Graduate Stories
Debra Royle: Community Safety Officer with Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA)
My first university studies were commenced at Muresk Agricultural College in Northam in 1981. When considering a change in career in 2001, I was taken by the idea of doing a Masters of Audiology. This was only offered at UWA and a BSc was a prerequisite. As Muresk is part of Curtin University, admission to a Curtin undergraduate course was easier than applying to UWA. I researched my options on the internet and particularly the Curtin website.
The flexibility to choose units from other disciplines as part of the Health Science degree was very appealing. Course coordinator Barbara Postle provided me with advice on suitable subject combinations and assistance in completing my enrolment forms. I enrolled in the Public Health stream and combined as many units from the School of Management as possible. I studied full time from 2002 to 2004 and feel this degree provided me with a well rounded qualification. In my final year, when friends studying Health Promotion had their sights on a specific career, I wondered if I had made a mistake choosing a generic degree with no specific career path. This degree is a fabulous foundation for a Masters degree in a particular field. I have not yet applied to study audiology or any other post graduate course, but it is still a possibility, finances permitting.
After applying for jobs and graduate placements for 5 months, I secured a 6 month contract with the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) as a Community Safety Officer. This role requires the application of health promotion principles and a range of skills form all the units undertaken during my degree. This is a well paid position for a new graduate and I would not have been able to secure this level in the Health Department or a non-government organisation. The diversity of subjects undertaken in the BSc Health Science degree gave me the confidence to apply for positions associated with a range of careers such as Community Development, Health Promotion and Occupational Safety.
A piece of advice: find or accept opportunities for work experience from a broad range of organisations during your studies, this will give you the edge when it is time to apply for jobs.
Debra Royle