My move from overseas to Australia
Written by Diksha Maini
As an international student from India, I have supported myself to settle and grow in a new country, which strengthens my resilience and adaptability. I came to Australia to get the best education, coming from a male-dominated part of the nation where glass ceilings are hard to break. Here, education was my primary tool for breaking the odds and standing my ground. In addition to attaining an academic education, I wanted to hone various life skills. Living alone in a new country provided me with much-needed self-growth and restoration. I have learned to give my 100% in everything I do, whether it is as small as teamwork, an assigned task, or organising a big event. I enjoy studying in order to shape my career and to count my blessings because I am studying in an environment that encourages creativity, innovation, and independent thinking. The opportunity to study away from my country adds to my learning curve.
What am I wanting to achieve?
A high standard of living and independence
I love meeting new people while I travel. I learn more about their lives and cultures as I interact with them; spreading happiness is, in my opinion, the best way to achieve happiness and satisfaction.
I personally seek new challenges, as demonstrated by my willingness to live, learn, and work in an entirely new country and persevere throughout the pandemic. From my personal experiences, I have cultivated my ability to adapt to change and am motivated to succeed in my endeavours.
Having worked as an Orientation Student Ambassador, I have the opportunity to further develop my people skills and understanding of cultural diversity by helping hundreds of local and international students settle well into their initial days at university.
I combine these skills with the willingness to consider different aspects and viewpoints and welcome feedback that will help me continue to develop.
Be inspired by opportunities to learn from a variety of perspectives, as well as my unique experiences as an international student.
Why did I choose marketing?
Marketing being an exciting and fast-paced industry has helped me gain more interest in the field. Marketing has the possibility to both adapt to and sometimes even affect societal trends. It gives you the ability to have a real impact on how people live, behave, and connect.
Have I experienced hardships?
Yes of course! It took me about 1.5 years to find my first role, which was something that did not align with my career path. So, make sure you have a plan and that you work your way through it. Additionally, the cultural shock is huge, and it took time to settle in and adapt to the changes. Finally, balancing work, study, and social life, as well as adjusting to a new lifestyle, is extremely difficult.
Advice for international student’s seeking internships?
I do have a few points of advice which I believe can help many international/local based students!
Try to bridge the knowledge gap by taking free online courses and self-learning to have a plus point in the application process.
Be patient while looking for internships, as the first role is always hard to get but always worth it.
LinkedIn is your best friend! The majority of the jobs are hidden, and LinkedIn will help you find a role in the hidden job market. Connect with like-minded people and have a chat.
Network! I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to go out, meet new people, and learn from people from different walks of life. This is how I got my current role. I met Andrew and Shinyi at the first networking event after the lockdown era, and I was super excited to meet new people. Since then, I have stayed connected with them, and now I am employed by them to work as a marketing coordinator.
So how can CampusLife help you?
CampusLife is a platform that helps students meet like-minded students, mentors, and a wider community, as well as get relevant work experience while studying. We are growing the platform to narrow the gap between students unable to find jobs and companies struggling to find suitable candidates.
So if you are looking to step into the workforce, reach out to us at hello@campuslife.com.au.
We would love to have a chat with you!
Regards, Diksha
