It was 2016 summer, and I had just completed graduation. I was keen to study abroad. After some research and comparing notes with friends, I decided on Australia, mainly because of the part-time work and internship opportunities for international students that it offers.
I narrowed down my choice to Sydney because of its reputation as a global city and a financial centre, apart from being rated as one of the most liveable cities in the world. While browsing through the list of Australian universities, the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, stood out not only for its QS ranking, but also because it had the highest student employability ratings in the country.
Global scene
On moving to Sydney, I was surprised to find the city extremely warm and welcoming. More importantly, it was so culturally diverse. Classes were about to start. I had chosen master’s of commerce and was taken aback to discover that international students exceeded domestic students, and helped create a global mindset among us.
At UNSW, the options for subjects and class timings were more flexible, than I expected. My experience in the classroom was different from that in India. Most of my subjects were based on real-life case studies, and we had to approach them as a team and find solutions to real-life problems This unique pedagogy gave me a deeper insight into the different thought processes of other students, who came from different nations and cultural backgrounds. It also inculcated in me team work and critical thinking.
A week after my classes begun, I landed an internship at a startup in Singapore that welcomed freshers like me. In my next semester, I approached the UNSW careers and employment department, where I was taught several soft skills, such as, the expectations of employers, writing resumes and how interviews are conducted in Australia. This service is provided free of cost to us and is available from the first day of university. I even attended a career expo for international students, where I was advised about my strengths and weaknesses and encouraged to gain as much local experience as I could.
I also participated in UNSW’s professional development programme that helped me update my resume and amplified the skill sets required by different kinds of employers. At UNSW, education and employability are intrinsically linked. At the same time, the importance of soft skills is constantly emphasised. Studying at UNSW and learning to cope on my own helped me gain confidence and become a more independent, responsible, and organised person.
Aayushi Pandey is an alumnus of the Business School at UNSW, Sydney
