 Hi, I'm Laura and I work as Principal Environmental Officer for the Queensland Government. I studied science majoring in Zoology at JCU and I landed a graduate Queensland Government job in Mackay before I moved back to Townsville. I guess I started to government by the prospect of career advancement. There's so many options to move between offices in the state and you get to see everything Queensland has to offer. It's such a large organisation that you really can do a lot with it. I really enjoy working for government because of the variety of work within your job and within the department. There's also a really supportive environment and the people I work with are great. So I've been on a bit of a varied journey. After I finished my studies at JCU in 2009, I took a gap year to work in retail in Townsville and I did my postgraduate qualification. I was offered a graduate position as an environmental officer based in Mackay and I moved south at the beginning of 2011. So while I was in Mackay I got to learn about a different side of the industry. I learned about sugar mills, shipping ports, water treatment plants, coastal processes and the inner workings of government. In 2012 I moved back to Townsville to take up an environmental officer position in the Townsville Mining Team. Through working hard and applying the skills I learned on the job and through university I've progressed to a senior environmental officer role and I've also acted as a principal environmental officer which is like a team leader. JCU really prepared me for the start of my new career because they provided me with the report writing and the time management skills which I really needed to gain my first job in government. My advice would be to do as much work experience as you can while you're studying. Even if that means working for free in your study breaks and seeking the opportunities yourself. When you graduate there are literally hundreds of other applicants with very similar knowledge bases and the best way to set yourself apart is to demonstrate your desire to work in your chosen field. That's through pursuing opportunities and getting the experience you need for your interviews. Plus work experience can also help you decide what sort of work you do and don't want to do before you finish your degree and that way you can pick the subjects you're interested in and that will help you get the job you want.