Student Speak Out November 2021

Second year Master of Speech Pathology student Ashlesha Singde discovered a new area of interest by exploring professional development opportunities on the Association’s Learning Hub. “Professional development doesn’t always have to be completed after graduating and can be extremely helpful for students in finding their true ‘passion’ and standing out in the workforce. “As a student, the diverse range of areas speech pathologists can ‘specialise’ in was quite overwhelming. To help me find what I was passionate about, I began doing my own research online, but the credibility or accuracy of the courses varied between websites. I hence stumbled upon the P rofessional Education Learning Hub on the Speech Pathology Australia website. Here a large range of free and paid on-demand courses with varied topics were listed. The courses are credible and come in various formats. Being a student member of Speech Pathology Australia allowed me to have discount prices to various courses. I began doing the self-paced free courses during my university semester break and found that I had an interest in feeding and paediatric dysphagia. This began my journey to develop my skills in feeding. “In addition, these courses have been a great addition to my resume and my LinkedIn profile. Feedback from employers have said by doing the courses, I have shown “positive proactive behaviours towards continuous learning”. Although university, placement, life, and work balance may not always allow time Hone your skills and passions with professional development

16 Student Speak Out | November 2021