How RMIT Plus helped Matilda build career confidence

How RMIT Plus helped Matilda build career confidence

Matilda used RMIT Plus to reflect on the experiences she was already building outside class, and connect them to her future career goals.

Matilda Ryan joined RMIT Plus because she wanted to be more deliberate about the experiences she was building alongside her studies.

Already involved in clubs, volunteering, work and activities beyond the classroom, Matilda wanted to better understand which opportunities were helping her build strengths for the future.

“I wanted to be reflective on what roles and opportunities were building the most strengths,” Matilda said.

For Matilda, one of the most valuable parts of RMIT Plus was realising that different experiences can still contribute to the same goal.

Her journey has included working as a crisis supporter at Lifeline, coaching junior soccer, being involved in academic support at RMIT and working in an office environment for the first time. While these experiences may seem varied, RMIT Plus helped Matilda recognise how those roles were contributing to her personal and professional development.

“Speaking with some of my peers, it seems as though a lot of us at this stage in our career journeys feel as though we cannot go for certain roles or feel almost imposter-like,” Matilda said.

“I think RMIT Plus is helpful in that it forces you to make a list of things you have gained something from. It gives you a concrete justification that you can put yourself forward or be less critical about career-readiness.”

Matilda’s original goal was to work towards a practical law-related opportunity and become more prepared for client-facing legal work.

Through RMIT Plus, she was able to step back and recognise how to talk about the value of experiences and roles she had already taken on, even when they did not seem directly related to law at first.

The process also helped her think more clearly about setting goals and building confidence over time.

“I think the program helps individuals build processes for themselves to set goals, honestly, deliberately and patiently,” Matilda said.

Now in a legal role, Matilda says RMIT Plus has helped her connect her experiences to her future goals and find more confident language for the skills she is developing.

“I would probably say that RMIT Plus is a really lovely way to recognise how much you are learning through the things you are already doing,” Matilda said.

“It is guided insight. It helps you connect your experiences to your future goals and find more confident language for the skills you are developing along the way.”  

For students balancing study, work, volunteering or other commitments, Matilda’s story is a reminder that career readiness is not only built through one perfect opportunity. It can come from recognising the value of the experiences you are already collecting, and learning how to speak about them with confidence.

Interested in recognising the skills you are building outside class? Learn more about RMIT Plus and how to get started.

14 August 2026

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