MGSM Graduate speaks on Study Abroad & Admission in Australia.

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Aakash Zaveri

Undergrad - National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli - Bachelor of Technology (B.tech)

Postgrad - Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM) - MBA

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zaveriaakash/

“In Australia, your spouse can come under a student visa and also work full-time and that is a big differentiator between the PR’s of Australia and other countries like US and Canada.”

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself- your story, your background and your educational and professional journey

I was born and brought up in Mumbai. My journey of learning started at boarding school. I did my schooling in Ooty and then I majored in Computer Science Engineering at NIT Trichi, where I gained a lot of technical skills. Later I landed in Wipro, one of the biggest IT companies. Here, I got exposure to international clients and learnt how things really work in the international market which is very different from India.

The quality of education and professional life abroad is what attracted me. Australia was the preferred destination as it had a friendly immigration policy and good climate as well. I chose to do an MBA to expand my skillsets, understand the management side and get the complete career setup. I researched MBA programs and spoke to a lot of students as well. Sydney or Melbourne were the preferred destinations as they were big cities with good universities, job markets and great climate.

2. Why did you choose MGSM for your studies abroad? What was the process you went through while choosing the university?

Sydney had 2 good college, AGSM and MGSM. At that time, the admission policies for AGSM was only one intake annually. MGSM was more flexible with 2 intakes yearly and I also got an open admission so I chose MGSM.

The requirements were the same as those universities in UK and USA.I wrote the GMAT and the student visa policy was also simple so I decide to go to MGSM.

3. Any particular advice you would like to give for the application process from SoP Writing to Academic GPA to other things which helped you get in?

I scored an average of 680 on GMAT but I got admitted. You can always shine in your SoP and your professional life. You have to present yourself the best possible way and hopefully things will work out. I also had a good academic GPA to substantiate the average GMAT score.

Australian Universities and the job market have more emphasis on work experience. For Masters however, the emphasis is lesser, but at the end of the day, the employer looks at distinct projects and skills. You could always make use of internship opportunities and part time job opportunities during your program to gain experience. For an MBA, 4-5 years of work experience is always good.

4. Were you satisfied with your choice of university? How was the overall campus diversity, faculty, resources available? Tell us about your experience.

I was very satisfied. Good facilities like library, research center, infrastructure etc and anything you require was already available. The faculty were amazing from the education as well as networking point of view. The diversity was awesome. There were people from US, UK, China and even Africa.

5. Is there any advice you would like to give students wishing to apply to MGSM or to other Universities in Australia? Can you speak a little about the opportunities to settle in Australia using the PR (Permanent Residency) process?

The professional and personal life balance is very good over here. You can come to Australia through a student visa or a temporary work visa. But the PR is the endgame. It is essential if you want to settle here. You do not have to go through an elaborate PR process and it does sort out a lot of uncertainty. It is good to get this process started out early on. In Australia, your spouse can come under a student visa and also work full-time and that is a big differentiator between the PR’s of Australia and other countries like US and Canada.

6. How is the quality of education compared to Indian Institutions. What were the gaps in both systems? How did you manage to cope?

In India, textbook knowledge works and helps you excel. However, it fails over here. You have to get that knowledge and apply it and take 2 or 3 extra steps to score well. The gap is in the broadening of understanding. Theory based learning is definitely important before the application of that knowledge. Both systems are really good. But it depends on the way you like to be taught.

7. What were the job opportunities available on campus and otherwise? How does one manage to grab them?

It is 100% your push to secure your job at the end of your program. The program and networks provide you inputs regarding these. I took up an internship that was offered as part of my program and I was able to showcase this to my employer in my resume. I got the opportunity to work with Amazon Web Services and that was the standout of my MBA and it turned things around for me.

During the campus recruitment, we do have a lot of companies coming from in and around Sydney for recruitment. The support services are also huge. However, it is up to you to make the best use of the opportunities.

8. Any suggestions or advice you would like to give freshers starters out? How did study abroad help you?

Think about what you want your next phase of life to be. Ask yourself if you are comfortable. Always push yourself and try to get to the next curve and go forward. Do something more in your work and gain the knowledge and experience. Grow your hobbies as well and think about your life in the form of ‘S’ curves and keep progressing upwards.

When you come abroad, out of your comfort zone, it can be very intimidating. But keep focusing on the next ‘S’ curve and try to make the best of both worlds.

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