New skills loading: Alexandra's career reboot

“Lifelong learning has always been part of my life, it’s something I’ve been brought up with from day dot,” the thirty-one-year-old TAFE Queensland student began.

“My mother is 75 and she is still learning, and it’s absolutely inspirational.”

Alexandra is one of several students featured in TAFE Queensland’s new ‘Make Your Great Happen’ campaign, selected because of her unique career progression. While her journey reflects her own priorities and timeline, it’s one that will feel familiar to many.

After building a career in retail and progressing into management roles, Alexandra knew she was ready for a change. She had developed valuable project management skills throughout her career, but wanted a formal qualification to back up her experience and take her to the next step.

“I was thinking about this change for a couple of years, but I was really hesitant to go back into study because I thought it meant I had to stop working,” Alexandra said.

“I had a lot on my plate, and I had no idea how I was going to achieve full-time study with full-time work,” she explained.

Discovering she could study around her existing commitments changed everything.

Alexandra enrolled in an accelerated, six-month Diploma of Project Management (BSB50820) with TAFE Queensland, studying at night while continuing to work full-time, which fit her capacity and energy levels.

Completing the qualification in late 2025 gave Alexandra the confidence to keep learning. 

With a growing interest in technology, in February 2026 she took her next step and enrolled in the Diploma of Information Technology (Advanced Networking, Cloud Engineering) (ICT50220).

For Alexandra, the two qualifications complement each other and are helping her build towards a career that will see her use her existing strengths and new technical skills.

Her studies have also opened her eyes to just how broad the ICT industry is, and with the Australian Government Job Outlook service predicting a 25% growth in employment of ICT professionals over the next five years, Alexandra will be well-placed to take her pick.

“I’m really excited about where my future’s going to take me,” she shared.

“I plan to start in ICT in a junior role and then build myself up from there, so that way I can then work in the project management sphere within ICT.

“That is my lifelong dream now.”

As with all big changes, Alexandra did face some initial doubts about returning to the classroom full-time as a mature-age student.

Specifically, she was worried that other students might have more recent study experience, but quickly discovered she was/is surrounded by teachers and classmates who supported and challenged her.

“Each and every one of my teachers has been absolutely incredible, as have the students,” Alexandra said.

“Working together with my classmates and knowing that we are all in the same boat made me feel a bit more secure that it wasn’t just me.

“We are all challenging each other, finding new ways to get around the issues and problems we come across. Working together is amazing.”

Learning from teachers with current industry knowledge has also helped Alexandra feel confident that the skills she is developing will translate into the workplace.

“Actually hearing from my teachers about what they’re currently doing, their side projects, or what they have done in the past has been super interesting because it shows their knowledge and relevancy,” she said.

The practical nature of her training has been equally important.

“Being hands-on and learning from my mistakes, but also from my teachers, allows me to be a better student and future employee,” Alexandra said.

Alexandra’s commitment to learning won’t end with her current qualification. She hopes to continue into a degree in the future and sees ongoing education as an essential part of building a career, particularly in an industry that never stands still.

Her message to other people considering study or a career change is simple: waiting for the perfect moment can mean never getting started.

“You just need to take that first step with where you feel comfortable.

“It’s not about having your entire career mapped out from the beginning. It’s about being bold enough to change direction, building skills and continuing to learn as opportunities present themselves,” Alexandra finished.