How a business postgraduate broadened this alum’s skills, network and horizons

Carmen Barry loved her job in nursing, but with RMIT’s Master of Business Administration she knew there was more in store for her career.

Nursing enabled Carmen to work in the UK for seven years, primarily at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, and also at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. She cared for patients in the perioperative ward and while the work was fulfilling, she aspired to do more.

“I love helping people - it's one of the reasons I became a nurse,” she said.

“I was starting to recognise that whilst I loved helping patients, my real passion was for helping the nurses or the people at the bedside providing the care.”

RMIT alumni Carmen Barry smiling at the camera in front of a glass panel

Ready to learn and lead

When Carmen began researching postgraduate courses, she was drawn to RMIT’s Master of Business Administration (MBA).

“I wanted to move into positions of influence and so knew that having a master's behind me would be what I would need to do,” she said.

“I liked RMIT for its reputation of having a lot of industry based contacts. When I spoke to people, the opinion was that it was more contemporary content.”

RMIT alumni Carmen Barry standing in the foyer of a hospital leaning against a sculpture

Carmen opted for the MBA rather than a master’s in healthcare administration because she wanted to gain a wide range of transferable skills.

“I wanted ... a broader experience of that business knowledge that might help me to move into other industries,” she said.

“I learned subjects from marketing through to data analytics, financial analytics, even consulting. It just helped me sort of broaden my horizons as to what the possibilities were for career progression and expansion.”

Extensive business know-how

Throughout her MBA studies, Carmen learned a variety of business skills she has used to steer her career. She graduated in 2022 and is now the Director of Clinical Operations in Surgical Services at the Royal Children's Hospital.

Financial and data analytics were the standout subjects of the MBA for Carmen, who spends a large part of her role managing public funds to increase efficiencies and ultimately improve care for patients.

“I see it as quite a privilege to work in the public health system in Victoria and we've got a responsibility to be good stewards for spending,” she said.

“We're responsible for public money, so I wanted to be able to give myself the skills and confidence (to) make decisions that were data-based to help improve systems within the healthcare system.

“So now I’m a lot more informed and have a lot more confidence in making financial decisions.”

RMIT alumni Carmen Barry standing in the a hospital corridor

Striking the right balance

Returning to study comes with some adjustments to the work life balance, but in Carmen’s case these changes were all well worthwhile.

She sharpened her organisational skills by scheduling in ‘non-negotiables’ or blocks of time for exercise and socialising to make sure her wellbeing was prioritised.

“My tip would be looking at your weekly calendar and deciding what's important in your week,” she said.

RMIT alumni Carmen Barry walking down a set of stairs in a hospital

“Exercise and looking after myself is important to me, so I made sure that there was time in my week because it's really important, working in healthcare as well, that you've got that healthy balance of mind and body to keep you going.”

During the MBA, Carmen recalled moments of feeling anxious about her study. But she said support was always on hand.

“There's so much help at RMIT,” she said.

“I found that if I did have any questions, it was really easy to get help. The lecturers, the tutors were always very approachable and always available.

“It’s such a cliché, but just go for it. It's just about backing yourself to go, ‘this might be a little bit hard, but I'm going to do it anyway’.”

Story: Kate Jones

Explore more

You may also be interested in...

Seven soft skills you need on your résumé

Including examples of soft skills in your résumé is one of the most effective ways to stand out to employers, but which skills are most in demand?

Four postgraduate students stand in front of Building 80 on the RMIT city campus

How to finance postgraduate study

From CSPs to FEE-HELP, RMIT can help you finance your postgraduate study so you can put the focus back on your career.

Two RMIT students sitting on a bench discussing their notes. One student has a notebook while the other has a laptop

How to balance study, life and work as a postgraduate student

With these six tips and advice from RMIT alum, you can nail the study-life-work balance as a postgraduate student.

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

Learn more about our commitment to Indigenous cultures