Being able to complete placements whilst you’re studying meant I was able to find out what I enjoyed and most importantly, didn’t enjoy, before I had even graduated.
Starting her professional journey
Janine is a Content Strategist at growing tech startup Qwilr. On any day, she could be interviewing customers, looking into data to understand consumer behaviour, producing blog posts or landing pages, structuring email sequences or writing in-app copy.
Visit Janine's website
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the work that she does.
Writing has always been a large part of Janine's work. Her journey started when she was offered a position at a communications agency focused on CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) communities. After a stint doing freelance writing roles, she then found herself in the world of tech. During her time, the company she was working for tripled in size, acquired two companies, and eventually, IPO’d on the ASX. Having exhausted the impact she could make, she moved onto her current role as a Content Strategist at Qwilr.
What is a content strategist?
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.
Content is at the heart of advertising and is key to moving a person from the research to purchase phase. The world of content marketing has evolved over time but users are relying on self-research (i.e. Googling it) more and more when thinking of purchasing a product. Janine believes this 100% relies on content. In the world of tech, Janine works closely with the Product, Design, Engineering, and Customer Support teams to create an experience that’s seamless and enjoyable to the user.
Why UTS?
Janine was drawn to UTS because of the mix of theoretical and practical components and the focus on placements. Working with content means Janine needs to be able to write well but also needs to speak to the heart of the reader and understand their motivations. In all of her roles, she dives into consumer behaviour and draws on the practical skills she learned during her degree, such as conducting interviews, writing questions, and analysing qualitative and quantitative data.
I really enjoyed how the course offered practical skills like using SPSS and data analysis. These aren’t things you'd find in your standard communications degree but I’ve found them immensely useful.
Working for a startup
If you have an entrepreneurial itch, working for a startup is a good environment to strengthen your key skills and become a critical thinker. Janine's found it keeps her on her toes and has given her the ability to experiment with new ideas and tactics in an environment that encourages learning from failure.
My biggest career steps have come from working in smaller companies and startups. I’ve been able to work closely with senior colleagues and make a bigger impact.
