Interview with Kate Ryan, UNE Bachelor of Media and Communications Student

Choosing a degree can be a tough decision to make – especially when you don’t have a clear end career insight. But just because you study one thing, doesn’t mean you are tied to the career path that it is usually involved with it. We are here to let you in on a little gem of advice…

Taking on opportunities and experiences when they come your way can unlock careers and jobs that you may have never thought possible!

For third-year Media and Communications student Kate Ryan, she knew that if she trusted the process and explored the options available to her then career opportunities would begin to emerge.

Kate is currently undertaking her WORK300 unit with our Marketing and Branding team here at UNE Life, and so we thought we’d quiz our new gal about how her experiences studying at UNE and undertaking work experience have broadened her horizons.

“I never really knew what degree I wanted to do after high school. I have always been ‘artsy’ but never truly had a direct path. Media and Communications was one of the only degrees that, in my opinion, was creative, but provided me some direction with study,” Kate said.

“If you had asked me what I wanted to do at the beginning of my degree, I would have said something generic like editing or writing,” Kate said. “But through studying with interesting people and being taught by some of the most amazing and inspiring lecturers, and of course, my internship through the WORK300 unit, I have come to understand and appreciate the extent to which my degree has made different career opportunities available to me.”

Due to COVID and people working from home, Kate’s  WORK300 unit actually had a little transformation a few weeks in which meant Kates time is actually split between with UNE Life’s Branding and Marketing department and UNE’s corporate communications team helping out with Social Media, as part of her units for Trimester 2, 2020.

If you didn’t know, a Work300  unit is offered to undergraduates and provides students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge within a real-life workplace environment whilst also completing assessments tailored to the workplace of choice.

“Working with UNE Life’s marketing manager, has shown me how versatile my degree is,” Kate mentioned. “I have been introduced to certain skills in marketing, writing, content creation, social media writing and way more than I ever knew was possible through just one degree.”

“WORK300 is one of the best investments of time a media ‘comms’ student can make during their time of study. Work experience is not really accessible for so many arts and media comms students, yet it is required for so many jobs. I have to say it has really given me the best possible chance for gaining real industry knowledge and experience that can be applied to future careers.”

After graduating, Kate dreams of writing and creating content for the beauty industry, “I am a sucker for the beauty world and would love to be involved in the content creation and marketing design for any major beauty company.”

Until the likes of MECCA and Sephora discover Kate – like any other UNE on-campus student – Kate is enjoying the full #UNEexperience with her time studying and living at Earle Page College.

“I fell in love with the university lifestyle from the beginning,” Kate told us. “I feel like I had adapted well into the routine of classes and study because I began studying straight after high school. However, I did find, that my social life was pretty much non-existent whilst I was living in town.”

This led Kate to try living in one of the residential colleges at UNE. “In my second year I ventured into the unknown world of college living. I lived at Earle Page college and suffice to say that I had a blast. Living out of home, making new friends and enjoying my youth has been one of the most memorable times of my life. I have always been a very organised person, so balancing my social life with study and work was not too difficult. But in saying that, it is very easy to put your study on the back burner to have some fun, and so it is so important to stay accountable to yourself when assessment due dates loom.”

“Fast forward now to my third year – I can say that my overall UNE experience has been amazing, with job prospects looming and the overall feeling of the completion of my degree nearing. UNE has taught me to think outside of the box and has showed me that education can be combined with fun to create a truly rewarding experience.”

As the end of Kate’s time with UNE approaches, we asked her what advice she would give her younger self. “I would tell myself “gurl – calm down!” I feel that when we are young, we tend to see ourselves and the problems we face as bigger than what they really are. Now as an adult, it’s easy for me to see myself for who I truly am without judgement. I would tell my younger self that everyone is going to judge you regardless – so why not relax and have some fun!”

“I would also tell myself that versatility within a degree can be a blessing in disguise, and that more doors will open to me if I open myself up to opportunities throughout my degree.”

Well done Kate on everything you have achieved so far! It has been a pleasure to work beside you and to see a fellow media and communications student experience what the industry has to offer! 

If you want to get involved with any extracurricular activities in your time at UNE or you’re looking for a everyday tips,
tricks or advice for students explore our website!

Another UNE Life team that offers opportunities with Work300 students is Tune!FM, we recommend any media students reach out to the team at our university radio station for any possible work experience!