USC Design and Communication student Amanda Bear, 25, of Mount Coolum has gained employment with a national advertising agency even before completing her degree.

The final-year student recently started work as an account coordinator with Maroochydore-based Q Advertising, where she is helping to run national advertising campaigns for major corporate clients.

Amanda completed an internship at Q Advertising earlier this year, after winning the company’s 2016 Queensland Advertising Communications Bursary at USC, then was immediately offered a one-year contract with the firm.

“It feels incredible to have secured work in my field before I’ve even graduated,” she said. “I’m involved in media buying, which involves briefing clients on how their campaigns should be carried out, whether that’s through print media, TV, radio or a combination.

“It’s a fast-paced environment, and it’s satisfying to see how your hard work can deliver strong advertising results for clients.

“I’m really enjoying putting the knowledge I gained in my USC degree into action, and I’m learning more every day.”

Q Advertising Managing Director Roger Delaney said Amanda was one of four USC graduates the agency had employed in recent years.

“We really wanted to strengthen our links to USC, and offering an internship to the USC student that wins the bursary we provide was part of that,” he said. “Amanda was very keen to learn from the start.

“She’s been working closely with the media buying team as well as starting to work on some creative elements, like putting TV commercials together. We’ve been really happy with how she’s going – she’s a ‘just do it’ person, which we like.”

Amanda completed two overseas work placements as part of her degree. The first was with Free the Bears in Cambodia last year, and the second involved helping install a USC student-designed exhibition at the Letaba Elephant Hall in Kruger National Park, South Africa, earlier this year.

Applications are now open for mid-year entry to study at USC, starting Semester 2 on 24 July. Details on how to apply for more than 90 undergraduate and postgraduate programs can be found at the USC website.

— Gen Kennedy