From the moment she first stepped onto campus at a Swinburne Open Day, Bachelor of Design alum Joanna Margiolis knew it was the place for her.
The variation in subjects, community feel and instant connection with teachers left no doubt in her mind.
"Within one week of starting, I knew I'd made the right call."
Creative at heart and a keen photographer, Joanna had always been drawn to design. As a lifelong sports player, she also considered a career in sports science.
Today, she's carved out a unique career path combining both at Netball Australia.
"It's the best of both worlds…I got the win in the end," she says.
A path powered by volunteering
Joanna credits much of her career journey to her volunteering - experiences that have not only shaped her skills but become some of her most rewarding.
"My volunteering started at Swinburne and never really stopped," she says.
She took part in Orientation Weeks, Club Days, Open Days and guided international students around Melbourne.
"It was lots of fun, especially meeting people outside of my degree."
While at Swinburne, she also started her volunteering 'side hustle' as a sports photographer for her local athletics club.
"I love capturing the moments. "You've got one shot to get that capture. It's now or never," she says.
"When there's an important win in a match, how the fans and players celebrate, when someone gets a personal best…capturing that moment is such a big thing for an individual or team."
Joanna spends time outside her work as a sports photographer for her local athletics club
A game-changing placement
Joanna's biggest moment of clarity came during a 12-month industry placement with one of Swinburne's industry partners.
Initially set on a career in 3D modelling and animation, Joanna secured a competitive placement role with the Department of Land, Water and Planning, working on architectural models to plan and approve building developments in Melbourne's CBD.
"I absolutely loved it and learnt so many skills in my time there that I wouldn't have learnt in the classroom…which is why you do it."
Perhaps the most valuable lesson was realising what she really wanted to do - become a graphic designer in the sports industry.
"My best work comes when I'm passionate about what I'm working on - for me, that's my sport," she says.
From grassroots to national sport
After graduating, Joanna applied widely for entry-level design jobs while working in event management and volunteering with the Melbourne Ice Hockey Club and her soccer club.
Nine months later, persistence paid off and she landed a job at Netball Australia where she's been for nearly six years.
In her role she designs for social media, brand campaigns, digital spaces and billboards.
After seeing Joanna's volunteering work, Netball Australia also asked her to help photograph key matches and she now also supports with directing team photoshoots for the organisation.
Her work spans the full Netball Australia brand, from grassroots programs for kids to the Origin Australian Diamonds national team.
"People are very open to me doing things that help my development," she says.
Joanna's work at Netball Australia involves designing creative for the stadiums, including the 2025 Suncorp Super Netball Grand Final at Rod Laver Arena.
A career highlight was directing a photoshoot for the Diamonds for the first time.
"I was sent up to Canberra and trusted to lead it myself and given that next level of responsibility, which was really exciting," she says.
Joanna is looking forward to a milestone year, with the Netball World Cup in Sydney in 2027 and the centenary celebration of Netball Australia on the horizon.
"These are going to be really cool projects to work on so it's a big year coming up for us".
Don't wait until you graduate
Joanna advice to current students is simple: don't wait until you graduate to get experience.
"Do a placement, even if it's not in the exact area you want to be doing," she says.
"Find the area you're most passionate about and see if you can volunteer in those and make connections."
"A lot of people are afraid of volunteering but if it's going to get you your dream role - just do it!"
