Jacqui (BCA) - Victoria University of Wellington

Jacqui Cuff

Bachelor of Commerce and Administration

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Joining the workforce straight after leaving school taught Jacqui Cuff a powerful lesson about the value of university study.

She started working in a hotel with the idea of eventually becoming a manager but realised the industry wasn’t for her. “I then sent about 40 customised CVs to different companies. Only two got back to me and both said I was under qualified.”

That was the prompt to enrol in a BCA at Victoria, majoring in Marketing and Management, which Jacqui says is the best decision she ever made.

“I loved the range of courses in the first year, particularly marketing which has given me a fresh perspective on the world. I approach things differently as a result of going to Victoria—I don’t cruise through any more, I drive my own life.”

Jacqui was based at the Pipitea Campus—just a few minutes’ walk from where she caught trains to and from the city each day. She said the architecture and interior design at Victoria made her proud to be a student there and it drove her “to keep my level of excellence in line with the excellence of the school.”

She says staff at Victoria are friendly and approachable and some, including Marketing Lecturer Kate Daellenbach, are inspirational. “Her approach to teaching is exciting with the use of lots of real-life examples. She also pushes you to learn more. You could live and breathe the material she taught, she kept it fun and interactive.”

Jacqui said studying commerce at Victoria helped her secure a part-time job in her field while studying. “My lecturer gave us advice on how to stand out from the crowd and it worked—I was offered an interview within half an hour of posting my CV on Seek.”

Despite a busy schedule, Jacqui found time to enjoy Wellington which she describes as having “superb culture and layout.”

“I love that I can walk anywhere I want without swimming through the crowds. You can find a romantic, quiet place, or a fun, adventurous place just five minutes from the campus. The whole town is laid out for sociability and it has fantastic restaurants and night life.”

Jacqui, who has Ngati Kahungunu affiliations, was also involved with Victoria’s Māori and Pacific Island Liaison programme, Awhina, and said it is helping students “who might have been scared off, stay here and get their work done”.

Her advice to new students is to not be afraid of asking questions. “I wish I had known that lecturers welcome and admire students who stick their neck out to clarify course content.”

Since graduating Jacqui has landed a role as a Commercial Manager at Catalyst Consulting. Working in the head office means Jacqui gets to be part of some key decision making for the whole company. She says her role is "invigorating and stimulates my enthusiasm of management; one of my two majors."

Jacqui is interested in learning more about the commercial property industry and may look at going back to studying to enrich her knowledge.