12 ] September 13-14, 2014 The Weekend Australian
Swapping the rat race for the classroom
Tony McCulloch
Not everyone has the courage to swap the salary and security of a corporate career for life as a primary school teacher.
For Swinburne Online student, Tony McCulloch, the experience of having his own children intensified burgeoning feelings of dissatisfaction with his working life.
“I worked in the pharmaceutical and fast moving consumer goods industries in supply chain, project management, organisation development and change management roles, but always seemed to arrive at the same conclusion:
“This isn’t really for me.”’ With two young boys, McCulloch took on an active role at their local Auskick centre and in his sons’ schooling. The involvement with young people cemented his decision to retrain as a primary school teacher.
“I did a lot of research and Swinburne Online offered the flexibility I needed for part time work and family life. In reality I’ve found it to be even better than I expected,” says McCulloch.
“It’s a different experience from when I did my undergrad in the 1990s. Back then I wasn’t really focused, but now I’m totally engaged, I want to do really well and I’m putting in a lot of time and effort.”
“Doing the course has been great. It’s very collaborative; we have a discussion board, group assignments, video collaboration sessions and students connect via email and social media.
“At the start of each subject, tutors and students post introductions and photos so you can get a feel for who you’re learning with and who you might want to connect with.
“Financially, it’s a big change to be studying full time for two years. My wife has been unbelievably supportive. I’m confident now that this is what I want to do and can’t wait to get into the classroom.”
Decisions, decisions, decisions
With so many degrees to choose from, how do you pick the right course for you?
WHAT should you consider before enrolling in a postgraduate degree? With so many courses jostling for attention how do you decide which one’s right for you? We asked some careers experts to share their top tips.
Andrew Rimington, president of the Career Development Association of Australia (CDAA), says before selecting a study pathway, it’s important to objectively assess your personal skill set, review your current qualifications then look at labour market trends to see where the jobs growth is.
The Department of Employment (continued on page 13)
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