Tayla Hayes (Ngāti Porou)

Bachelor of Communication 2020

One of my good friends from high school was studying a Bachelor of Communication and spoke about all the different places it could lead. I always thought communication was common sense and a way to be creative. She inspired me to look into it and eventually I signed up.

Uni really did change my life. I'm the first in my family to attend (youngest of 5), and although I was scared, it was the best decision I ever made.

My standout memories of studying include the cheap eggs on toast at the café hahaha, I think they were $5! I remember the passionate lecturers who honestly inspired me and made me believe in myself - I always thought what I had to offer was what everyone else could do too, but I was wrong, and they made me see that my skill set was not only unique but I could get paid to produce things I thought were just fun!

I also took an internship at the Soup Kitchen under the Te Hā Tangata project. I interviewed people experiencing homelessness, and I'll never forget it. Not only did it give me physical content for my portfolio (this was amazing when it came to applying for jobs straight out of uni), but it changed my perspective on life in general. Many people are only one or two paychecks away from homelessness, and a lot of it is out of their control.

After graduation I applied for a role at the Ministry of Education, and my lecturer Elspeth was a reference. I got the job, and my internship I believe really helped. I've had a great career since, 4.5 years in Government, took the last year off and moved to Vancouver to nanny on a remote island, then did some solo travel, started two businesses, and now I'm at Kāpiti Coast District Council in a comms role. Comms has been my backbone; having this degree means I can travel, take breaks in my career, but I know I always have something stable to fall back on if I want to.

In my current role as an engagement and communications advisor, my days are 3 in the office and 2 at home (if I want), and each day is a little different. I work with the teams across Council and support them to keep our audiences involved with each project. I work closely with the Social Media team, which is so much fun, and can do anything from a press release, a speech for the Mayor, to drafting in-depth communications plans that pull in radio, designing newsletters, or joining drop-ins talking to the community. The perks are because I work with so many different teams, I'll come back to my desk and there's often chocolates or cake waiting for me to say thank you!

Press releases, channel biases, audience unconscious biases, storytelling, and marketing – I still use all those skills every day. I'll always remember my lecturer saying a marketing campaign can make or break your product - in the sense that if your marketing is successful and your product is crap ... well, it's broken it.

To young people thinking about a career in communication, I'd say it's what you make it. Government can be a bit boring, but again, that's what I chose. Want something more creative? Go private! Start your own communications business. Make bank as a contractor. Everything, including this career, is what you make it.

I'm actually planning to travel again. It's been great to know I can pretty much work anywhere. My friend who took the degree at the same time has ended up in Lebanon working for a non-profit and is able to do this remotely too. I'm excited for my next move, which is coming up. I might stay in a comms role, or I might branch out. Who knows, but there's safety in knowing I can come back to this.