Ask Loz: Is EOFY the career checkpoint you didn’t know you needed?
July job ads are up to 20% higher than usual, and 59% of people who ask for a raise get one—but most people (especially women) never ask.
Welcome to the first edition of Ask Loz, where each week, my Witching Hour co-host and Ask Ready or Not host will share what’s helping her make work, work as a mum of three (she welcomed baby Gus in May and I’m in love with my sweet baby nephew!!!).
If you listen to our podcast Ready or Not, she’ll need no introduction. If you’re new here, Loz creates a mini tip-based episode — Ask Ready or Not — that lands in your ears every Friday and tackles a specific topic related to career and motherhood. Now, over to Loz.
Hey, it’s Loz. Each week I’ll be sharing a peek into how I’m making work, work—in the real-life, messy, doing-my-best kind of way—and what we’re chatting about over on Ask Ready or Not.
I’m in the thick of newborn life, juggling kinder drop-offs, a baby who hates the car seat, trying to keep up with ‘social’ trends for content (I feel so old typing that), and have a to-do list that feels never ending. What I’ve learned (for the third time now) is that trying to “do it all” doesn’t work. I’ve had to drop the idea of balance and lean into what’s actually achievable which quite honestly for this week has been very little.
For the last few weeks, I’ve made a conscious effort to let go of the mental load of a clean house. I’m a self diagnosed clean freak so letting go of ‘cleanliness’ has been unbelievably difficult, particularly when you’re spending a significant amount of time in your own house. I had been weighing up between a weekly cleaner or a Robovac and in a stroke of luck, Lu and I were kindly gifted the Q10 Roborock. While Ryan takes the big kids out on a Saturday morning, I don’t clean—I sit down. This robovac vacuums, mops, dodges tiny Lego pieces and gets into the corners I haven’t seen since maternity leave began. It’s doing a better job than I ever did. Are they pricey? Yes. Do I think it’s worth the investment? Yes. I genuinely wish I’d gotten it sooner.
Cleaning aside, over on Ask Ready or Not, I’m talking about EOFY as a career checkpoint. It’s not just tax season, it’s also when companies reassess salaries, performance, and hiring. That means if you’re feeling stuck, underpaid or just a little “meh” about your role, now’s the perfect time to do something about it.
July job ads are up to 20% higher than usual, and 59% of people who ask for a raise get one—but most people (especially women) never ask. Add in that over half of working mums say they’ve considered leaving their roles because of work-life stress, and it’s clear: this isn’t just a finance admin moment. It’s a chance to take back some control.
In this week’s episode, I share three practical things you can do right now:
– Book a meeting with your manager and come prepped with 3–5 clear wins. Use numbers where you can.
– Rate your role honestly on salary, growth, flexibility and satisfaction. Anything under a 7 needs your attention.
– Ask HR if there’s leftover training or PD budget—many companies reset July 1, and unspent funds usually vanish.
EOFY doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. It can be a nudge to pause, reflect and make sure your job still fits your life—not the other way around.