6 YEARS JOURNEY: MY JOURNEY TO LANDING A GRADUATE PROGRAM OFFER
Who am I? What’s my background?
I stepped foot in Australia for the first time when I was 17. Determined to make a life of my own, I embarked on the journey of pursuing a different path in Melbourne at the age of 19, not knowing what to expect. I started studying for a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Electrical and Computer Systems at Monash University, and unexpectedly, Covid-19 struck as I was going into my 3rd year of study. The 2 years of studying in Melbourne were filled with hardships, both financially and mentally, there has always been a significant lack of support for international students in Australia. I decided to travel home over the pandemic to save myself the stress of living alone in a foreign country. As I graduated back home, recognizing the lack of opportunities and the strong urge and curiosity to explore and discover more in life, I again, gained the courage to give this city another try. I enrolled in a Master’s course in Business Administration at Swinburne University, I was committed to doing things differently.
I learnt this the hard way: If you want anything in life, you must be active rather than passive. Actively pursue, not passively waiting.
What did I do differently?
Put yourself out there. As cheesy as it sounds, this is the only way that works! When I travelled back here again, I knew I had to form connections and build a network for myself. My extraverted personality helped, but the main pusher was a switch in my mind
Pessimistic -> Optimistic
Close-minded -> Open-minded
Insecure -> Confident
Everyone’s journey is different, when you’re at a young age, it’s easy to perceive the world as intimidating, and yourself as small and inexperienced. However, the switched mindset tells me, I’m young, the world is my oyster, and I’ve got so much to see and to learn. Approaching life in this way opened so many doors and resulted in ripple effects across multiple areas. I studied differently in this new field, got a job in hospo and worked my way up to become a barista, joined cheerleading, motorsports club, and Future Forte, did an internship, learned to live alone, enjoyed what Melbourne has to offer, travelled around Australia and Europe, created friendships and bonded better with my siblings. These are what employers like to see, a proactive and driven individual with experiences and connections in multiple aspects of life.
How did I land a graduate job?
As much as I like to ramble about my life and my worldview, you’re most likely reading this to know how I landed a job. Here is my approach:
1. Gain clarity on the types of jobs you want to do, what you can do, and what the market is offering.
I did not know what kind of jobs I could get at the start of the year. I was confused, conflicted, lost, scared, and depressed. I could see the end of my uni life 6 months ahead, and I did not have a plan for myself.
First thing first, I went online and searched for any information I could.
Useful links:
ChatGPT: Type in your concern. I told GPT my education history and my interests and asked about the kinds of jobs I could get in this market. (For me, it was engineering consulting that stood out to me.)
Prosple.com: This website has all the information for graduate programs, which are the kind of training programs big corporations/ companies roll out to hire graduates from multiple disciplines over a period of 12-24 months. (Extremely competitive, with a 1%~3% rate of success.)
Your university’s online job search service: Get all the information about different programs, their deadlines, tailored assistance on resume building etc.
Whirlpool.com: Online forum for graduates to exchange information. It is a unique community, with everyone being anonymous and in the same boat.
2. Leverage the network you have and discover more ways to connect.
Secondly, I looked around at the communities and networks I built/ have access to.
Future Forte: International students and alumni, I found my mentor here, I volunteered here, and I gained so much experience and inspiration through attending the events and connecting with others who have walked my path and succeeded.
Internships: I got an internship through the university as a credited unit. This internship opened my eyes to working professionally, presenting myself and working in a team. I connected with my supervisor, and he has served as my mentor ever since.
Extracurricular Activities: I knew my nature is extraverted and I enjoyed team sports, and engineering. Thus, I joined cheerleading last year and started working as their fundraising officer. I also joined our motorsports team to stay in touch with my technical skills.
Career Fairs: I attended the Big Meet in Melbourne CBD, and career fairs at my uni, talking to fellow graduates, experienced employees in the field and HR representatives, I gained more knowledge in the career field.
3. Persevere through job hunting: perfect your resumes and cover letters, apply for jobs frequently, and do tests and video interviews.
The hardest part is to get started. I had all the information and network in my toolkit, it was time to get started on the job-hunting journey.
I set my eyes on graduate programs, as they have the most perks (training, job security, growth opportunities etc.) and a rigorous process of application (the application period starts a year before the commencement date, usually in February-May.)
Resume: Crafting a good resume is like getting a golden ticket to getting your dream job, you want to include the highlights of your experience and the tags that are the keywords mentioned in the job descriptions.
Cover Letter: This step is essential to express your drive, intention, and eagerness, and explain why you’re a good candidate for the company.
Applications: Bulk applies for suitable roles!
Online Assessments: Most companies send out online assessments to test your cognitive and behavioural skills.
Video Interviews: Some companies also send out video interviews to prompt your answers in 3min with 4~6 questions. (Hirevew is a popular platform)
4. Prepare for your interviews.
This step is where you face tons of rejection. It’s important to not take them personally and recognize your strengths, skills, and unique personality! I only landed 3 interviews out of the 30 applications. Remember, you only need 1 ‘YES’.
Gather information: I wrote a 10,000-word prep document for each of my interviews, gathering all the information from their brochures, websites, and LinkedIn.
Behavioural questions: For a grad role, they’re more concerned about your behaviours than your technical skills. I tailored my answers to the specific roles and structured 6-7 scenarios into STAR format that showcased my soft skills (the skills are usually listed in the JD).
Practice! Practice! Practice!
5. Sit back and calm your nerves.
Once you’re well prepared, show your authentic self to your interviewers. They want to know you, your unique aspirations, and your personality.
This is a 4-month long journey, you successfully balance your life, part-time job, academic commitment, and job-hunting, which is a showcase of your character itself! Good job!
