Candidate Testimonials: An international student securing job in Sydney during COVID-19

AUSTRALIANCE TEAM

AUSTRALIANCE TEAM

There’s never been a worse time than 2020 for international students or graduates to look for jobs. Read the success story of Meg, a postgraduate student from the Philippines, on her landing a marketing job upon completion of her internship.

Could you please introduce yourself?

I’m Meg Reyes, currently a Marketing Executive at Magimix Australia, a French small-appliance brand specializing in food preparation. I moved to Sydney from the Philippines 2 years ago to take a Master’s degree in Management, with the hope to steer the career direction from Public Relations to Marketing. I’m now happy to say that it’s exactly what has been happening.

As an international student, what challenges in seeking internship/job opportunities did you face?

I find it difficult to get noticed being an international student. On regular job boards, a candidate’s visa type is required, and companies would probably filter candidates according to that. This is understandable because international students abide by different rules which some companies may not want to deal with. I don’t think they even get to see our resumes and cover letters most of the time. It was a long and frustrating process, and being an international student is somehow a disadvantage. That, and with the spread of the pandemic, it was so challenging to get responses from companies. I woke up every day feeling very bad.  

How did you manage to score the current role at Magimix?

This full-time position was converted from my last six-month internship at Magimix, which is blissful. Back in the old days, I was actively searching for internships that could provide college credits. Thankfully, Australiance is a partner with my university, helping students find internships. While I was browsing the job board and spotted a marketing internship that I liked, it urged me to get in contact with Australiance immediately and to my surprise, they had already put my application on the shortlist. This has shown that they work hard and dedicatedly to provide us with the most suitable roles.

What did Australiance offer to assist you to score the internship?

Australiance is amazing. I can tell that the team is extremely passionate about their jobs and cares about candidates. They closely accompanied me from getting ready for the interview to scoring the internship. It felt great to have someone (who’s not your family or best friend) send a good luck message on the interview day and make a phone chat on my status. They genuinely wanted me to do well. I do appreciate their treating me as a person – not another candidate in their pile of resumes. Such a great company and any student would be lucky to be looked after by Australiance. 

What are the most valuable takeaways for you from your internship?

Always be hungry to learn. This applies not only to your superiors but also to your peers and all those that surround you as well. Keep an open mind because it’s always great to keep learning and keep growing. Give your 100% when you are at work and you will see the fruits of your labour. 

What would you recommend to someone who is looking for an internship?

I recommend going through a company like Australiance. Other websites are great for searching for different roles available; however the competition is really high, and you usually compete with hundreds of other applicants. Sometimes the companies do not even get to see our resumes due to the high number of applications they get. Companies like Australiance filter carefully and actually go through your resume, so you are sure that you are paired with a potential employer that is a good fit.

Are you a student looking for an internship?

Are you looking to hire an intern?

Australiance Talent is a consulting and talent acquisition firm that enables international companies and professionals to realize their potential in the Asia Pacific. 

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