In May 2013, I made the difficult decision to leave the place I had become accustomed to for the last five years. It was my apprenticeship into the tertiary sector, taught me how the systems worked, allowed me decipher the never-ending acronyms of university and build relationships with fellow staff, industry and students. In the process, it became one of the great loves of my life. On my last day, I looked back on everything I had accomplished knowing that I gave everything and my degree in Communications allowed me to try things I once imagined impossible.
Over the next eight months, I tried new things, flirted with different opportunities to see if I could find another compatible match but it is only when I walked into the Careers office I found what I was looking for. In mid-March 2014, I got the opportunity to start connecting again with students, staff and employers and fell head over heels for social media. I rediscovered how the world of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn can be such an effective tool for engaging audiences and building an online community. I started to consume as much as I could, reading career blogs, researching other universities social media platforms and testing out different content. I got excited when the Facebook page hit 1000 likes, an organisation re-tweeted a post or someone took the time to read and comment on the blog.
Building my job application has been an eye-opening, creative and collaborative experience. One of the messages we communicate to students is ‘what can I do to get the edge?’ For my own experience, I seriously contemplated how I could put this methodology into practice. After consulting with Careers Counsellors, I got the inspiration to build a video (ignoring the fact that I didn’t know much about how to edit film). Within two days, I confirmed my interview subjects, organised my filming schedule and literally threw myself in the deep end.
And it’s been such a fun, wild, crazy and creative ride. From filming in the early hours of the morning at the Great Hall in the Brisbane Convention Centre, hiring out a graduation outfit, to writing a script and interviewing people from all backgrounds, I have learnt such an incredible amount about how important the Careers and Employment Service is. This process helped me challenge myself and go outside my own comfort zone and connect with people from both inside and outside of the tertiary sector. Through my experience, I see firsthand how the service contributes positively to the lives of students, employers and staff and how staff work collaboratively to achieve team goals and objectives. And who knew this experience would start just by sending a Christmas card at the end of last year.
Griffith University Careers and Employment Service 
Great story Kylie. This is also a story of never assuming anything, never giving up, putting in the hard yards and seeing every obstacle as an opportunity. I hope it inspires many of our students to work hard, never give up and look for opportunities even when you least expect it.