Student Q&A: Rebecca Quick

Editor's note: Upskilled is currently not taking enrolments for the SIT50316 - Diploma of Event Management. Please contact us on 1300 009 924 to discuss other course options, or register your interest here. 

Despite having an intense schedule for university and work, Rebecca Quick managed to successfully complete the SIT50316 - Diploma of Event Management with Upskilled. She studied a subject at university which focused on the broad fundamentals of events but she wanted to dig deeper into the field and decided to obtain a qualification to gain more practical skills that could help her in future job roles in events.

In this Q&A, she shares more about her experience with online study, how her trainer supported her throughout the course and how having this qualification has helped her engage in more additional responsibilities at her current job. 

Could you tell us more on why you chose to study SIT50316 -  Diploma of Event Management?

 I was on my university holidays and found myself with some spare time. I’m an avid learner and really enjoy continuing to expand my knowledge. I had done a university subject in events before this but found that it was really broad, and I left the subject thinking that I didn’t have practical knowledge. If someone had asked me to hire an event, I didn’t think I’d be able to, so I decided to focus my learning a little more and take this up. 

Now that you have finished your course, what are you hoping to achieve in the next 6-12 months?

 Over the next 12 months, I’d like to be able to apply this into my role at work. Due to my qualifications, my employer has let me take on additional responsibilities and it has really expanded my role. 

I already do a lot of marketing work but taking on the events side has meant we don’t have to employ anyone out-of-house, which makes everything much more effective in the long-run. I’m hoping that I get to continue to expand my repertoire of events particularly in galas, exhibitions and conferences.

What skills have you gained or improved on since completing the Diploma?

The skills I learnt from completing my SIT50316 - Diploma of Event Management have been invaluable. Sometimes, tertiary learning can be more theoretical, but my course at Upskilled gave me practical skills to be able to apply them in the real world.

In my final assessment, I had everything I would ever need to be able to plan the most complex event and I knew having these skills would make me much calmer when faced with a task. It really does give you the confidence and not just having a vague idea.

How did your trainer support you throughout the course? 

My trainer, Gideon, was incredible. He was consistently touching base with me to ensure I was tracking along the recommended timeline – though I was often ahead. He gave comprehensive feedback and was always available to answer any additional questions I might have had. 

I felt like he was there for me 24/7 and would always reply quickly, which you don’t get in a big university setting. It felt like a personal learning experience and you could tell he actually cared about my success and ensured that I wasn’t just passing the assessment, making sure I was understanding the work as well.

Name three benefits of online study and explain why they were important to you. 

• Working at my own pace: I’ve always been able to finish work quite quickly and often find myself bored or waiting for others to complete their work. By working online and being able to finish quickly kept me really interested in the work I was doing.
• Convenience: Since I study at university full time already and worked, it was great to be able to actually fit it around the rest of my life without feeling like I was missing out on lectures or tutorials because they were all available to me whenever I wanted
• Resources being readily available: Sometimes trotting into a library only to find the book you need has already been checked out gets exhausting. By working online, you have access to a lot of resources that really do help you complete your work. You can do some extra reading as you don’t have any time restrictions. 

What aspects of the course have you enjoyed and why?

I really enjoyed the practicality of my course. Consistently working with a singular scenario throughout the entire course helped you think in depth about it consistently. 

Even if you had moved on from one part of the assessment, you were able to continue thinking about it after its submission as it was still relevant. In reality, you don’t just put on an event or organise a budget and never think about it again – you have to constantly re-evaluate what this project allowed you to do. 

Any helpful advice you’d like to share to future students wanting to study the course? 

To really delve into your materials and scenario. I understand the idea of just doing the assessment and getting the piece of paper at the end, but there is so much value in this subject if you allow yourself to really engage with the content. You’ll come out the other end of the course feeling so confident about your abilities that you truly can take on any event that comes your way!

Want to expand your skill set in events during your spare time?

Like Rebecca, you can earn practical skills in event management by studying the SIT50316 - Diploma of Event Management. This course is designed to be completed within 12 months or less depending on your skills, experience and time management.

You will explore subjects such as managing event staging components, enhancing customer service experiences, managing finances within a budget, and more. If you have the thirst for knowledge and want to be part of a fast-paced and exciting industry, get in touch with Upskilled on 1300 009 924 and see how a course in event management can help kickstart your career.