I never considered teaching while at High School, as I was pursuing a career as a classically trained ballet dancer. I was always interested in Science and did well in Biology, which led me to complete a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology and Ecotourism. Finding it difficult to secure work in these fields, I…
I often say I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up – and honestly, do we ever really know? I once wanted to be a fashion designer but instead chose the broadest degree I could think of to build a strong foundation. I believe it’s my attitude, willingness to learn, and…
From a young age, I knew I wanted to pursue a trade. I entered the resources industry straight out of school and earned my Mechanical Trade qualifications four years later. My career has taken me across oil and gas, construction, building maintenance, mining, and rail – both in Australia and overseas. Often the only woman…
Not knowing where my application with the Queensland Fire Brigade would lead at 18, I took on a trade assistant role with a residential and commercial roofing company. After a year and a half, I moved to a residential construction company, where I discovered a deep passion for building and the industry as a whole.…
When I was in school, I enjoyed maths and science and being outdoors. The thought of being in an office all day wasn’t very inspiring to me! My dad works in oil and gas and suggested that I should do engineering, particularly environmental engineering, so I could have a job that pays well, a job…
When I was in high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I had always found maths and science came most naturally to me and were the most interesting subjects. My grandfather, father, and uncle had all worked as blue-collar construction workers when I was growing up, so I had some…
While my corporate career hasn’t followed a traditional path, I consider myself a collaborative, commercially astute, and action-oriented leader, who has a proven track record of driving benefits-led organisational change, process improvement, and digital transformation programs within large, complex, and heavily regulated operating environments. During the past 5+ years with Origin Energy, I have developed…
Some people know exactly what they want to do after school – some don’t. I thought I did, starting a Bachelor of Business in Marketing and Management, but soon discovered my passion lay in project management. While working in estate management, I gained experience in sales strategies, budget management, estate maintenance, and civil construction. I…
I grew up wanting to be a Cardiologist in high school, however, when it got time to actually applying for universities, I applied for a Bachelor of International Relations at the Australian National University. After one semester, I had already made the decision I did not want to spend my whole life arguing politics, and…
If someone had told me in high school where I’d end up, I would have laughed. I was born in Bulgaria (Eastern Europe), and my childhood was marked by very rough economic and political conditions in the country. At school I was very diligent and always striving to do well academically. I attended a specialised…
Having migrated from Sri Lanka, I completed my last two years of high school in Australia before attending university to complete my Bachelor of Civil Engineering. I started my construction career as a graduate engineer on a major highway project. Here I was exposed to bulk earthworks, concrete batch plant operations, and concrete pavement construction.…
In high school, I planned to study law but didn’t get the grades, so I started an Economics degree—and absolutely hated it! Luckily, I had randomly selected two electives in history and politics, loved them, and switched to an arts degree. After a few internships overseas and at home in Adelaide, I graduated with a…
When I was in school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I knew that I wanted to take a gap year after school and not go to university straight away. During that year I worked at Bunnings and began by working on the cash register. After 5 years with Bunnings, I decided to…
Leading up to the end of high school, I struggled to pick a career I wanted to study for, torn between my ‘competing’ interests in graphics, legal studies, and physics. My first part-time job as a jewellery sales assistant also sparked my passion for problem-solving, customer communication, and people management. When it came time for…
I lacked a clear career path after school. In year 10, a 3-day multimedia class at the University of Queensland sparked my interest in the field, and I planned to pursue it after high school. However, family influence steered me towards an undergraduate degree in Information Technology (Systems). After graduating during the Dot Com bubble,…
After high school, I enrolled in university with an interest in fashion and marketing, though I wasn’t certain about my career direction. Initially considering a gap year, I chose to start university to broaden my horizons and meet new people. During my studies, I spent a lot of time traveling. It was in my final…
My professional journey began in Uruguay, working in my family’s business while studying law. After graduating and gaining legal experience, I felt a strong desire to broaden my horizons. Together with my husband, we ventured overseas to explore new cultures and improve our English, eventually settling in the vibrant landscapes of New Zealand. Our journey…
I never knew exactly what profession I wanted to be but I knew I was good at reading, writing and talking. So I followed this and initially went to university to study Journalism. I quickly realised being a journalist wasn’t for me, but fortunately, a teacher pointed me towards Public Relations and Communications. My first…
All through school, I was known as the sporty kid, I won age champion every year and just loved being active. I always knew I wanted to do something sport or exercise related when I finished school, but I had no idea exactly what that would be. I went to university and studied a Bachelor…
I was born in Poland and moved to a small country town in Qld when I was 4 before trialing island life in PNG at the age of 12. I loved these cultural experiences and it gave me a broad perspective when I moved to Perth half way through year 9. When I left school…