Fueled by Passion: Create a Career Path That Facilitates Ongoing Growth with Salima Rawji

It can be easy to forget just how much seemingly unrelated skills and wisdom can inform the work we want to do. Impostor syndrome so often steps in, leaving us doubting our expertise because it doesn’t fit precisely with the knowledge we imagine a new position demands and holding us back from pursuing what we really want to achieve.

In this episode of Master Builders, Ricccardo and Shormila sit down with Salima Rawji, the President and CEO of York University Development Corporation. A theme of passion, creativity, and positivity runs through Salima’s long and varied career. She has experienced first-hand how experience in the public sector can inform the private and non-profit and vice versa and how, all along the way, collaboration makes things better. Salima’s willingness to say yes, refusal to accept the no’s, and determination to always learn more and know her facts have led to an inspiring and fulfilling career path.

”In ​terms ​of ​the ​imposter ​syndrome, ​I ​also ​think ​I ​pair ​it ​with ​the ​fact ​that ​like ​the ​answer ​for ​me ​is ​it ​never ​goes ​away ​because ​I ​think ​there's ​also ​this ​like ​desire ​for ​like ​continual ​growth ​and ​ambition. ​And ​so, perhaps ​I ​didn't ​feel ​it ​as ​much. ​I ​would ​say ​in ​my ​later ​years ​at ​Create TO, ​where ​I ​had ​been ​doing ​that ​work, ​I ​knew ​I ​was ​an ​expert. ​I ​was ​kind ​of ​like ​in ​a ​position ​of ​leadership ​and ​seen ​to ​be ​a ​leader ​by ​the ​political ​side, ​by ​the ​administrative ​side, ​by ​the ​staff ​that ​worked ​for ​me. ​Maybe ​that ​didn't ​exist ​as ​much, ​but ​the ​second ​I ​kind ​of ​took ​the ​step ​to ​grow,  ​it's ​like ​instantly ​back. ​And ​so, ​I ​feel ​like ​maybe ​that's ​just ​a ​part ​of ​what ​growth ​is.” - Salima Rawji

Key Takeaways:

• How cross-sectoral experience can add insight to private sector work.
• Practical planning for the challenges of changing career directions.
• The cross-over between impostor syndrome and the lifelong learner.
• The vital importance of creativity when approaching any project.

The conversation doesn’t stop here—connect and converse with our community via LinkedIn:

• Follow Salima Rawji
• Follow Navigating Major Programmes
• Follow Riccardo Cosentino
• Read Riccardo’s latest at www.riccardocosentino.com

Music: "A New Tomorrow" by Chordial Music. Licensed through PremiumBeat.