A positive attitude in the face of diversity
Recent months have been a challenging time for QUT Online student Rebecca – like they have for many of us – but her positive attitude and commitment to lifelong learning and professional development is helping her chart a confident path forward.
With her working situation reshaped due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rebecca has since transitioned into an exciting new role within the media industry, one where the skills she is acquiring in the Master of Digital Communication are proving a perfect fit.
Education for the real world
Rebecca originally commenced her study journey with a Bachelor of Business (Management)/Bachelor of Creative Industries double degree. Committed to learning as much as she could from the outset, she also completed an associate degree in Theology and a Diploma of Event Management.
Out of all the lessons Rebecca has learnt in her time studying on-campus at QUT, perhaps the most valuable has been that learning doesn’t only occur in the classroom, but also outside it. What counts most is your attitude to learning, and how willing you are to take everything you learn inside the classroom, and apply it in the real world.
Rebecca took this to heart during her studies – as it closely mirrored her own values – and found the courage to travel as much as she could, seeing more of the world in between her semesters at university.
In her final year, discovering what was important to her, she began working as a Marketing Coordinator for a company that specialised in providing travel accommodation for people in wheelchairs. For Rebecca, the role was both professionally fulfilling and personally rewarding.
Online study – the best of both worlds
Having begun her professional career in her final year, Rebecca was loving what she was doing, but also finding there was more she hoped to learn:
“While my Bachelor degree gave me a great foundation to help this community, I still felt I had more to learn – to both encourage and mobilise our audience.”
Not the kind of person to rest on her laurels, Rebecca soon found out about QUT Online’s Master of Digital Communication, but was hesitant at first because she didn’t want to leave the job she loved. A quick phone call later, and she realised that she didn’t have to make a difficult choice between work and study but could have “the best of both worlds”.
Rebecca commenced a Master of Digital Communication through QUT Online. Best of all, by studying online while she continued to work, Rebecca was able to implement everything she learns in her online course directly into her professional work.
“I think that emphasises how QUT is a university for the real world, and studying with QUT Online gives you all the opportunities to develop yourself professionally, while at the same time supporting our other commitments.”
Where to next for Rebecca?
Rebecca credits her career success during this time to her positive attitude and professional drive.
“It would have been easy to become stressed during this time, and lose faith in myself. Instead I chose to have a proactive attitude, knocking on more doors than I’d like to admit. However, in the end it shows if you persevere and do everything you can to upskill and learn new things, you really can create your own opportunities.”
As for what’s next for Rebecca, she looks forward to continuing where she is, building professional experience, and perhaps moving into more strategic roles in time, working with a wide range of clients. Learning, of course, is a lifelong thing, so as she says herself even pursuing a PhD isn’t out of the question.
If, like Rebecca, you’re committed to lifelong learning then studying a postgraduate course online is a great way to upskill – and even change career direction – while you continue to work. QUT Online offers a range of postgraduate courses, including a comprehensive Master of Digital Communication.
Find the course that best suits your goals today.