Tavleen Tarrant

What advice would you give to students who are unsure about choosing the right degree for their interests and career aspirations?

The advice I would give is to go with your gut and really think about what skills you think will be most valuable in your future. No matter what degree you do, you can harness skills learned from that degree and utilize them in a variety of fields. There is a strong chance that the degree that you get may not be the field that you end up pursuing in the long term. I completed my Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences in International Relations, and now I work in Journalism. While these are two different fields, the skills I learned from my degree like, research, formulating a strong argument and understanding the world, helped prime me for my current role in covering international news as a social newsgathering reporter at NBC News.

What unexpected skills did you gain from your degree that you have taken into your current role and why has it been so valuable?

When you are at university, a common complaint is often the number of essays and written projects you have to do. However, writing my thesis and all of the essays required in my

honours degree helped prime me into a reporter with a strong writing background. I was able to articulate effectively through the written word and also learn how to write in a condensed fashion, writing with structure and a word count which is so very needed in journalism.

Working with peers on group projects and collaborating has also taught me the importance of working in a team, something that is so invaluable in a workplace and in a job that requires cross-collaboration.

What extracurricular activities, work integrated learning programs or other opportunities helped you develop personally and professionally and how did you manage to balance them with your studies?

Something nice to have in university is the various affinity groups you can join that allow you to meet with people of similar identities who can help you navigate life in college— for example, the Women's Collective, the Ethno-cultural Collective or the Students with Disabilities Collective. I think having a group of people who can understand you is so fundamental to getting through university.

What role have the friendships and networks you made throughout your studies at UNSW played in your personal and professional life?

During my time at UNSW, I became close with my honours cohort which was a tight-knit group. I learned so much from my peers that really informed the type of person I am today. I am still in touch with them via social media. Do not be afraid to reach out to people in your cohort and get to know them beyond just classes, you’ll never know if that person in your lecture could actually be your future best friend!