Dr Fix It on the job – Monique collects the right tools for a portfolio career

“The iexchange program confirmed that I enjoyed working in a consulting role and would like to move forward with this.”

Monique Beedles is undeniably accomplished. She is a jack of all trades, a First Class Bachelor of Pharmacy and a Doctor of Strategy. But it was while studying part-time for a Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing at QUT that she came across tuscon and discovered a flexible way to gain real-world consulting experience that has confirmed her unique career aspirations.

“I was looking to move into a consulting role as part of building a portfolio career that will combine consulting with writing, training and board roles. The iexchange program confirmed that I enjoyed working in a consulting role and would like to move forward with this,” Monique said.

You could say that Monique is a Corporate Dr Fix It – a problem-solver always looking to find practical ways to apply her skills, qualifications and experience. This was the driving force behind her first business enterprise in the pharmaceutical industry and the impetus for her continuing studies. She has been collecting the tools for her “portfolio career” ever since.

After completing her Bachelors degree in Pharmacy with First Class Honours, Monique maintained her momentum and undertook a Doctorate in Strategy which she completed in 2002. Her thesis focused on the interaction between big business and innovative start-up companies in the development of new products. At the same time, she turned her attention to corporate board rooms – “where strategy happens” – including a five year stint as a Councillor of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia in Queensland.

With 10 years of pharmaceutical experience under her belt by 2004, Monique took stock of her options and identified a business opportunity for “Pharmacist Holidays”. The idea led her to establish a contract management business for pharmacies, travelling all over Australia to run pharmacies while exhausted owners took a well-earned break.

“In many pharmacies, the owner is the only pharmacist there for most of the time. My business gave them the chance to have a break, take maternity leave, go caving in New Mexico… It meant I travelled a lot, especially in rural areas where it’s hard to find a replacement. It was great to get hands on experience in running a business,” she said.

With her business a great success, her PhD in hand (and her 450 page thesis “gathering dust in the library”), Monique decided to hone her writing skills and focus on ways to share the benefit of her experience with a broader business audience. She began a Graduate Diploma in Creative Writing in 2007 and is working on her first book.
It was at this point that Monique found tuscon and a flexible way to pursue real-world consulting experience while she studied. 

“I was looking for a postgraduate role and one that would fit in around my studies. The job advertised by tuscon was specifically looking for someone with strategy experience. Since I already had a PhD in Strategy, this fitted in well,” she said. “What really impressed me was that tuscon took the time to do a thorough assessment which allowed me to demonstrate my relevant skills.”

Following an initial seven-week placement in the Corporate HR area of Brisbane City Council, Monique went on to provide direct support to the tuscon team and has now consults in the area of strategy to a range of clients including Thiess.

Monique’s experience with tuscon helped her to gain useful tools in business consulting and establish a solid platform for progressing her diverse work interests.

“iexchange was a great way to gain experience in my area of interest while still completing my studies. I will continue to build my portfolio career through further consulting work, continuing with my writing and expanding my board roles,” she said.