Caitlin is heading into her second year of the Associate Degree in Professional Writing and Editing at RMIT University in Melbourne. She has a Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education from Curtin University in Western Australia and a Bachelor of Arts from Edith Cowan University.

We all remember teachers who assured us in class that we would be “using this in the real world!” but this rarely happens. So, imagine my surprise when, on day one of work with the Vocational Education (VE) Design Team, my colleague handed over the Australian Style Manual and echoed the advice of my copy-editing and proofreading teacher– “this will be your Bible”.

So much of what I have learnt at RMIT has been put into practise since joining this fast-paced project team, but I’ve also acquired many new skills including the use of Canvas and SCORM, working to deadlines, and navigating hand-overs between Instructional Designers and Multimedia Designers. Participating in the online review stage of projects put my editing and feedback skills to the test and taught me how essential effective communication is to the outcome of a review.

This editing role has given me the confidence to pursue greater assignments and responsibilities. It has opened a new world of editing possibilities in which I can foresee multiple futures. I’ve begun indexing externally for Bloomsbury Publishing PLC in London—a position I would have previously felt underqualified for—and am keen to continue work in the education sector where I can contribute to the development of courses that positively impact the lives of students.