Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism
Sports Reporter, Newshub, Mediaworks NZ
As an all-round sports fan, Ollie's work as a sports news reporter has been the ultimate way to tie his passions into a career.
"I love telling stories, and believe everyone has a story to tell," he says. "As a team we're responsible for bringing the nation their sports news from here and around the world. I'm constantly chasing up different angles on stories and trying to find different stories from around the country."
The best part of his job is the daily variety of work and sports teams he gets to cover.
"Spending a few weeks on the road with the Lions earlier this year was an unforgettable experience, despite the long days. It's all good fun," he says.
He hopes to one day take his career overseas, for the opportunity to "cover the biggest athletes and teams on the biggest stage".
Ollie initially completed Media and Political Science undergrad study with Victoria University, before taking on UC's Journalism programme.
"It was a mixture of returning home and doing what is regarded by many in the industry as the best Journalism course in the country. I knew I would gain the practical, hands on experience I needed to prepare myself for entering the work force. The way it was structured allowed me to work closely with the Journalism tutors and provided a foundation going forward for everything the job was about to throw at me.
"On top of that the campus is just a great place to be every day. It makes you want to come to uni, and surrounding yourself with good tutors and great study environments really helps."
He advises other Journalism students to take advantage of any work experiences in the programme that will add to their real-world skills and contacts.
"Be motivated. If you want something, you simply have to go after it. Push yourself to get a foot in the door in a workplace you'd like to end up working. It's the best way to go about learning the industry."
