Real world impact

from ECA online courses

Patrick Jones - Master of Project Management

Why choose to study at ITM-CSU?
What appealed to me was that it is all designed for busy professionals with flexible settings – that’s unusual for a university post graduate course. I had a colleague complete the ITM-CSU MBA and he recommended it highly.

How did doing your course help you in your workplace?
It really taught me to critically think – I thought I was a good critical thinker before this, and it stretched and challenged my perceptions. Good managers make decisions above all else – and the course empowered me to make better decisions. If you have aspirations for upper management then people management skills are the really useful ones, beyond technical capability, and MGI521 Professional Communication was a game changer for me. I’d like to have that taught to everyone in my company.

What was it like dealing with the admin at ITM and CSU?
I feel like I had the same person to talk to the whole time – Leif from ITM and Rebecca at CSU were there my whole journey. The admin side of things felt effortless. People would get back to me and explain what I needed to know, and coach me through it, offering options that worked for me.

What would be your top tips to others on how to get the family/work/study balance right?
Spend your study time wisely. Often the hardest thing when you start a course is to understand what you are being asked to do. If you can understand that and complete it with focus, it gives you more time to be at home. It stops you spinning your wheels or going down rabbit holes.

What is your most memorable experience from your studies with ITM-CSU?
Coming up against the tougher mentors and subjects. Brenton Burchmore – I had really looked forward to working with him as I had seen some of his lectures already, but then when he was my lecturer, he was a hard taskmaster. He demanded a lot from me, and I had to lift my game. “Dig deeper – this is post graduate, you need to tell me why and how” was what he asked after my first assignment. I may not have done quite as well in that subject as others, but it was the most rewarding.

Steven Price - Master of Networking and Systems Administration

What made you choose ITM-CSU?
It was quite hard to study at undergraduate level when you’re already in the workforce and some years into a career so I dropped undergrad once I’d done enough to obtain a diploma. I knew people who had studied at ITM-CSU and it really aligned with what I needed in my job. I’d moved into IT and my manager told me I needed a qualification if I wanted to get ahead. It was the only good option for me.

Did you do any of our short courses?
Yes, I completed 3 and they gave me a credit for them towards a subject. I’m doing a fourth one now post finishing my masters.

When I first started, I also did the ACS Professional accreditation as a way of being recognised for my skills and experience in the absence of further qualifications. It also gave me 2 subject credits in the course and that helped with finances also.

Getting credits for industry courses or the ACS really helps you plan out your study journey – I would have taken at least another 6 months without it. I may not even have joined ACS without the prompting of the course, and their professional development requirements and opportunity to network are great – they are big added bonuses.

Has the course been helpful for your job?
What impressed me was that I have really done a lot that applies directly to my day-to-day work. I made sure that I selected subjects that worked that way, my work was supporting me to do the course and it felt like a good way to help repay them.

You started by completing our Grad Cert. What made you decide to pursue your Masters?
When I finished the graduate certificate, I thought I might do some industry courses then come back, but then paused over the break and thought that now was the time, while I was in the swing of study. I had really enjoyed the graduate certificate and wanted to do the masters. I had never expected to get a masters in my life as I had never had any undergraduate qualifications, but I found it very satisfying. I’m now thinking about going back to get some vendor certifications as well.

What would be tips do  you have for a prospective student who is worried about managing full-time work and a family, plus study?
It’s important to be organised at the start of each subject – with whatever might work – for me it was doing printouts, so that when the course starts, you’re ready to learn and not scrambling to keep up. Focus on the assessments too. Think about that early and it alleviates some of the anxiety of putting in assignments on time. Make sure that you answer what you need to. If you are unsure ask, do not wait until it’s too late. Ask early – it’s not embarrassing.

Trish Anderson - Master of Applied Digital Marketing

What made you choose ITM-CSU?
I did my undergrad at CSU at Bathurst some time ago, so it was a logical choice and ITM-CSU have long had a great reputation for online – even since the early 2000s.

How did the course prepare you for new role?
After finishing I applied for a project manager’s job for a large travel company, and instead they offered me a better role managing their websites as I had the qualification.

What did you enjoy most about the course?
The content – I didn’t realise how much I’d enjoy until I got into it. I only went into it to do a Grad Cert and enjoyed the content so much I kept on going. MGI535 Search Marketing was excellent – he would show us actual WIP and the practicality was really useful, especially as I had not done it before. Flexible working also meant flexible studying. Hybrid working conditions helped. You have to get out, walk, exercise and freshen your mind. The structure itself was great too – it’s not too long – three semesters give you opportunity to continue and also have a break.

What are the best memories you have of your studies at ITM-CSU?
Really awesome people – the mentors are very skilled and disciplined. I always had great confidence in the fact that they were all right on top of their fields.

I really liked the short courses too – they are a great way to get back into the swing of study that has a measurable benefit – it’s the same people that teach the main subjects and you get credit for doing three of them.

What is one tip you would give to someone who wants to get into IT management?
Don’t overwhelm yourself by thinking you have to do it all right now. I just started with two subjects and set mini goals for each section, then the next bit and so on. I was scarred from doing a 6-year undergraduate course and needed to work with it in smaller chunks this time around.

Carol Ennis - Master of Management (Information Technology)

What made you choose ITM-CSU?
I’d been looking for a masters of some sort for a few years that wasn’t just an MBA or primarily technical – I wanted one that was mostly about the management of IT. A few years ago I completed a CSU business analysis short course and then kept looking at their courses until I found the mix I was after. I was really pleased when I saw the Management of IT master’s and jumped on it straightaway.

How did the course prepare you for your job?
Nearly everything was directly applicable to my work. As an example, my final project has formed the basis of an IoT project that I am currently undertaking.

The real world experience the IT Masters lectures brought to each subject from their many years’ experience of working in their sectors made their subjects tangible and relatable.

What motivated you to keep studying?
The love of learning kept me going. I wanted the masters to give me the confidence and help to get me into management, and that is exactly what this course has done.

How did you find the time to study?
My son was two when I started and I didn’t want my studies to impact on my family time – so I just did it all at night. I’d read the texts before bed and made sure I had Friday and Saturday nights of each week. Organising time to myself to complete assignments was critical and having that family support was crucial.

What is one tip you would give to someone who wants to get into IT management?
Management roles look for higher degrees and not necessarily technical certification – without an academic degree you are sometimes not even considered, despite certification being the norm in IT. Especially in government, the only way to get ahead is with a higher degree.