Claire Walker decided to return to university to help enhance her career with the Department of Health.
Claire Walker wanted to make a difference. She wanted to make a meaningful impact within an organisation, so decided to return to university to expand her knowledge in digital communications. It was the pandemic that inspired Claire to apply for a position as Senior Project Officer with the Covid Response Team for the Victorian Department of Health.
“This job has allowed me to use my previous work experiences from various industries and my Digital communications knowledge to really lift the way we portray our team within the organisation. My current position is not a sole communications role and yet I have been able to use my digital communications skills to better our branch and in doing so, aid the fight against Covid.”
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While the skills, theory and processes learned from pursuing further education have been invaluable, both personally and professionally, Claire has discovered a treasure trove of inspiration and motivation since beginning her studies.
“I have found so much inspiration through digital communication since studying. I think you just notice more,” she explains.
“A big motivator for me has been one of my lecturers who has managed to make teaching an art form by producing his own engaging content.
“By using digital communication as his way of connecting with students, he has motivated me to strive for better, both in study and my real-life working world. He has encouraged me to reach out and put myself out there….so far, he has been right!”
While the mother of three (with three-year-old twins) juggles life, work and study, the meaningful work she’s doing makes it all worthwhile – especially with day-to-day work that assists in the fight against COVID.
Claire has also been able to hone in on her skills and professional attributes that her employer really values. “I have been able to engage with Barwon Health and how they use our Digital Testing tool at Covid Testing sites, as well as use my video editing skills to promote our team amongst our division.
“Being in a pandemic response team, things are always moving, and deadlines are tight. My role is very varied and no day is the same. I coordinate our teams’ work, focused on the public health response. It has been a great experience, learning about the health industry and getting to utilise my digital communication skills in my daily work,” she explains.
Claire studies a Bachelor of Communication at Deakin. Explore Communication to find out more.