“I could end up as a paediatric specialist or a sports specialist. I don’t know. It’s about being open to opportunities that come my way”
Many graduates have a clear expectation of what their career will look like once they put down their tasseled caps and gowns and step out into the real world. A journalism student will become a journalist for a news organization and a nursing student will become a nurse in a hospital.
While assumptions exist about what your first job out of uni ‘should’ look like, physiotherapy graduate Krystle Luvis is proving how being open to different opportunities can provide you with a much richer experience when starting your career.
Krystle graduated from a Master of Physiotherapy and admits she didn’t make any clear goals for her career post-University. While most of her friends were fixated on working for sporting teams or in private practice, she didn’t know where she was going to end up and was still trying to decide between the private and public systems.
“Have faith. Don’t come out thinking your first job has to be the best job with the highest earning salary”.
She held out and secured a job in physiotherapy under the banner of Griffith University’s Health Clinic – a job she now loves.
Krystle says working for Griffith means she is developing as a clinician and has the opportunity to work as part of a supportive team. While other graduates may feel pressured to make money, Krystle says working within the University means she gets to focus on giving really good health care.
“We have an abundance of physical and intellectual resources, a generous amount of time allocated to each patient , and I have well balanced autonomy and guidance from my superiors. I’m surrounded by a highly educated, motivated and, cohesive team so I feel much more supported,” she says.
Krystle acknowledges working at the Griffith clinic is all she can ask for at the budding start of her career. She says her job within the University means she is being provided with a variety of different opportunities – from clinical experience to business development and much more in between.
“Being in a place like this is priceless”.
“Being in a place like this is priceless. I don’t only get clinical experience, but I’m involved in research. We constantly have students coming through where I get to be involved in education as well. I get to work with developing the clinic and doing business plans and liaising with hospital and health service providers”.
“I could end up as a paediatric specialist or a sports specialist. I don’t know. It’s about being open to opportunities that come my way, I know there will be plenty,” she says.
While Krystle’s biggest motivator to study physiotherapy was her sporting background, she admits she didn’t know the diversity of roles a physio graduate can have within hospitals, private practice and all the different organisations that employ physiotherapists.
“If I was closed minded and said ‘I only want to be a sports physio’, I would have missed out on so many things. If I had made that a goal in the first year of my masters, I would have been well off track because I hadn’t yet seen all the things I could be,” she says.
With Krystle’s apparent success in her own job, what is her advice for students about to embark on their own physiotherapy careers?
“Have faith. Don’t come out thinking you have to lock down your first job the day after graduation Have faith in yourself and the journey you’ve already taken and know the choices you have made will take you somewhere that you are meant to go.”
Top Tips from Krystle:
- Have faith in yourself and the journey you’ve already taken and know the choices you have made will take you somewhere that you are meant to go.
- Be open to opportunities that come your way.
Griffith University Careers and Employment Service 
Wonderful Vignette! Students will find this encouraging and inspirational!
Regards,
Dina
fantastic blog. Lots to read here.