You may not know their faces but most Griffith students will be familiar with their events when deciding their future career path. Most of us have attended the Tertiary Studies Expo (TSXPO) which is Australia’s largest careers expo offering study options from over 250 representatives. Interchange Consultancy is the brainchild of couple Shane Lynch and Hedy van Hofwegen which started in 1997 with their first careers expo for the Gold Coast region. An interesting correlation to this story is that Shane and Hedy are Griffith graduates who studied Business and Science respectively.
Shane’s previous experience in HR, training colleges and attending hundreds of expos as an exhibitor gave him the inside edge into educational expos. “I got the feel of what it was like on the other side of the booth. I used to make a few little notes about what was good about it and what I didn’t like about it,” he explains. From there, it ignited a business idea which is gaining momentum every year and now covers six major careers expos.
Continue reading “Taking it to the next level – Interchange Consultancy”
With many accolades to her name, Kristin Berardi won the Montreux Jazz Festival International Vocal Competition in 2006, two National Australian Bell Awards for the Best Jazz Vocal Album in 2010 and 2012 , the first and only vocalist to receive the Freedman National Jazz Award 2010; has released a number of albums and toured nationally and overseas. Graduating in 2003 with a Bachelor of Music from the Queensland Conservatorium, Kristin now shares her expertise with current students in the Jazz Voice course.
As a lecturer at Macquarie University in the Department of Accounting and Corporate Governance, Dr John Selby confesses he took an unusual path on his way to academia. At age 15, John was already deciding which university to attend and degree to pursue. His parents had left school early and as the first in his family to go to university, he was drawn to Griffith University to study combined law and international business degrees. “I just didn’t want to study law on its own and wanted to have another degree. I felt the academic staff at Griffith focused on ensuring students learned as much as possible and there was a focus on a new generation of university students.”
After seven years of gruelling study and dedication to become an MD Brendan Goodwin is about to commence his intern year at Princess Alexandra Hospital. With the pressure of his final exams behind him, this Doctor of Medicine graduate will soon be able to immerse himself in new overseas experience, learning from international medical leaders in London and Montreal.
Attending University presents challenges, but for many, the end result can be the satisfaction of obtaining the ever elusive ‘dream job’. Our 30 Grads in 30 Days project has illustrated this fact, but the idea is eloquently summed up by midwife Kirsten Penney,
With a career spanning 40 years, Terence Seymour has worn many different hats. Leaving school at age 14, he went from being a draftsman to an underground construction foreman before moving into Human Resources. Along the way, Terence has studied Engineering, Human Movement, and Sport, completed a Masters of Administration at Griffith University and is currently enrolled in a PhD. He describes his attitude to studying as an “insight into how to think and depending on the course of study or work you’re doing, it will give you different ways of understanding the world.”
As a mum with three kids, Toni Mason always knew she wanted to be a teacher. With the support of her loved ones, Toni graduated in December 2013 with a Bachelor of Education – Primary (Early Childhood Education) and was awarded the Education Medal. Prior to graduation, Toni was in the middle of her prac at Calamvale Community College when she was offered a job teaching Year 1 students. 
Griffith University Careers and Employment Service 