I’m Rhiannon, and I’m excited to join this community and help shape the forum during its early days.
I work as a Business Analyst here in Aotearoa, specialising in operational policy development, process improvement, governance, and system optimisation. My mahi focuses on making sure that organisational processes, systems, and frameworks are fit for purpose — supporting kaimahi, iwi, hapū, and industry partners to achieve better outcomes.
I’m deeply passionate about:
Making systems, processes, and information accessible for everyone, especially neurodiverse and disabled kaimahi.
Bringing a systems thinking lens to problem-solving, stepping back to look at the whole ecosystem, not just the immediate issue.
Supporting others in their career journeys, offering peer-to-peer coaching and mentoring to help with CV writing, interview prep, networking, and building confidence.
Championing equity, inclusion, and practical solutions that make workplaces better for all.
I’ve worked across a range of sectors, including education, government, conservation, and primary industries, and I love learning from different environments and perspectives.
Whether it’s sharing tools and templates, swapping ideas about methodologies, or just having a good nerdy chat about BA life, I’m really looking forward to connecting here.
Welcome Rhiannon! I’m definitely keen to learn more about how you get involved with supporting others (peer-to-peer coaching etc). How do you normally connect with the BAs you support? What does this look like in practice?
I would love to share a bit more about how I support others.
I connect with people in lots of different ways, usually online. Most often, people reach out to me through LinkedIn, but sometimes I spot posts on Reddit or Facebook groups where someone is asking for advice, and if I have capacity, I offer support.
While many of the people I help are Business Analysts, I also work with young professionals who are trying to break into their fields. Sometimes they face extra barriers, like being neurodivergent or having English as a second language.
Here is what the process usually looks like:
First catch-up: We have an online chat, usually around 30 minutes, where I ask about their experiences, goals, and any roles they are considering.
CV and cover letter support: They send through their documents, and I spend time (often four to eight hours) reviewing, rewriting, and reformatting them based on templates I have developed. I always explain why I make certain changes because I think understanding the reasoning really helps people keep improving their CVs over time.
Follow-up: Sometimes we catch up again to tweak things or work through any questions.
Interview preparation: If they are heading into interviews, we book time to go over common formats, preparation tips, and how to shape their personal story for questions like “tell me about yourself.”
After that, we usually stay in touch casually. I try to check in when I can, but I am honest that because of my ADHD, people often get the best support from me when they gently nag me, and I encourage them to do that.
I also share LinkedIn content about career journeys, mental health, and navigating neurodiversity in the workforce. I have given a few talks through meet-up groups, and I am planning another session in mid-June. I really enjoy public speaking and connecting one-on-one. It is very energising for me.
I am especially passionate about making career systems more accessible. It is a real shame that hiring practices often disadvantage people from non-dominant cultures through confusing or inaccessible processes. While I do not have all the answers, I approach everything as a peer mentor rather than an expert, and I am careful to distinguish my support from the advice recruiters or hiring managers might give.
