Name: Andrew H
Role: Communications and Public Relations Officer
Location: Institute for Horticultural Development Knoxfield

ABOUT MY CAREER

What does a typical day in your job involve?
I am responsible for promoting the Horticulture Program and the Institute for Horticultural Development at Knoxfield, Toolangi and Ovens through communication of science outcomes and capabilities.

My tasks include:
» Writing media releases and feature articles
» Editing newsletters
» Producing brochures
» Organising information & promotional displays at field days, workshops, conferences
» Conducting tours of the institute for visiting groups

What do you enjoy most about your job?
» Writing and producing publications that are useful to many people

Why did you choose this career?
» Even though I went down a science path at school, my best subject was English and I've always liked writing.
» It is becoming more important for scientists to communicate their results and promote their work.
» My love of writing and experience as a scientist puts me in a good position to do this job.

What are your plans for the future?
» I'd like to keep improving and expanding the ways in which we communicate and promote our science, because our scientific work has the potential for great benefits for the community.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF

Where did you grow up?
» I grew up at Mt Helen (just out of Ballarat but not on a farm).

How did this influence your choice of career?
» This may have influenced my education and career choices, as my first choice was Forestry, followed by Agricultural Science.

MY EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Were courses in secondary school planned for this sort of work?
» Not all of my choices at school pointed towards science eg. I studied the Indonesian language until the end of Year 11.
» However, except for the compulsory English, all of my final year subjects were science ones, so I was certainly looking towards that area.

Which courses have you studied at University or TAFE?
» Not having got the results I needed for forestry, I got into Agricultural Science at the University of Melbourne.
» Initially, I thought I might then try to move over to Forestry, but didn't pursue it in the end.

Did you complete any related work experience?
» In my previous work as a Research Scientist with Agriculture Victoria, I had the opportunity to design and try various methods of communicating scientific outcomes, which provided a good combination of skills for use in my current role.

FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

Is there a lot of learning on the job?
» Everyone should be learning on the job, and in my case it's about responding to other people's needs and systems, picking up new skills in computing, writing, talking, graphics etc.

Do you plan to do further study?
» No.

Do you travel much in your job?
» My main work-related travel is to get news stories from other NRE sites and to attend conferences and field days to set up displays and promote the horticultural work of NRE.
» I travel within Victoria as well as interstate.

What are graduates from your course doing now?
They are working as:
» Research Scientists
» For chemical and fertiliser companies
» Consultants

ADVICE TO STUDENTS NOW
» Horticultural science can help you to learn about how we produce our food, how this affects our land, water and native plants and animals and how we can make sure that we can keep producing food.