The Communication industry is constantly evolving. Meet three of our graduates that have responded to the digital disruption and are working in roles that didn’t even exist 10 years ago.
1. Polina Pashkov
Co-Founder of Stitch Hub & UX Researcher & Designer at Snepo
Polina is taking on the world of startups, as one of the co-founders of Stitch Hub, a platform for people living with Type 1 Diabetes. On any given day, Polina attends meetings, works on the website development, builds revenue models, amalgamates databases and more!
As well as pursuing a career as an entrepreneur, Polina also works part-time as a UX (User Experience) Researcher & Designer at Snepo, a company that specialises in interactive software and hardware development. UX Design is an area that has seen tremendous growth in the past decade, due to the rise of digital platforms. As connected products are integrated into more aspects of our everyday lives, UX will be responsible for translating strategy into intuitive experiences.
The predominate skills I bring from MAP (Media Arts & Production) to my startup includes understanding how to influence and consider stakeholders and how to navigate between design and communications. A lot of my role consists of areas and tasks that I have had to learn on the fly, however being able to empathise with and persuade an audience has assisted in many presentations and stakeholder engagements.
Polina studied a Bachelor of Communication (Media Arts & Production) / Bachelor of Creative Intelligence & Innovation at UTS.
2. Janine Saunders
Content Strategist, Qwilr
Janine is a Content Strategist for Qwilr, a digital service that creates documents for the web.
Demand for digital content strategists has grown exponentially in the past decade. This is because in today’s digital world, users are increasingly relying on self-research (i.e. Google) when considering whether to purchase a product. Janine believes effective and engaging content is at the heart of advertising and is key to moving a customer from the research to purchase stage. In her role, Janine works closely with the Product, Design, Engineering, and Customer Support teams to create an experience that’s seamless and enjoyable to the user.
My job is to ensure every touch point for a user meets their expectation; from hitting our website, signing up, receiving onboarding emails, and continuing to use our software tool.
Janine studied a Bachelor of Communication (Social and Political Sciences) Bachelor of Arts in International Studies at UTS.
3. Wilson Kwong
Social Creative, Ogilvy
Wilson is a Social Creative for Ogilvy Australia, an advertising, marketing and public relations agency.
Wilson’s professional career in digital marketing started as a Content and Communities Manager with Magnum & Co, which stemmed from an internship he did whilst at UTS. He was then offered a job at Ogilvy as a Social Media Content Manager before moving up the ranks to his current position as Social Creative.
As a Social Creative, no two days are the same. One day Wilson might be trying to crack a creative brief and the next he'll be out on a shoot for a client. However, the projects he works on aren’t traditional advertising or marketing briefs! An example includes making Australia’s first ever Snapchat game for KFC - a unique creative solution that responded to the digital audience of today.
Hone your core skills, stay flexible and be ready to adapt to this ever-changing industry. People who can communicate effectively, no matter the medium, will always be in high demand.
Wilson studied a Bachelor of Communication (Public Communication) at UTS.
4. Beth Shea
Digital & Editorial Coordinator, Universal Media Company
Beth is a Digital and Editorial Coordinator for Universal Media Company, Australia's biggest publisher of niche magazines.
Beth uses the skills from her Creative Writing degree at UTS to produce three annual magazine titles. This process involves contacting and liaising with clients for materials, writing features, editorials, articles and product listings, editing the magazines, and working with the sales and design team.
In addition to her traditional editorial role, Beth also runs three active social media accounts, writes weekly e-newsletters and manages content on the company websites.
UTS got us to practically apply what we were learning in every lesson, which really helped me to improve my writing across a range of styles that was invaluable for getting my job at Universal Media. The final two courses in my third year focused on getting us to create a writing portfolio, which I found to be a great resource to showcase to future employers.
Beth studied a Bachelor of Communication (Creative Writing) at UTS.
5. Isha Bassi
Post Writer, BuzzFeed Australia
Isha is a Post Writer for BuzzFeed, an international media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. BuzzFeed has been one of the trailblazers of viral content creation (think personality quizzes, cooking videos and memes). However, in recent years it has also built a reputation for hard-hitting journalism, breaking major stories and exposing injustices around the world.
Isha's role involves creating content in a variety of mediums, including articles for the web, social media posts, videos and even memes. An important part of Isha's job is to keep track of what's trending in the media to ensure she's creating content that engages BuzzFeed's audience.
My decision to work at BuzzFeed over a traditional news organisation boils down to a lesson I learned in one of my very first Journalism tutorials – write about something you’re passionate about because that’s when your writing will be the strongest. And after countless assignments, internships, and extra-curricular activities, I realised that for me it was pop culture.
Isha studied a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) at UTS.
UTS is Australia's #1 young university (QS Top 50 Under 50, THE Top 200 under 50 2018).
The Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences (FASS) offers undergraduate courses in Communication, Education & International Studies.
Meet more of our students and graduates or explore our facilities at Life in the FASS Lane.
Watch Careers for Creative Thinkers (on-demand video)