Tiffany Bower
Now as an Industry Development Lead for the Digital Economy at Sunshine Coast Council in Australia, Ms Bower draws on the skills and knowledge she developed through her studies nearly every day.
“My Postgraduate Diploma in Communication has given me a real breadth of skills and knowledge that I draw on nearly every day, in both work and personal life. In fact, I draw on the learning a lot more than I ever thought I would,” she says.
Ms Bower enrolled in the programme in 2018 to challenge herself, stretch her brain and learn something new. She says the programme’s real value was bringing together different areas of communication and grounding theory in practical workplace applications.
A lot of her current job involves building relationships, advocacy and stakeholder engagement. One of the aspects she enjoys most is working with local startup founders, understanding their goals and challenges, then connecting them with people and organisations that can help.
“In ‘innovation-industry’ speak, I’m often referred to as an ‘ecosystem enabler.’ I find great satisfaction in working out the levers to pull, lighting the pathway for someone and the long-lasting relationships that result.”
The skills she developed through her studies continue to underpin that work, particularly interpersonal communication, strategic public relations, advocacy, strategy development and stakeholder management.
“It’s proof that a strong grounding in communication theory and practice translates directly into real-world impact.”
Tiffany completed a Bachelor of Arts in 1995, then returned to study more than 20 years later. She says initially it was overwhelming, particularly in an age where information was more readily available. But learning how to navigate, filter and apply that information became a valuable skill.
She also found her professional and life experience gave her a different perspective.
“When we learnt about business and organisational communication, I could think of scenarios I had experienced in nearly every instance. It really changed my thinking and approach to workplace and business communication.”
Massey’s Bachelor of Communication will position you at the forefront of a rapidly changing world, giving you the human skills in connecting, creating and thinking critically that organisations in every field are actively seeking. Find out more here.
Massey’s Postgraduate Diploma in Communication will deepen your understanding of communication practice. You will follow similar study and learning processes and take courses that are also part of the Master of Communication. The difference is that this qualification does not have a research thesis component. Find out more here.
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