It’s a long way from Brooke Wylie’s sleepy hometown to Canberra’s halls of power, but the UQ journalism graduate has her dream job — and it sometimes means bringing a sleeping bag to work.
In July 2011, Brooke was finishing her dual Bachelor of Journalism/Arts degree at The University of Queensland, majoring in political science and international relations, when she was appointed the media and communications advisor for a Federal member of parliament.
“Since high school I have always been really interested in politics both in Australia and overseas,” said Brooke, 24, who grew up at Forster on the NSW central coast.
“When I volunteered at a local community radio station, the host of a show I worked on suggested I give journalism a go. It was the perfect fit.
“In my role as media and communications advisor I make sure we have a comprehensive communications strategy and good relationships with the local and national media. I also prepare communication materials.
“I started the job six months before I graduated. I did my final two courses of the degree while working full-time.
“My job entails everything from designing and drafting our newsletters which we distribute to more than 90,000 people, to preparing briefs and statements for the national media, to writing parliamentary speeches, media releases, coordinating and planning events, transcribing interviews, and taking lots and lots (and lots) of photos,” Brooke said.
Working between the Parliament House office in Canberra and an electorate office in Brisbane, Brooke says there is no such thing as an average day, but more often than not they are long.
“In Brisbane my work day starts at around 7am, making sure I’m across the stories relevant to our office in national, state and local media,” she said. “The past few months have taught me that just about anything can happen.
“The day can include attending electorate events, coordinating Ministerial visits, hosting our own events, attending meetings, preparing speeches, media releases, briefs for media appearances, helping constituents resolve problems with government departments, etc.
“In Canberra my day will start at 6am getting across the morning news. Some mornings we give the morning brief to the Canberra Press Gallery, so we arrive at Parliament House at 7am and prepare to brief the media on the Government’s position on the news of the day. In Canberra I attend meetings in policy and parliamentary committees, as well as doing my usual media and communications work.
“Most days in Parliament we don’t leave the office until after 8pm and depending on the bills before the house and how controversial they are, sometimes debate can go well into the early hours of the morning.
“In preparation for such occasions, I bring chocolate and a sleeping bag!”.
Brooke says she loves working in Parliament House where every day she gets to see and work among the nation’s leaders.
“I feel very lucky to work in such a fast-paced and dynamic environment where I get paid to be creative and to do my favourite things such as photography, design, writing, and event planning.
“It makes for a lot of stress but also a lot of fun.
“My journalism degree taught me the skills I use every day and helped me to expand and develop my interests. Understanding newsroom operations and news values, networking, production and post production in photography, sound, video, online content, design and layout, are all skills that I use daily.”
Undertaking internships and work experience while studying had a profound impact in the way she does her work, and is something she would recommend for journalism students.
“There is no such thing as too much work experience, and it was my work experience that qualified me for my current role and first job out of uni,” Brooke said.
“Put yourself out there and get practical experience in a newsroom, a PR firm, a production company, anywhere. Whether you know where you want your degree to take you or not, you’ll almost certainly be more prepared and more informed after doing work experience.”
Media inquiries: Siena Perry, UQ School of Journalism and Communication, ph 07 3346 3465, 0404 520556.
