2022 OGA Year 12 Leavers Panel - Laura Tran (Class of 2018)
About me
Having graduated Somerville House in 2018, I’ve just completed a Bachelor of Communications majoring in Advertising and Public Relations at QUT. While I had a number of different part-time jobs during university including work as a waitress, barista, private violin teacher, seminar presenter and communications coordinator at a small PR firm, I’m about to begin work at a global advertising and marketing agency.
Q. How did you end up where you are today? What was your journey like? What drew you towards your current industry/profession?
A. After year 12, I was set on taking a gap year. I had no idea what I wanted to do but I just knew I needed a break, however I knew I wanted to go to university eventually so when QTAC applications came around, I decided to just pick something I was interested in and something that might help me figure out what I’d like to study. I enrolled in International Relations at UQ, and later added psychology and business to the mix. After a year of that, I decided it wasn’t for me and transferred into the course I’ve just graduated from: a Bachelor of Communications in Advertising & Public Relations.
Fortunately, I was able to have credit transferred, meaning I didn’t waste much of my initial studies at UQ. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my career (and to be totally honest, I’m still figuring it out) - but throwing yourself into gaining experience at uni and in work opportunities helps you figure it out pretty quickly. All I knew is I loved people and dynamic environments and didn’t want to choose an industry that was too narrow, and that’s still a pretty good compass for me now too. Use your interests and must-haves as a base and go from there.
Q. What are some important skills that we should take with us into our tertiary studies?
A. Biggest uni tip: make yourself known. This is one of the biggest things I’m glad I did at university as it’s given me the opportunities I have today. Uni is very different to school in that it’s much more autonomous and rewards self-accountability: you can do all your classes on Zoom or not even go to your classes and still scrape by, or you can be in the classroom and actually interact with your tutors face-to-face. Your lecturers/tutors and the students around you will end up being the people that refer you to real jobs, and who you’ll sit next to in interviews and workplaces. While it might not explicitly be a skill, attitude determines a lot when your future is suddenly up to you.
Q. How do you turn a lack of motivation into a productive day?
A. If you’re really not feeling it, start with something small and very achievable - I personally find this helps me get into a better kind of productive mindset that’s usually more beneficial compared to when I started. If you’re not motivated, don’t start with envisioning the massive task you know you have to do (your imagination can often be scarier than reality) - start with something more simple or give yourself an 100-word goal like a small section of that big task. Things always feel less scary once you’re going and on a roll - my biggest challenges often happened before I’d started...
Q. Is it hard to get jobs after uni after degrees which end up with no qualification/licence (for example: business, law, science)?
A. I think no! Based on my personal experience (so far), the big-time opportunities I’ve been given have almost all come to me through the people I knew and my attitude, rather than the qualification I have (this can be the least important factor… at least in the business world). Who you know and the experiences you’ve had is key - and your demonstration of your willingness and commitment to grow professionally.