Name: Jo
Role Title: Sustainable Regional Development Officer
Location: Bendigo

Description of work undertaken:
My role includes conference organisation (eg. Agribusiness Forum Summit 2000), facilitation of events (eg. Coordinator of the award winning display at Sheepvention 1998), working with community groups and other government agencies. My favourite task so far has been assisting the Port Phillip Women Involved in Agriculture group to get up and running - a fantastic group of women who I found really inspiring.

Team and / or individual role / responsibilities:
My responsibilities vary a lot and I may be called on to participate in and comment on many different areas that NRE have an interest in - never a dull day in regional development!!

Future?
I would like to continue to work in the field of Regional Development and complete a Masters of Rural Sociology if possible. Rural communities are very important to me and I like to think that I am able to identify with and understand the issues as I am from rural Victoria myself.

BACKGROUND:
Grew up where?
I was born and raised in Horsham (north west Victoria), a town of approximately 13,000 people. My Dad is a Dryland Agriculturalist (as he likes to call himself), cropping approximately 2,500 acres with barley, beans, peas, lupins etc. My Mum is a Special Education Teacher the Secondary College in Horsham. I always wanted to be a Vet when I was at school but circumstances such as entrance scores changed my mind! My brother was studying agricultural science so I had a look at what was involved and decided it was for me, so a combination of my parents' farming background and knowledge of the course influenced my career path.

Course(s) studied:
Tertiary /post secondary:
Bachelor of Agricultural Science at LaTrobe University, Bundoora

Secondary:
This one is a hard one to answer? I really wasn't sure what I was going to do when I finished secondary school and ? does anyone at 17? However, I have a strong alliance with farming and decided to go with being an Aggie. So in answer to this question, no I didn't plan my school courses around doing agriculture I was just lucky enough to have the prerequisites ?

Work experience:
My obsession with being a Vet continued through my school years and I did work experience at the local Vet Clinic. However, once I began my course in agricultural science my focus shifted slightly and I undertook work experience on a cropping property, an emu farm and with a horse nutritionist.

OPPORTUNITIES:
Further study:
In the near future I will begin a Masters of Rural Sociology - bit of a change from what I thought I would be doing when I was in High School or even when at Uni.

Learning on job, new skills, etc.
I have been lucky enough to have extensive training with the Graduate Program with NRE in the areas of facilitation and extension, professional liability and duty of care, business writing, marketing, train the trainer and adult learning principles. In addition to this I have developed skills in communication.

Travel, etc.
The Graduate Program has been fantastic as it has allowed me the opportunity to travel, gain experience and meet people from all over Australia.. In 1999 I attended the Sustainable Economic Growth for Regional Australia Conference in Queensland which was excellent for gaining an understanding of what is occurring in other parts of Australia and the issues they are facing - also the opportunity to "glean" a few ideas. I have also travelled all around Victoria and to Canberra in my role, and as part of the Graduate Program I have lived in three different parts of the state and worked from four locations - I am now very good at moving house!

ADVICE TO STUDENTS NOW:
students up to Year 10
Don't panic if you are unsure what you want to do 10 years down the track. Think about what are the things you like to do. Can you see yourself doing them in 10 years time and being happy? Happiness is everything to me.

VCE students
Ask questions - if you don't ask you don't know. If you think that you would like to do a course in something in particular then see if you can talk to someone who has been there and done it - they will help to give you a good understanding of what to expect. Don't be afraid to dream, if you have a dream job in mind then write it down. If you do this you are one step closer to making your dream reality!

Tertiary students
If you want to work in agriculture/resource management then look for summer casual work at a research institute or with NRE. This will help reaffirm in your mind if it is really the sort of work for you. Call 136 186 (NRE's Customer Service Centre) and find out more about the Graduate Program with NRE - it's a great opportunity.

OTHER:
Comments, thoughts, suggestions.
Always remember to sell yourself - you are only as good as you think you are. If you think you will win then chances are you will.

What careers have other graduates from your course entered?
A huge range ? Soil Scientists, Vet Nurses, Agronomists, Animal Nutritionists, Viticulturists, Consultants, Facilitators, Horticulturalists, Marketing Officers, Finance Officers, Dairy Farmers.