As I mentioned in my first blog, studying overseas sometimes could be bitter. The experience of getting employment at overseas could be even bitterer. However, can International student work out this tough task? And how can we do it? Give yourself a big smile and read through this blog, you will find the answer. :)
There was a great workshop organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants on 2 June 2011, tailoring for International students who have passion to work in Australia. The speakers include two employers (one from big four accounting firm and the other from a medium size accounting firm) and three international students who are now working successfully as professional accountant in the business world.
I did enjoy the workshop a lot and would like to share the notes I took during the event with you guys.
From the panel side:
First of all, employers are looking for experience of working when they are recruiting. However, this working experience does not necessarily have to be in your study area as they understand that it might be hard for a student to step into a professional area. So working experience like selling donuts or retailing assistant are valuable points for building up resume.
Secondly, a successful candidate should be good at time management. As the panel mentioned, they would like to take the candidate who can handle several commitments at the same time. In other words, as a student, we should try to be capable to manage work or society contributions while studying.
In addition, accountability is another crucial criterion that panel addressed. An ideal candidate does not have to have strong academic record, but he/she has to be reliable and responsible in the working environment. Examples should be given to demonstrate your ability during the interview.
From the International students’ side:
Networking might be the first issue they raised. One of them actually said that she spent most of her time studying when she was at Uni. She hopes herself could be braver, then she would make more friends and enjoy networking more. It is true that we prefer to stay in our own familiar group and too shy to speak to strangers. A great suggestion was given during the workshop, let yourself go to a party and won’t leave until you know two strangers. We probably all should try this next time :).
Another suggestion which I was impressed with is be active with one sport you’re keen to. In most of the Aussie companies, employer actually encourages you to balance work and lifestyle. Sport like footy is a really hot topic in Aussie community. It does help you to integrate into working place if you know any of the footy teams or players. According to one of the speakers, working leave is allowed for the sports club commitments or volunteering contributions in some circumstances.
All right, are you ready for the new challenge?
Look forward to seeing you at next workshop
Cheers
Nina