Simon Baptist
BEc-BSc, BEc(Hons) 2002

Simon completed the combined degree Bachelor of Economics/Bachelor of Science from 1998-2001, with majors in Mathematics and Analytical Economics.

During 2001-02, he completed Honours in Economics, with his dissertation looking at the structure and sustainability of energy use in Australian Industry.

Simon says, "I found Science and Economics to be a really useful and interesting combination, which has opened up a number of opportunities: For those interested in policy (either Government or corporate), economics is a clear choice. Knowledge of the natural and physical sciences combined with economics gives a unique perspective in areas such as health, the environment, primary industries, local government, land use planning and transport."

Advice for students: "have fun while at university, make the most of the holidays! work hard at exam time, and gain a real interest in your subjects by taking the time to read current literature."

"I'm currently working at Treasury in the State Government, and plan to pursue postgraduate studies in Economics in the future. "

Highest Academic Achievement: BEc-BSc, BEc(Hons)

Scholarship: Oxford-Australia Trust Scholarship (for M.Phil in Economics at Oxford)

Other Significant Awards: University Medal, Rona Hagger Memorial Prize

Deahne Turnbull
BEc (Hons) 2002

I primarily undertook my undergraduate degree as a cadet with the Tasmanian Department of Treasury and Finance. Working full-time and studying part-time provided a great opportunity to apply some of the skills in a policy-making environment, I had learnt during my undergraduate degree.

Upon completion of my undergraduate degree I undertook Honours full time to further develop my analytical and economic research skills. I was
fortunate enough to be awarded the DJ Motors Honours in Economics Scholarship, which not only provided financial assistance but encouragement for my honours studies, which proved to be a very challenging but highly rewarding year.

With ambitions to work for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT), studying economics majoring in analytical economics and the Asia Pacific economies, combined with the study of Asian languages provided the skills necessary to successfully secure a position with DFAT, which I begin in February 2003.

In order to get the most out of an economics degree I think it is important to develop a genuine interest in current economic and social issues.

Studying economics not only provides many interesting and diverse career opportunities, but also a way in which to scrutinise and analyse everyday problems
as well as current economic and social policy.

Lyndon Fahey
BCom, 2002

My greatest concern when choosing a major within the Commerce degree was that I would be "pigeon-holed" into a discipline with a reasonably narrow career path and a knowledge of one specific area. This scared me as I thought; What if I worked hard for three years to gain a degree and then didn't like what I was doing? Or, What if I get a degree and the demand for graduates in my chosen career path substantially drops?

When I started University I wanted a career in Human Resource Management so I chose it as one of my majors. When I graduated I realised that there are thousands of

people from universities around Australia applying for a small amount Human Resource jobs.

I am now working at the National Australia Bank as a Business Banking Officer- a job I would not have acquired had it not been for the skills and knowledge I had acquired from the Business Economics major.

In an extremely competitive graduate job market you need to look employable to as many organisations as possible and the Business Economics major is diverse enough to give you opportunities in places that looked out of reach.

Rebecca Connor
BEc 2001

Majors: Finance and Analytical Economics (School of Economics)

I initially chose to undertake an Economics degree at the University of Tasmania because I felt it was a more interesting stream than undertaking a straight Commerce degree.

After completing my first year of the Economics degree I started on the Cadet program at the Department of Treasury and Finance and continued my studies on a part-time basis. After graduating with a Bachelor of Economics with majors in Financial Markets and Institutions and Analytical Economics, I started work at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Melbourne in the Transfer Pricing group. My role as a Consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers involved industry, economic and financial analysis on the cross border transactions of multinational corporations.

I am soon to commence a new position at Standard and Poor's in the Structured Finance Group. This role will involve credit and risk analysis of various structured finance products such as asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities.

I believe that an Economics degree can provide a variety of career paths, as the degree offers many majors which allow choice in career direction. I have found that studying economics teaches you a way of thinking rather than only a way of doing things. This way of thinking is attractive to employers and with an appropriate choice of majors, makes economics graduates very employable.

Rebecca Chard
BEc, 2001

Prior to undertaking my Economics Degree I had completed a Bachelor of Nursing approximately 11 years ago at the University of Tasmania, Launceston campus.

After completing my BEc, I had great aspirations to enter the field of Health Economics and re-enter the pharmaceutical industry. I believed that I needed to leave Tasmania if I was going to realize the true value and benefit of achieving a Bachelor of Economics. I could not have been more wrong!

Having made the decision to stay in Tasmania, I gained the position of Senior Project Officer at the Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA). I quickly progressed to a more senior position as Authorised Officer for the Commonwealth, involving review and auditing of nursing home documentation, practices and standards. Whilst employed at DoHA I made enquiries concerning the selection process I had faced when I initially applied for the position and received extremely positive feedback concerning my Economics Degree. It appeared that selectors highly favored those applicants with an Economics Degree, as it was an accurate indicator of academic aptitude, problem solving and analytical skills. I worked for the Commonwealth for approximately 14 months before leaving the Department for another exciting career opportunity as Chief Executive Officer at Aged and Community Services Tasmania (ACST). I believe my Economics Degree was paramount in achieving this position, and facilitating my ability to make sound recommendations to Board Directors and industry members regarding financial concerns, market analysis and industry specific issues. This role provided stimulating learning opportunities and many occasions to exercise the skills and knowledge I developed during my Economics Degree.

Most recently I have been appointed to the position of Director of Nursing at Sandown Village, one of six nursing facilities within the Southern Cross Care (Tas) organisation. This is a fantastic position where I am able to exercise management and leadership skills.

Having an Economics degree greatly increased the demand for my skills and expertise in the labor market. I was nothing short of astounded at the number of doors my Economics Degree was opening for me. The value and benefit of my Bachelor of Economics only multiplied, as I was able to combine my qualifications with practical experience in the workforce. An Economics Degree has enabled me to pick and choose between different jobs, in different states, and indeed different countries. Economics is a degree that is highly regarded universally across different industries, in a variety of areas ranging from Project, Financial and Human Resource Management to name a few.

If increasing employment options, receiving attractive remuneration packages and enjoying rewarding, stimulating jobs is important to you, look no further than Economics.

SuSan Leong BCom,
BEc (Hons) 2002, MEc 2003

I first came to Hobart in 1997 to study Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Tasmania. After graduating with majors in accounting and finance, I chose to do my honours degree in Economics with the School of Economics and Finance. Other people might see this as a big switch but not for me. Since I took quite a few Economics subjects in my commerce degree and enrolled into the transition program offered by the School, I did not encounter a lot of difficulties pertaining to the switch.

The main reason why I chose Economics is that I wanted to widen my scope of knowledge. In fact, I think economics is closely related with or even inseparable from one's everyday life. Therefore, I decided to pursue further in this field of knowledge, knowing that it is going to complement my skills from my first degree and that I will be better equipped for my future career. During my honours year, I encountered a lot of challenges, as the course itself was more self-directed compared to the undergraduate course. In particular, I have learnt to be more independent in problem solving and time-management. Also, I have developed my research skills, as I needed to write up a dissertation under the School's supervision. The School of Economics and Finance provided a very good learning environment. I had friendly and helpful colleagues and a well-equipped study area.

Having achieved first class honours, I had more confidence in economics-related research. I decided to do a masters degree in economics by research. During the one and half years of study, I learned economics and finance in depth. I learnt a good deal about econometrics software and techniques. I also gained invaluable working experiences in conducting workshops and providing research assistance. Having submitted my master thesis, I went to Bangkok for a holiday and managed to gain employment as a tax consultant with Earnst and Young International, Bangkok Office. This has proved that my tertiary education as well as my work experiences at the University of Tasmania and specifically, the School of Economics and Finance are very rewarding. Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to encourage all the prospective economics and/or commerce students to join the School, because you will not regret it!