Masters degree a big career boost
Commencing a Masters degree at Macquarie University has been an amazing career boost for environmental science student Hilary Bekmann.
Bekmann completed her undergraduate degree in Media at Macquarie and decided to follow an environmental science path after graduating.
“I have always been an all-rounder and specialising when I finished school was something I struggled with,” she says. “The good thing about environmental science is that being an all-rounder is a real benefit because you have to be a good communicator, good with numbers and good at science—a jack of all trades—that’s the way I see it!”
Initially commencing her Post Graduate study on a full-time basis in 2005, Bekmann gradually had to scale back her study due to increasing work commitments. She started doing contract work on sustainability issues for State and Local Government and is now working full-time as the Manager, Sustainability Programs for the Office of Facilities Management at Macquarie.
“The fact that I had almost completed my degree absolutely helped me get the position here at Macquarie,” says Bekmann. “It is an amazing opportunity as the University has provided a budget, which is unusual when it comes to sustainability, and there are long-term results—things that make a big difference to the University’s footprint.”
Even though her study has been scaled back, Bekmann is still enjoying the course. “The GSE (Graduate School of the Environment) offers processes and skills that can be applied to any situation. The position that I am in at the moment requires me to be involved and to understand every situation. Any activity that involves planning, building, governance and communication, I need to be there. That process-based approach has been really important for me to be able to adapt to any situation.”
Apart from the obvious job prospects, there are a number of benefits to undertaking study at Macquarie according to Bekmann. “The University is flexible and open to reflecting the working environment of a postgraduate student,” she says. “The GSE in particular is very flexible and more importantly, they make the effort to respond to your needs instead of making you respond to them.
“Doing a Masters is one of the best things I’ve done,” Bekmann says.” It’s been incredibly beneficial to my career and even though my masters isn’t management specific, such as an MBA, I have been able to move into a management role at a relatively young age.”
Further information on the Master of Environmental Science at Macquarie.