From Doing the Work to Being Recognised on Paper
Business, Marketing & Leadership
“You’ve been doing the work, learning on the job, figuring things out as you go. That counts for more than you think.”
Qualifications Achieved
Key Outcomes at a Glance
- Senior Marketing Leader
Job Level - Graduate Diploma of Strategic Leadership
Qualification - Postgraduate Qualification Achieved via RPL
RPL Completion - Marketing, Digital, Leadership
Industry
Background and Starting Point
Previous Roles
- Massage Therapist and Business Owner
- Board Member, National Industry Association
- Product Manager (Tech Startup)
- Marketing and Agency Roles
Industry
- Health, Small Business, Technology, Marketing
At This Point
- Self-taught marketer operating at a high level without a formal degree
Kristie’s Journey Begins
Kristie didn’t follow a traditional career path. She built her career by doing the work, figuring it out, and stepping into bigger roles as she went.
1. Starting From Hands-On Work
Beginning as a massage therapist, Kristie built and ran her own business, managing clients, staff and operations early in her career.
2. Moving Into Strategy and Leadership
She stepped into:
- Industry leadership as a national board member
- Strategic planning and regulatory work
- Business ownership and team leadership
3. Teaching Herself Marketing and Digital
Kristie transitioned into marketing and product roles without formal training, learning through execution.
“I’m really good at doing the work.”
4. The Reality
She was already operating at a high level, but without the qualifications to match.
Why Kristie Chose RPL with Churchill Education
After being made redundant, Kristie did something most people avoid.
She stopped and looked back at everything she had actually done.
“Instead of doing something reasonable like taking a holiday or touching grass, I decided the correct response was to do a full career retro. Because I am, at my core, ungovernable!”
That reflection led her to RPL.
- Years of real experience, but no degree
- Proven results, but no formal recognition
- A clear gap between capability and credentials.
“This is where you sift through everything you’ve actually done and ask, ‘Is this anything?’”
The Turning Point
Phase 01: Career at Full Pace
Kristie was leading marketing strategy in a high-growth, high-pressure environment, building teams and delivering outcomes.
Phase 02: Forced Reset
Redundancy created space she hadn’t had in years.
Phase 03: The Career Retro
She reviewed years of work, strategy, campaigns and leadership experience.
Phase 04: Taking Action
She engaged Churchill to assess what her experience was actually worth.
Phase 05: The Outcome
“They came back and said I was eligible for a Graduate Diploma in Strategic Leadership. Which sits above a bachelor’s degree!”
Challenges and How They Were Overcome
Challenge 1: Senior Level, No Degree
Kristie had built her career from the ground up, to sitting on boards and running strategy for multiple accounts, without formal qualifications to reflect that.
Solution: RPL Pathway
Her experience was assessed and matched to a postgraduate qualification.
Challenge 2: Imposter Syndrome
Working alongside degree-qualified peers created doubt.
Solution 2: External Validation
The qualification confirmed what her experience already proved.
Challenge 3: Volume of Experience
Years of work made it difficult to know where to start.
Solution 3: Structured Support
Guidance from her Churchill Career & Education Advisor helped her turn folders of work into clear evidence.
Career Outcome and Impact
Current Position
Digital Marketing Consultant
Professional Validation
Now holds a postgraduate qualification aligned to her real capability
New Opportunities
Able to step into higher-level strategic and advisory roles
Confidence Shift
No longer needs to explain her experience, the qualification does it for her
“I have a self-taught marketing career, a miniature poodle, and apparently enough audacity to fill a postgrad qualification!”
The RPL Experience
RPL gave Kristie a way to turn years of work into formal recognition without starting from scratch.
Initial Engagement
Reached out after completing a full career reflection.
Evidence Collection
Submitted years of work, strategy and execution examples.
Support
“The Churchill team, more specifically Carmen, was incredible.”
Outcome
A postgraduate qualification that reflects the level she was already operating at.
Kristie’s Advice to Others
“Don’t underestimate what you’ve done.
You’ve been doing the work, learning on the job, figuring things out as you go. That counts for more than you think.
Take the time to actually look back at it. That’s the hard part, but it’s where the value is.
And don’t underestimate the value of someone else looking at your work and saying, ‘this is valuable.’ That changes things.
If you’re even thinking about it, that’s your sign.
Your experience is growing every day, so don’t wait.”
Looking Back: Reflection and Summary
“They took what looked like a completely unhinged career path and found the actual thread running through it. That’s not nothing. That’s everything.”
– Kristie
What Advice Would You Give?
Your Experience Is More Valuable Than You Think
You’re likely already operating at a higher level than you realise.
Don’t Wait for Permission
You don’t need a traditional path to achieve formal recognition.
Get Recognised for What You’ve Done
Your experience only has value if it’s visible.
Avoid Starting Again
Don’t go back and study what you already know.
Act When It Matters
If you’re thinking about it, now is the time.
