I loved my job in Tech. I had a great team, was making a six figure income, and was ready to put a deposit for my first apartment in Sydney.
But I had a dilemma.I could continue with my plan, or address a problem that had given me sleepless nights for 8 months after completing my post-grad. I knew it still affected thousands of graduates, international students and immigrants every year.
For the last 5 years, I had been exploring what’s the most effective way to land your first job in Australia, and then in September 2022, I launched Grad Careers.
2012 - 2015: Delhi University
After high school, it was time for college. Being an excellent student, it was relatively easy to crack Delhi University.
During my time at uni, I spent way more time on theatre than on my economics studies. Consequently, I barely managed to pass.
Surprisingly, despite my grades, I had secured an offer from KPMG even before taking my final exams.
2015 - 2017: Hello Land down Under!
I said goodbye to KPMG and decided to move to Canberra to pursue my Masters. Right from the very first day, my goal was clear: I was there to study and build my career.
In courses where most students achieved a distinction average, I consistently earned High Distinctions. Even in courses where credit average was the norm, I managed to do exceptionally well.
This obviously meant missing out on a lot of fun, but I was hopeful that my hard work would lead to a job after graduation.
2017 - 2018: Regret
This was the lowest point in my life. I was sending out job applications by the hundreds every month, only to receive rejection after rejection.
I had done everything by the book – attended a top-notch university and excelled academically, which is why it was baffling to me that I was struggling so much.
At one point, I even decided to move back to Delhi, and then said yes to an internship in Malaysia. Thankfully I didn’t follow through.
2018 - 2022: The Australian Dream
It took months of research, along with numerous consultations with alumni, job search experts, and career coaches, for me to grasp one insight that completely transformed my job search:
Getting hired is about getting noticed, not about being the perfect candidate.
I secured my first job in consulting with a company that had previously only hired permanent residents and citizens. I later transitioned into a project manager role within the government, and even ventured into tech despite having no tech relevant experience.
I credit every milestone in my career to this insight. It’s the reason I’ve been able to switch jobs, shift industries, and 4x my salary in four years
2022 - Current
I had been coaching students and graduates for nearly four years, yet it always seemed like there was more to be done.
This problem faced by international students and immigrants to land their first role remained just as real now as it did when I finished my studies.
At this stage, I had saved enough to fully invest my time, effort, and resources to solve this problem. So, I said goodbye to my full-time tech job and launched Grad Careers.