Student Q&A: Stephanie Papanaoum

After being out of the workforce tending to the duties of a stay-at-home parent, Stephanie Papanaoum was encouraged to take on further study and decided to study Business Administration with Upskilled. Having an existing background in business, she knew that she wanted to have current knowledge and skills to be prepared for her next role.

In this Q&A, Stephanie shares her course experience, how her trainer supported her throughout her studies and how the qualification helped her secure a full-time role as a Works Control Administration Officer at a Children's Hospital. 

What motivated you to study Business Administration?

I’ve been a stay-at-home parent for sixteen years and wanted some relevant training to get back into the workforce. I had previously studied business but knew that most of my knowledge was now irrelevant. Initially, I wasn’t sure if I should do business admin or narrow the field.

I decided on business admin as there was a cross-section that would appeal to different areas I could work in. I had previously worked mostly in finance and wanted a change; the units would give me different skills. It would also fit in with my long-term goals of working in management.

You work as a Works Control Administration Officer at a Children’s Hospital. Can you tell us what your day-to-day responsibilities look like?

 I am working in facilities management at a hospital – neither have I done before. 

• Maintain and manage Engineering Works Management System and Asset register.
• Manage Preventative Planned Maintenance for over 70,000 assets.
• Maintains and processes planned preventative maintenance procedures. 
• Triage and process daily work requests.
• Liaising with internal and external stakeholders regarding Facilities Management. 
• Coordinates Work Permits. 
• Writes and edits documentation within the FM unit. 
• Ongoing analysis of the business processes with a focus on improving workflows. 
• Manage workflows to ensure policy compliance.

My role sees me doing lots of data cleansing. I’m learning lots about engineering components of the building and enjoying the work immensely. It’s a great team and we have a manager that allows autonomy.

It’s amazing that studying this course has helped you find work. What skills and knowledge have you developed from your studies?

Each unit has been extremely beneficial in my current role and addressed much of the criteria. I really appreciate learning techniques for time management and being able to plan my career was helpful because it gave me more of an understanding of what steps to take in order to achieve my goal.

Although I’m not in a position of authority, I have a good understanding of what is required when overseeing a team. However, it is difficult to gain a management position without having any prior experience.

What are the benefits of studying online?

The ability to study when convenient. Some of the units I found much easier than others. Having the ability to spend additional time on an assignment that I couldn’t in a classroom situation was extremely helpful. When completing the project management component, I spent a large proportion of the time researching as I wasn’t across the scope of what was required to complete the project. 

I also completed my studies after I had started work so I was able to manage the workload at a slower rate than I did previously. I was asked to write the strategic plan for our team, which was great because I had the knowledge but hadn’t been able to use it in practice yet. 

How did your trainer support you throughout your studies?

I had problems communicating with my first trainer and requested another; I found I didn’t understand the feedback and what was required of me. My second trainer was amazing and incredibly helpful. When I had any queries about anything, he gave me speedy information that was easy to understand.  He also gave me wonderful feedback on each of my assignments. Also, he gave me a reference that resulted in me getting the position I have today.

Do you have any short-term or long-term goals for the future? 

There are a few roles within the hospital that I am planning on applying for. There are not many future roles for me in facilities management as I don’t have a trade background – nearly all positions in FM require one. I am thinking that I would either like to work in asset management or in project management. I believe that I have the database management and basic understanding of asset management but would like to study the area further.

Kickstart your career in business administration 

Upskilled's Business Administration diploma course is a flexible online course. If you want to work towards a career in business administration, this course is suitable for those wanting to develop advanced skills in clerical and administrative work for an office setting. Get in touch with the Upskilled team on 1300 009 924 and enquire about how this qualification can help you reach your career goals in the field.