When Claire Boughey was at QUT studying a Bachelor of Journalism, she went on exchange to Leeds and took on as many as seven internships. We catch up to find out what she has been up to since graduating.
First of all, what do you do now?
I’m a producer at Channel Nine! I am responsible for the content which viewers see in their lounge room. My role varies day to day, but can involve writing scripts, assisting journalists with their stories, determining bulleting content and helping with the on-air presentation. I like to live my life by the motto ‘variety is the spice of life’ and for that reason I chose a career in which no day is the same.
I’m sure a lot of people want to know how did you land this job?
My lecturers were instrumental in putting me in touch with industry partners. Through them, I completed seven internships. The final one was with Nine News Sunshine Coast, which resulted in my first job as a reporter in Townsville. These internships helped me decide what form of journalism to pursue and allowed me to receive feedback from people working in the industry.
Why did you study the Bachelor of Journalism?
Growing up I saw so many problems in the world I wanted to fix, and I saw journalism as an incredibly powerful tool which could help, in a small or big way, to help change those things. Before I finished high school, I did a number of TV and journalism related courses – every industry professional I spoke to recommended QUT as the best place to get ‘job ready’. I also studied one subject as part of START QUT in year 12. I really enjoyed the student culture and environment at the Kelvin Grove campus.
Do you have any other university highlights?
Yes! Exchange was by far the highlight of my university experience. I studied at Leeds University for six months during my second year. I not only improved my journalistic skills but also my broader life skills. I’ve always wanted to study overseas at uni, and it was made possible by the support from QUT in juggling my subjects, as well as financial assistance from my Vice Chancellor Scholarship.
Learn more about the Bachelor of Communication (Journalism).
