Shayne Smith
Senior Alumni Officer, Alumni Relations
Division of the Vice-Chancellor
Bachelor of Arts majoring in English and a Bachelor of Business majoring in Tourism
Growing up, Shayne was moved by all forms of media and storytelling, immersed in books and films where she would look for the ‘easter eggs’ they contained.
With her love of the written word, Shayne knew that pursuing English studies would be a natural fit. It was something she was good at and studying a major that was not only a passion, but would also be a skill, gave her confidence.
Shayne initially enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts with the goal of becoming a teacher. However, her plans shifted, and she added a Bachelor of Business to her studies. Shayne had a passion for events and tourism and pursuing this double degree offered versatility for her future career.
Halfway through her degree, Shayne wasn’t entirely sure of her career path, but hoped her units would help her discover her passion. And, through her tourism and event management units, she found it: working face-to-face with people and creating thoughtful experiences.
Currently a Senior Alumni Officer at the University of Tasmania, she graduated in 2021 and said the flexibility she developed while studying a double degree, along with her English major, were especially valuable for her career.
Prior to her current role, she worked in retail, where a chance encounter led her to a student engagement role at the University of Tasmania. This role allowed her to apply her event management and marketing skills, with her English major helping her to persuasively promote events.
The marketing units from her business degree have proved invaluable in her career to date, where she regularly pitches ideas and events to stakeholders. These units taught her to identify target audiences and effectively use marketing platforms.
Shayne approaches things inquisitively and, when completing tasks in her job, she will ask, “what questions are left unanswered, how can I present this to position the reader in the way I want?”
"English really encourages you to question why, and I have kept that mindset throughout life,” she said.
Her degrees helped sharpen her time management skills – thanks to group assignments – and her English major honed her communication and research skills, which she uses daily in her current role.
“Learning how to source information in different ways is a skill I use all the time,” she said.
In her role as Senior Alumni Officer, Shayne finds ways to engage alumni, creating events and opportunities that foster ongoing relationships with the university. Her English major is an asset when crafting communication, allowing her to use persuasive, concise language to capture attention in the ever-changing digital space.
A unit she took, The Art of Persuasion: How to Build and Communicate Effective Arguments, left a lasting impression on her, as Shayne has been told many times that she can be quite persuasive when she wants to be.
Shayne believes that the Bachelor of Arts offers a wealth of opportunities for students to explore life’s big questions. The flexibility of the degree allowed her to take risks and explore subjects she wasn’t initially comfortable with, which ultimately shaped her career.
“With units in gender studies, philosophy, psychology, and politics, the BA allows students to explore different perspectives on what makes a fulfilling life.”
Shayne said that with a highly versatile BA, you’ve got nothing to lose, and she has learned through her career that many CEOs, directors, and business leaders have a BA, not an MBA or specialised degree.
She said it was a strength to have a degree that allowed you to study what you’re passionate about. And, whether you know exactly where you want your career to take you, or if you’re still figuring it out, it can open doors you never expected.