Petra Rankin

Bachelor of Arts, Major in Philosophy
Graduated August 2006

I loved that my degree was so flexible - being able to choose my lectures so that I could condense my studies into two intense periods and complete the readings at home allowed me to start my own business, while still obtaining excellent grades. One of the most important skills that helped me gain employment was the ability to speak publicly and confidently.

While studying, I decided to start my own publishing business, Brief Books. I commercially published my own book and designed and edited for clients. I have also worked for other companies as a communications a training manual for a telemarketing division, produced a planning system in the print media, and created a highly professional company website.

Since graduating I have been offered positions with titles such as Quality Assurance Officer, and Applications/Testing Analyst, with large companies. These employers recognise how my Bachelor of Arts degree has provided me with the skills I need to act as a communications intermediary between the technicians and the users.

The courses I studied during my Bachelor of Arts program have given me workplace skills that I use every day, such as the ability to adjust my writing style for my audience and the ability to analyse problems. On a more tacit level, the rigor of my philosophy major has given me the ability to apply sequential logic to any situation and to consider ethical principles of my decisions more carefully, whether at work or in everyday life.