Undergraduate Course Guide Fremantle 2020

19 APPLY DIRECT NOTREDAME.EDU.AU What started as a bit of light relief in the lead up to exams turned into a unique business opportunity for Notre Dame Communications & Media graduate Holly Mitchell, co-founder of the award-winning lifestyle and fashion blog, The Boyfriend Shirt. “It was honestly a little bit of exam study procrastination,” says Holly about how the idea for the blog came about. “My business partner and I were really into reading local blogs but struggled to find one which combined everything we loved – from local artists through to fashion trends and new bars. So, we decided to give it a crack ourselves!” The risk paid off and in 2015, The Boyfriend Shirt won Holly and her business partner, Louisa Miller, the title of Best Fashion Blogger at the Annual Western Australian Fashion Awards. Just like your favourite shirt, the blog is described as a go-to item that never lets you down and seeks to provide followers with the best style, beauty, travel and life advice. This sort of commitment takes a lot of time and energy and Holly says working as a freelancer requires you to be flexible, disciplined and good at adapting to changing industry trends. “Being your own boss is fun and challenging, but it’s not as glamorous as it seems from the outside. It’s made us really push ourselves and develop our craft,” Holly says. “When you’re a freelancer, you don’t have a boss who’s expecting you to begin work at 9am. You have to be self motivated and put the expectation to work on yourself which at times can be difficult when life throws more exciting distractions at you.” The spirit of entrepreneurship is strong among millennials looking to supplement their income or explore a creative outlet and Holly says a university education is a great starting point for those interested in launching their own business. “Uni gave me a great skill set as a base for creating the website but the digital world changes so quickly,” she said. “Managing the website has meant we’ve expanded and learnt on- the-go about technical things like coding and optimising and it has been a real joy to continue developing my knowledge.” The digital landscape is constantly evolving and there are many opportunities for students to enter the industry both during and after their time at university. “My advice for students who are interested in this world is to gain as much experience as you can in a variety of industries and roles because you never know where your passion might be,” she says. “If you do go down the path of working for yourself, find a great business mentor, don’t be afraid to ask for help from others. And remember, Van Gogh was considered a failure at one point and now his paintings sell for millions. We all start somewhere.” > Discover more about our Arts & Sciences degrees on page 41. Turning procrastination into profit “Van Gogh was considered a failure at one point and now his paintings sell for millions. We all start somewhere.” Arts graduate Blogger