PROFESSIONALQ CASE STUDY III
“It was really worth it because you get something real and valuable at the end”

Milcom has helped yet another industry professional develop their career with ProfessionalQ.com.au’s online Recognition Of Prior Learning service.

How do you move from being a broadcaster, journalist and sound technician for a community based radio station to being a system administrator in a university faculty? And where and how do you go from there?

Cherie Pryor has found the answer. Have your accumulated skills formally recognised and never stop learning.

From the radio station in Townsville, Queensland, Ms Pryor moved to Melbourne to study for a sound technician certification from RMIT. With her new qualifications she returned to Townsville and a job at James Cook University. She was soon offered a position as a computer technical officer to the School of Indigenous Australian Studies.

“Having qualified as a ‘technician’ it was felt I could easily move into computers. But, when the two senior technicians who gave me most of my initial instruction left I had to teach myself.

“With 20 staff, numerous students and 150 networked computers to support it was sink or swim.

“Five years on and with my contract running out I needed to do something, go somewhere.

“Just at the right time I had an email from a recruitment group telling me about the Milcom ProfessionalQ service and, with the encouragement of my superior, I contacted them,” she said.

By undertaking ProfessionalQ’s RPL process and systematically dredging back through her career, Ms Pryor was surprised to realise how much she had achieved and how much credit she was entitled to.

“The process wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. The only trouble I had was getting the evidence I needed in areas that had confidentiality issues but my mentor helped me get that from my employer,” she said.

In January 2001, having gained through RPL a Certificate IV in Network Management, Ms Pryor said: “It was really worth it because you get something real and valuable at the end.

“Now I have a piece of paper that gives me direction. It’ll let me expand my career and give me the incentive to go on with further study.”

“The great thing about the computer industry is that you never stop learning because it changes so fast. You can never know too much and can never get bored.

“I never thought I’d be a ‘nerd’ but I love it!” she said.

At ProfessionalQ.com you can complete an initial self-assessment free of charge. This confidential service allows you to clearly and easily see how your knowledge equates to potential qualifications.