professional associations and moving around to different organizations paid off in this regard. I am happy to say my worst fears of having no work or income have not come true so far. Instead, I try to be intentional with my time and say no to projects that don’t feel like a great fit or that I don’t have the capacity for. Learning my limits and saying no to opportunities is something that has definitely taken some getting used to and is still very much a work in progress.

Having coaches, mentors and people in your network to help show you the ropes and shortcut some of the trial and error, as well as show you what is possible and inspire, motivate, and light you up is essential to avoiding burnout and feeling satisfied with your career. You take your knowledge, skills, education, and your professional contacts with you in your career. I have come to learn that this is part of your job security safety net. It is for this reason that I recommend not relying solely on your employer or your manager to provide you with the professional opportunities, education or mentorship you need to get to where you want to be.

Finally, a portfolio career might be for you if you are a multi-passionate person who is also looking for a bit more flexibility. This shift has taught me the value of not being too defined by any one role or professional identity and that a career is usually made up of seasons. What works well for you in one season of life or your career may look quite different in another. You can step into something different for a long time or a short while and if it feels like it isn’t working, there is nothing stopping you from going back to what worked, or trying another opportunity.

Bio

Kristy Kilbourne, MCIP, RPP, AICP, is an independent planning consultant and a career coach for urban planners. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Waterloo’s School of Planning where her research focuses on Planning Practice. She is also a member of ULI Toronto’s Mentorship Committee.