Student Spotlight: Imogen Abandowitz

Hi Imogen! Can you tell us about what you were doing before studying Digital Marketing at Xi?

Right before Xi I was working in the University space in business development. Prior to that, I studied my Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations and Languages in Melbourne and worked in Community Development and Partnership Engagement.

What encouraged you to study Digital Marketing?

My previous degree was very general. I knew that I wanted to work in communications and I am passionate about content creation and imagery, but I was after a substantial training experience where I could walk away with specific knowledge and skills. Something distinct. Digital Marketing felt like the perfect fit.

Why did you choose Xi for your training?

I had spoken to a number of friends and colleagues who recommended the Digital Marketing Elevate course at Xi, so that definitely helped my decision. I also liked that it was all online so it was accessible. Compared to other training options it was also well priced. During the pandemic last year I had some extra time up my sleeve, so I registered!

How has studying Digital Marketing at Xi helped your career?

Since graduating I have started working for a travel and fundraising agency, Inspired Adventures, as their Campaign Manager. We take people on incredible trekking challenges around Australia while fundraising for causes they are passionate about. We work with charities with missions in Public Health, Environment and social change.

I really love my job and do my best in the role with all the charities we work with. It’s really meaningful work for me, to contribute to the success of their campaigns and fundraising goals. 

I do a lot of work with all of the charities across the campaign lifecycle, so digital marketing is certainly a part of that. I definitely think that the digital marketing training with Xi helped me to land the job. The training has given me the ability to provide strong recommendations and help them with their campaigns and overall marketing success.

Was there a training highlight for you?

For me the biggest highlight was developing the portfolio piece. I had a freelance client at the time, so I based my portfolio piece on that project. Originally I had set out to freelance and then thought to upskill with this training. It was great to have the support of the mentor and my classmates when I was starting out.

How did you find the online learning experience?

I was blown away by how the course was put together and loved the fortnightly catch ups with my group. There were about 12 of us from all over the country, regional areas and major cities. The course structure and delivery kept us all engaged with the topics we were covering each week and a lot of the resources were very comprehensive and super helpful. I liked the mixture of mediums used for course instruction – video content, written and live tutorials – it worked well. I also really enjoyed the quizzes and having break out rooms to discuss concepts with my classmates. 

Mark Knobel was my tutor and presenter and he was very helpful in explaining key concepts and guiding the direction of the course. He really helped keep us motivated, with everyone having different commitments outside of study that was super helpful.

Any plans to study further?

I would love to do more training in content creation – blogging, podcasts and user experience design all interest me. In the digital age we are living in, no matter which industry you work in, I believe marketing and effective communication are crucial.

Would you recommend training at Xi?

Definitely. The Digital Marketing training is an affordable, accessible and practical course that guides you through developing a project to showcase in a portfolio. It has helped me build confidence in business and innovative digital skills. 

I have a lot of friends who were generalists like me that I’ve recommended this training to. Having the digital marketing training is specific, applied knowledge that I really needed. I would certainly recommend studying with Xi.

Connect with Imogen on LinkedIn

Check out the amazing work of Inspired Adventures