Half a century ago, a job was for life. Now because of the changing nature of work, if you’re not happy in your role or if your passion or priorities change, you have the freedom to find a role that better suits your needs and interests.

We spoke with four people who made big changes in their career and came out on top.

HR Manager of a multinational in just five years

Khiem Vu Do (pictured below) had worked for almost 10 years in development projects when he decided to pursue ‘an opportunity to change my life and career’.

He enrolled in our Master of Business Administration, studying the first eight subjects of our course at Hanoi University in Vietnam via our Offshore Program. He finished the final eight at our Melbourne campus.
‘Human Resource Management is the career I wanted to pursue and I had the chance to study all its related topics in La Trobe’s elective mode for MBA students,’ he says. Mr Do returned to Vietnam with an MBA qualification and an experience living overseas, and says he found a job in the HR field with ‘relative ease’.

‘From a humble start as a HR senior staff member in a small start-up company, I have escalated my career to Country HR Manager of a multinational company after five years.’

Reflecting on his takeaways, he says ‘to handle daily HR tasks and obstacles, I often call upon the knowledge and theories I learnt from the La Trobe MBA program.

‘To overcome any challenges regarding office communication, I rely on the experience I gained interacting with international friends and lecturers during my time at La Trobe.’

Mother of two follows dream of becoming a writer

Wendy Dunn was a full-time mother of two, when she decided to add another feather to her cap by pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree via our Early Leaver’s Scheme. Pregnant with her third child at the end of her first year of study, she studied part-time and then went on to complete a Diploma of Education.

‘My time at La Trobe turned my life around and helped me reclaim my childhood and teenage dream of becoming a writer,’ she says. Now the author of two published books, with a contract for a third, Dunn also tutors writing classes at a university and says ‘teaching up-and-coming writers as an immensely important part of my writing career.’

From accounting to business

Kristina Marko (picture top image) is the first in her family to graduate with a university degree. In 2012, scompleted a Bachelor of Commerce at our Shepparton campus while also completely an Accounting Traineeship at a local accounting firm.

‘I was accepted into a boutique accounting practice in Kew, Melbourne, where I worked with high-net worth individuals, trusts and special projects,’ she says.

‘I was privileged that my degree at La Trobe was able to open doors for me in metropolitan and regional settings.’

After six years in the industry, Marko decided to change careers and returned to Shepparton where she pursued further studies with a MBA.

‘The MBA allowed me to network and learn with amazing people,’ Marko says. ‘In fact, shared experiences are my greatest take away from the MBA.’

Marko now works at La Trobe, which she says ‘felt like the natural, next chapter in my La Trobe story’. She says: ‘I am highly motivated about the gift of education and promoting the opportunities of further study that the regional campuses offer.’

‘I didn’t realise how different life could be’

Jade Arbuckle (pictured above) was working in administration at the Bendigo Advertiser when an ad for our Tertiary Enabling Program crossed her desk. ‘I’d been thinking about doing a course for ages,’ she said. ‘I wanted to do nursing, but was quite sure how to go about it.’

TEP looked like it would provide what she needed. The 14-week part-time course prepares potential students to enrol in a degree – and it’s free. Jade called the number and enrolled. The course provided a smooth transition for Jade to be accepted into our Bachelor of Nursing.

In her second year of studies, Jade won an award for academic excellent and excellence on clinical placement. She graduated and is now working as a graduate nurse at Bendigo’s St John of God hospital.

‘I didn’t realise how different life could be,’ she says. ‘It’s definitely been a step in the right direction for me.’

If you’d like to discuss your career options, contact our careers team or book a one-to-one consultation.