While Gabriella was pregnant, she decided to take the opportunity to combine motherhood with setting herself up for her future career. Two weeks after completing one of Swinburne Online’s VET Business Diplomas, Gabriella landed a full time position.
Why did you undertake your diploma? Has it helped with your career development?
“I was pregnant, single and not prepared to give up on the prospect of a fruitful career in my future. Although I knew I’d be home with my daughter for quite a while. I felt that studying would not only keep me somewhat sane, but it would also keep my resume active and benefit future employment applications.
“So I began a TAFE course to assist me with future employment opportunities and to ensure that there was no gap in my resume. Did it help? Two weeks after completing my diploma, I attended a job interview. Four days later, I was sitting at her new desk, settling into my new full-time position.”
What have been some of the highlights of your course?
“The biggest highlight was the pride and excitement of successfully completing the course. I also enjoyed studying alongside the other students and being able to use MyQuest as the learning platform. The trainers and assessors were fantastic with answering all of my many questions, and MyQuest was simple and effective to use.”
What advice do you have for other students?
“Set aside time each week to study, and set deadlines for each assignment of one to two hours per week, depending on how long the assignment is.
“Don’t overthink your assignments, don’t be disheartened if you don’t get the grade you’d hoped for, and study depending on your own learning style. For me, I found it easier to print the unit reading material and go through it with a highlighter and sticky notes, as I tend to remember less when I learn through a screen.”
Gabriella never imagined that when the time arrived to get back into the workforce, she would be in a great position to do so. She was able to fit study around her responsibilities of motherhood; she gained confidence from her studies and found work shortly after graduating.
Gabriella is extremely appreciative of the VET support team at Swinburne Online, particularly Kathy, Sharon, Sheila and Kate, for helping her achieve such a great result.
