Business is a huge field and that’s a good thing. A degree in business can take you into business management, information systems, the supply chain, people-focused work, marketing, strategy work… the list goes on.

And that’s the best part: the career opportunities aren’t limited and you can really forge your own path. To give you a glimpse of where a business degree could take you, we’re sharing three alumni stories. Three people who took the skills they learned at Charles Sturt into completely different directions and built careers they’re proud of. It’s a clear snapshot of the career options you can step into when you study business.

Making her mark in marketing

“My name is Jane Hillsdon and I am a strategic marketing adviser. I started my career as a recruitment consultant. After three years of working within that industry I realised that my heart really lay with marketing. So I moved over into the marketing department of that same business.

Subsequently, a friend who had a small catering company asked me to be his sole marketer. As I sat next to him on my first day, I realised that if I succeed in this role I get to help my friend achieve his dream of building a business. Having that much responsibility in the success or failure of an organisation? I was hooked.

In 2007 my family and I decided to live regionally in Port Macquarie. I soon realised that there was a gap in the market for marketing freelance work. So I moved quickly to fill that gap. Within a couple of years I had started my own business, Dragonfly Marketing. Now I work with business owners to define a clear path of growth by putting together brand and marketing strategies.

One of the things that I love to do when I’m working with a client is to deep dive into the mind of their customers. Understanding how their customer thinks, how they behave and then applying those learnings to their strategy. Even working with small businesses on very small budgets, we can put together really clever campaigns that maximise the client’s bang for their buck – and even win awards for doing so. I’ll never forget winning my first award from the Port Macquarie Chamber of Commerce. That award helped to legitimise my business. It recognised me not only as a marketer but as a businesswoman.

I studied a Bachelor of Business¹ majoring in marketing and advertising at Charles Sturt in Bathurst. What this degree really instilled within me was the foundations of marketing. More than 20 years later those foundations have not changed. The landscape has certainly shifted. For instance, when I first graduated the internet, social media and digital advertising were not ‘things’. But the underlying marketing principles I learned are the same.

My advice to business students is that your degree is just the beginning. The marketing industry is evolving at such a rapid pace. The technology that we use as tools within our trade requires you to have a constant curiosity for how you can use these tools with the foundations of marketing you learn at university. So there’s lots of exciting learning to still be explored beyond your degree.”

Jane’s story highlights the creative side of studying business. Building a thriving marketing career and running her own agency, she’s carved out one of the many exciting business career pathways a degree in business can lead to.

Where business meets people skills

“My name is Stacey Jenkins and I have a Bachelor of Business majoring in human resource management, a Master of Human Resource Management, a Graduate Certificate in University Teaching and Learning, and a Doctor of Philosophy.

When I graduated from university after my bachelor’s I moved to Sydney. There, I put my studies into action as a human resource officer. I then moved overseas and had some roles internationally before returning to Australia, working in human resources across many different industries. Eventually, I became a national human resource manager for a large firm. I currently work at Charles Sturt University as the Executive Director of Safety, Security and Wellbeing.

My original studies have helped me immensely in my career. They served as a foundation. When you’re studying business, there’s a wide range of subjects that you cover, from accounting to human resource management and a lot of law. So that has helped me immensely in regard to the risk management I do, as well as interpreting and applying legislation.

I’ve had a really fun career. And had a lot of opportunities, engaged with a lot of different people and, throughout, tried to make a positive difference.”

Stacey’s journey is a clear example of how business studies can lead to human resources and senior business management roles, with career paths that grow as your career goals change over time.

From lectures to leading a company

“My name is Dan Winson and I’m the founder and CEO of Zetify. I completed a double degree in business and information technology at Charles Sturt. Later, I went back to complete a master’s degree.

My career to date has been a bit of a winding path. I started as a cadet at an accounting firm, then switched to a role in information technology. I opened my first business, which was focused on electronics, at the age of 23. Subsequently, I sold it when I was 28. I ended up teaching for 10 years before deciding that I wanted to solve internet connectivity problems in rural and remote areas. As a result, I founded Zetify.

In four years, we’ve grown the company from just a side project to a team of 32 people selling products right throughout Australia. We also have pilot projects running in Canada and the US. My job involves product management and enabling our team – making sure that we’ve got the best people doing the best work they possibly can.

My studies gave me a really solid grounding across a wide range of areas. These included accounting, management theory and an understanding of what it would take to actually build a business. Plus, learning how to think critically, investigate new technologies and process that information quickly to be able to adapt to situations has been invaluable.

My career highlights definitely include the work we’re doing here at Zetify. I’m incredibly proud of the team that we’ve built. I’m really, really happy to be working on something worthwhile. Putting technology to use in actually making people’s businesses and lives better. It’s incredibly fulfilling.”

Dan’s story shows the entrepreneurial side of studying business. Running a growing tech company with projects in Canada and the United States, his work now reaches into international business in a very real way.

Ready to start your business career?

If you’re considering what might be a good study option, a degree in business can set you up for a wide range of business career opportunities. Check out Charles Sturt’s Bachelor of Business – your first step to success.

¹CRICOS: 103012F