Why fashion?

I picked fashion because when I was at school, I looked forward to textiles and honed my creativity in on it, with pretty amazing results. I was featured in the HSC exhibit and went from there!

Who or what motivates you?

My own motivation is my main push. I really believe in doing everything to the best of my ability. Creativity unfortunately isn’t always that cut and dry, so it’s always good to get out and be inspired by things like architecture and natural wear and tear to major cities: urban landscapes, stripped back walls, etc.

Within your fashion and textiles degree at UTS, you majored in PR – what lead you to this decision and how do you see this skill set informing or assisting your career?

I chose to sub-major in PR to give my creativity a bit of standing and theory behind the practice. The sub-major gave me a great standing in Communications, which is really relevant to where I work now. I’m such a chatterbox, so it was great to hone in on this skill in a professional manner, and strengthen it to become a career objective.

What kind of projects or programs were you involved with while studying, and how have these helped you advance in your career?

The fashion degree at UTS is always pushing you to go as far as you can. I was fortunate enough in my honours year project to have won the Swarovski grant, whereby Swarovski Crystal sponsor a student, who can pick/choose/create with crystal as a medium. It was very exciting, because as a student, crystal is often out of the budget. I enjoyed working with the reflections, light and shadow… it really opened up a whole new design medium for me, pushing my style further.

What’s your interning record like?

I did six internships while I studied fashion. I didn’t do them to get a role, as the fashion industry is notorious for not hiring from interns. I did them to help me work out what environment and skill set suited my personality best. It helped guide me, but definitely still learning while I’m working! I landed the positions by being persistent. I emailed companies and kept pursuing. At the end of the day, I don’t think many people would turn down free work, let alone a persistent young worker!

Your work is beautiful – something Swarovski recognised when they awarded you a scholarship in 2012 – from where do you draw your inspiration and ideas?

Inspiration for me very much comes from our environment or the past. The Art Deco era is a favourite, it’s a bit darker and richer than other eras in my mind, as well as distressed urban landscapes, Moroccan tarnished colours… maybe that’s my next collection right there!

The theme of this issue is ‘climax’ – what do you envision as the pinnacle of your career?

The pinnacle of my career – I actually think it will be in five years’ time! Young and spirited, I’m hoping to push and break boundaries now, so that in five years, I’m managing people and directing them on the processes.

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Why do you choose to do freelance work?

I do freelance work so that I can work independently, but also as I haven’t seen anyone advertise recently for a type-setting, letterpress artist!

I work with letterpress in what might be called the ‘true’ sense of the craft – as in, I press letters (tanjabinggeli.com). Over the last few years, I have collected metal and wooden type from all over the world, to use with my 1894 Chandler and Price treadle driven letterpress. My process is 100% non-digital – I sketch drafts, hand-cut the images (mainly out of linoleum), and hand-set the type. Working [like this] is a real response to the digital, ‘flat’ media that we are surrounded by all day, everyday. Having a screen-free process makes my relationship to the work very direct and more spontaneous. When it comes down it, I think I’m probably just a massive technophobe who has taken quite an extreme route to avoid having to learn InDesign…

How much direction did your course provide for you?

When I started the degree – Master of Design (text and image) – I didn’t have a background in design. [It] gave me a sense of the scope of design in the world today – from problem-solving in the banking sector, through to designing scents for museum installations. We were shown how to apply the skills we had to a very broad spectrum of work. I think this meant that, by the end, we were empowered to choose whom we wanted to work with and where we wanted to be within this ever-broadening industry.

What’s some advice you wish you’d listened to earlier?

You are a very creative person. Do something about that.

I think that as creative people, our sense of self or creativity really needs to be nurtured. Growing up, I was very involved in music and performing, but I had no [idea] how that connected to a broader sense of ‘creativity’. I went to a very academic high school and we were taught to see ourselves with respect to our academic achievements. Life is so much richer than that – people are so much richer than that.

Having said that, I think we tend to find our way, eventually. And the journey is how we learn.

What are some of the exciting things that have come from the work you do?

By far my favourite aspect is meeting like-minded people to collaborate with. I work with a lot of people who work in food and wine. There is something beautifully tactile about letterpress – the inks, the colours, the texture, the manual nature of the process – that really appeals to cooks who work with beautiful and colourful seasonal ingredients to create delicious, nurturing food. Having an opportunity to come together with these people, often on a special occasion menu or invitation, is very fulfilling.

I also do quite a lot of small batch, very bespoke business cards for creative people. Coming up with a design on the press to represent someone’s identity is something I consider a real privilege, and a very stimulating process.

It’s crazy time-consuming, and absolutely a labour of love, but I feel really lucky to have found work that can be so energising.

Featured image via tanjabinggeli.com

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Of all the careers in the world, why did you choose nursing?

I wanted to choose a profession that was deeply personal and highly important to people’s lives. In my later high school years, I was addicted to the television series M*A*S*H. I chose to do my work experience during high school in a High Dependency Unit in a hospital. It was during this time that I witnessed first-hand that nursing was a profession that seemed to perfectly marry the science of the human body and the art of caring for vulnerable people. I wanted to be part of that.

What does it mean to be a nurse in the ICU?

To keep it simple, the ICU is a place where the sickest people are cared for. The intensive care specialty involves a variety of supportive therapies that protects a person’s body during the worst stages of their illness in order to provide the greatest opportunity for survival possible. Intensive care nurses spend most of the time monitoring a patient and responding to changes in their condition, examining their body systems, titrating life-saving drugs and tweaking equipment that the patient’s life depends on. ICU nurses care for their patient’s body in every other way possible. In addition, nurses perform critical aspects of other areas of allied health, and at times also need to be equal parts physiotherapist, speech pathologist, dietician and social worker.

What do you love most about your job?

In intensive care, you see an extraordinary side of human life. The ICU environment is very scientific and continually causes me to reflect on the remarkable complexity of the human body. I am continually amazed that I can watch immediate physiological changes in response to treatment interventions in real-time. It is an exciting time for intensive care medicine as the last decade has seen an enormous development in many life-saving treatments that have resulted from blossoming research and technology in the field. While at work, I have resuscitated the life back into people, restored breathing to people who were suffocating, injected adrenaline into someone’s left ventricle and felt what a head feels like when the bone has been removed. Putting the fun medical science aside, nurses have a hard job, an enormous responsibility, and are exposed to a lot of human suffering.  In my short time working in the ICU, I have encountered more human suffering and death than most people will see in a lifetime. These have been my most rewarding life experiences and I consider it an unspeakable privilege to care for someone in their last moment of life.

Looking back, what advice would you give your first-year self?

I would tell my first-year self to develop a strong support network among my peers to allow me to debrief from my clinical placements, and to encourage my peers to practice as ethical clinicians in the workplace.

How has UTS prepared you for a career in ICU nursing?

UTS offers a great nursing program. Top-notch teachers who are also frontier clinicians, as well as very life-like simulations and equipment that brings the hospital into the classroom made my time at UTS a valuable learning experience. You only really have one opportunity to learn the foundations and science of nursing practice, and that’s at university.

Featured image via uts.edu.au

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Describe a typical day for you…

I work as a freelance copywriter for arts organisations and civil engineering companies, and as a poet and radio playwright. You can guess which of these activities make more money, but we don’t need to name names. What it means for a typical day, however, is that I could just as easily be suiting up to go on site for a client as I could be muddling through emails at my studio or sleeping in under the rubric of ‘having a late start today, honey’.

The trick, I’ve found, is to get your priorities sorted and focus on one thing at a time. I’ve just come off a technical writing contract, for instance, to develop a new work for the ABC’s Creative Audio Unit. It’s a mystery series set aboard a boat. Which is incredibly fun, but it takes everything I have to be able to keep track of each episode. My last radioplay – Like a Writing Desk – went to air at the beginning of June, and I’m trying to finish a poetry manuscript about memory, narrative and identity. So there’s a lot on, but whenever it’s possible, I’m a mono-tasker.

What were some resources or skills that you’ve found useful in your career?

When I left UTS, the job market was fairly tepid, particularly in the media and publishing industries. I mean, I was arrogant and precocious, but once upon a time that was enough. So I struck out as a freelancer and enrolled in the NEIS program – aka ‘start a small business for the dole’ – which is the best thing I ever did. I learnt a lot of the practical things you don’t necessarily pick up at uni: how to invoice, how to track your accounts, how to market yourself as a business.

After that I slogged my guts out to build my portfolio. I worked for cheap and forgot how to spell ‘weekend’. Eventually the worm turned and things became more sustainable. I was able to start making strategic decisions about my projects and strike a balance between creative and professional work (which is a problematic binary, I concede, but it’s one that works).

What do you wish you would’ve known in your first year/time at uni?

We had a great cohort at UTS – we were involved in each other’s projects, Vertigo, things like that. But I wish I’d been more proactive outside that circle. I never really got involved with organisations like Express Media, for instance, or submitted my work to journals until after I graduated. So get involved. Or, you know, don’t. There are too many people doing things poorly because they’ve got too much on. Identify what you want to commit to and do it well.

Also, know what you want to get out of your degree and manage your expectations accordingly. I know a lot of people who resent having an ongoing debt for a somewhat amorphous course with intangible outcomes, and I don’t begrudge them for it. But in the ongoing discussion over the value of creative writing degrees – whether you can teach such a thing, whether students would be better off dropping out and just writing, whether they create unreasonable expectations of literary success – I think a couple of key things have been ignored. Namely, that no one really thought they were going to be a success, but more importantly, that that wasn’t the point. For me, uni was about having a forum to try out ideas, to form connections with people who shared the same interests and aspirations, to become more broadly literate. Maybe that’s less important now, because of the internet, but for me it was critical.

Any other bits of wisdom?

Do some strategic planning. There’s no shortage of options for writers to get published or gain experience, but if you don’t know what the bigger picture looks like you’re only going to focus on the most immediate opportunities, racing to meet each deadline without ever putting together a targeted pitch or submission. It’s unrewarding and ineffective.

If you don’t have one, get an ABN. Learn how to budget and project-manage. Get a good accountant. Never work from home for more than a day at a time. Work on paper whenever possible.

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Tell us about your background, and how did it bring you to where you are now?

I started my degree [Writing and Cultural Studies] and in many ways, it was exactly what I wanted. It gave me this really vibrant social context, and I became instantly politicised and aestheticised in these ways that had previously been impossible to imagine. I wrote my Honours thesis with Martin Harrison on Gertrude Stein, and she was a really important figure for me in understanding the potentials of language in a poetic context, to be the philosophic catalyst for thought. I’m an Associate Lecturer at COFA now, in a kind of art theory and history context, from which I have to reimagine all of my language studies and literature background.

When you were at university, were there any experiences or styles of learning that you found useful in terms of your professional development?

I would say the most important thing was my peer group. We had such a solid support system and we did a lot of stuff that was outside of the organised constraints of our assessments, which was complementary to the study we were doing. Just things like little exhibitions and performances, poetry reading groups. It set up a group of people who could work together – who still work together now.

I [also] did Vertigo in 2004 with a group of people, to whom I remain close. We knew nothingabout what we were doing and we produced these weird, mostly entirely unread or hated entities. But we learnt so much and it was such an incredible experience of immersive, really collaborative and exciting labour.

For anyone that wants to be an academic, what kind of advice would you give them?

Increasingly, it’s important to have a PhD if you want to be an academic. It’s a good way to see if an academic is something you want to be, because PhDs are difficult, exhilarating and often very troubling things to take on. You inevitably have all these moments of total despair, and moments of flight, where you just say, “I don’t want to do this.” If you get to the other end and say, “Yep, give me more” – then you’re probably the right type of masochist to be an academic.

If I could give any advice to someone, it would just be: try and read the world as a daily, habitual practice, and try to respond to yourself or in a journal, or in some sort of ongoing writing project – however you can do it. And teaching – it drives research. Having to stand in front of a group of people and wrestle with ideas in this strange performative way is the only way you learn how to think critically.

What would you say to your first year self?

Don’t ever feel like you have to understand something in one class, or one week, one semester, or one year. This is a lifelong project. You read something, you take it away and it lives with you, and you have to read it again and again, or maybe never again. But you cannot learn everything there is to know about an idea or concept or a theory, writer, movement, or aesthetic regime, instantly. You just have to embrace that total confusion and unknowability, and the sheer difficulty of conceptual work – and that’s the pleasure.

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Where do you work, and what’s your job like?

I am currently working at an engineering firm in Chippendale. Originally, I was employed as a design technician to work on the National Broadband Network (NBN) rollout. After 6 months my position expanded to supervising a small team of 8 designers (mostly UTS engineering students) working in my previous role. Much of what I now do is facilitating communication between the team and the client, and ensuring that the quality of work meets the standard required by the client.

How did you land your position?

After submitting many applications to architecture firms in Sydney, I came across an advertisement for the job online. At the time it was definitely not the ‘dream job’, but I ticked all of the boxes for job requirements and thought I would give it a shot. I took the application process for this job much more seriously and aggressively than I had others, and I found myself somehow enjoying competing with engineering students for a position in an engineering firm.

Enthusiasm was the strongest tool I employed in my application for the job. My cover letter was modified and personalised to be specific to this job, and I called to follow up on my application to show that I was excited at the prospect of working in the office. If you really want a job, you can’t be shy.

What university experiences were most helpful in preparing you for the real world of full time work? 

You don’t realise this at the time, but the design studio prepares you very well for working in the real world. Your tutor is your manager. Your classmates are your team. The design critique is more or less a presentation of final design work to the client.

What has been your most rewarding work-related experience so far?

This February I was fortunate enough to travel to New Zealand in order to establish a new design team in Auckland. My responsibility was to train 4 new staff to the Sydney team’s level in just over a week. The work was very tough, but the opportunity to represent the company internationally and independently establish the operation of a small team was amazing. And an all expenses paid overseas trip, free taxis to work? Pretty freaking cool.

Do you have any advice for pulling through studio-related all-nighters? 

I’m going to say something controversial here: For the love of god, don’t do them. Learn to manage your time and value your sleep. Ignore those who tell you it is a part of being a successful architect; they are doing neither you nor the profession any favours.

But if you feel you must, don’t do them consecutively.

What career goal are you working towards now?

My current job came very much out of left field, and yet it has opened me up to a completely different side of the construction industry. While many of my friends joke that I have jumped ship, I have no doubt that I am going to seek employment in an architectural firm in the future. Experiencing the engineering perspective has given me a unique insight that will definitely inform my future in the architectural profession. So I would recommend any job-seekers to be open to the idea of applying for jobs outside your direct field of study, especially while still studying. You’d be surprised how rewarding it may be.

Featured image via Wikimedia Commons

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What’s your job like?

I am a Digital Marketing Coordinator at the Sydney Opera House focusing on email, search and display marketing. I work closely with others in the wider marketing department, providing insight into the digital space.

How did you land your position?

I saw the job advertised online and it really stood out in terms of job description and requirements. I realised that it really isn’t worth applying for every job you see that matches your degree; it is a waste of time … if you’re not following where you actually want to go. Sending generic applications will get you nowhere: recruiters have seen it all before, and if you’re not really interested in it, why would you apply to work there nine to five? I reviewed the contents and design of my résumé from a recruiter’s perspective and ensured that my qualifications and achievements were clearly presented to demonstrate my suitability for the role. I spent a lot of time writing my cover letter because I really felt passionate about the role, and both the company and I wanted that to come across in my application.

After landing the interview, I did a lot of research into the company … as well as typical interview questions, so I could prepare my responses in advance: Give an example situation from your experience, list the relevant skills you developed, and [explain] how this is relevant to the position for which you are applying. Writing this out in a table helped with developing a clear thought process to best showcase my ability.

What experiences were most helpful in preparing you for your position?

I undertook unpaid internships at firms I was interested in during my business degree. I also participated in clubs and the exchange program at uni, which demonstrated initiative on my résumé. By spending just a bit of extra time outside of class, I could develop a better understanding of what I wanted to do after finishing my degree. I also found speaking to graduates and people who work in marketing really useful, as their stories and opinions gave me an idea of how to set out striving to achieve my goals.

Have you had any close encounters with celebrities visiting or performing in the opera house?

My closest encounter- and life defining moment- was being given the opportunity to dance with Chic and Nile Rodgers on the Concert Hall stage during their concert, while it was being live streamed on YouTube around the world! It was surreal and an amazing life experience – not many people can cross that off their bucket lists!

If you could turn back time and speak to your first year self, what would you say?

Be a “yes” person – join every club that interests you, go on exchange, seize opportunities for experience and take initiative from the beginning to get ahead. Everyone in your cohort comes out with the same degree on paper, you need to think, “How do I make myself stand out?” Look at what skills you want to develop and which internships or jobs will help you get there. This also forces you to reassess your time management skills, and you will learn more about succeeding in professional life. And don’t take uni holidays for granted. Seriously.

Featured image via

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Where do you work, and what resources did you find useful in landing your job?

I started as a graduate at Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) in September 2013. Somewhat conventionally, I also clerked at HSF during the summer of 2011-2012.

Did you start full-time work straight after graduation?

No, I took 10 months off and moved over to London to study art history at Sotheby’s. While some people I’ve met have since questioned why I’d ever return to commercial law, I found that the space and time really helped me refocus and refresh. Ten days in Ibiza didn’t hurt either.

Why did you pick corporate law at the end of your degree, and what has your experience with it been like so far?

I don’t think you could say that I had a strong commercial law drive during my degree; I took full advantage of the straight LLB to study everything from Family Law and Criminology to Environmental Law and Criminal Sentencing. Indeed, during my last semester I took Animal Law, Slavery and Human Trafficking Law, and Alternative Dispute Resolution. Unsurprisingly, these are not essential to practicing commercial law in Australia (though Animal Law in particular provides ample conversation starters). I did enjoy Corporations Law though, particularly the parts on directors’ duties.

I now work in Head Office Advisory – a specialised corporate governance group which advises 40% of the ASX100 and 60% of the ASX20. The work is very much a blend of legal and commercial – not only do clients want to know what the law requires, but also what best practice is, and where they sit against that in the market. I think being able to inform and shape the directions of some of the biggest corporate entities is pretty cool… but then I’ve always been a bit weird.

Outline your typical ‘networking night’ strategy.

Designated ‘networking nights’ are really only a clerkship thing. Which is brilliant because as delicious as the canapés are, attempting erudite conversation with total strangers while navigating a glass or two of champagne is a stressful experience. Especially if you – like me – don’t know anyone else in attendance.Luckily, all my experiences with networking (or rather, socialising in a professional setting) since then have involved other people that I know. It is endlessly reassuring and means I no longer feel compelled to hide in bathrooms (in my defence it only happened once). Generally these days I try to start off in a conversation with people I know and then gradually drift around the room; usually past the bar.

Going to the bar – for any beverage – is a great way to swap a couple of words. Alternatively, if there’s a particular person you want to meet I’d recommend going over and striking up conversation. It takes courage (Dutch or not), but the person you’re approaching knows this and will almost certainly appreciate the effort. Most people are genuinely flattered by others showing interest, so it’s unlikely to go badly… and if it does, there’s always the bar.

Any interview tips?

The best tip I was ever given is to put yourself in the shoes of the interviewer and write down all the questions you’d ask you… and then swap back to your everyday sparkly gold studded flats (if you’re me) and write down your answers. It may sound silly but it allows you to identify potential stumbling blocks ahead of time – and believe me it’s better to be lost for words your bedroom than in a boardroom.

What’s with the elevator selfies?

Ahah oh my. My mother told me they’d come back to haunt me. Basically I enjoy clashing print and colour in my work outfits and this – coupled with my latent narcissism – led me to share my sartorial choices on Instagram. Of course, being a law firm, full-length mirrors are unsurprisingly dearth, so I resorted to sneaky shots in the elevator… there are few things more awkward than being caught by a colleague taking a photo of your shoes (again, in my defence, it’s only happened once… so far).

Featured image via flickr

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