How can studying at an Australian university boost your career prospects?

Studying in an Australian university will teach you practical skills that can be applied to a wide range of careers. Programmes are constantly updated with input from industry leaders to ensure current, up-to-date knowledge which can be transferred directly to industry, advancing your professional development. 

Charles Darwin University alumna Dr Monishka Narayan used the practical knowledge from her postgraduate fellowship to progress her career in the renewable energy industry. 

“I chose CDU because the university offered me the opportunity (through a scholarship scheme) to continue my research in renewable energy,” she said. 

While working at Energy Networks Australia, Dr Narayan managed research projects, participated in grid seminars, facilitated panels and provided female representation at several events and forums.  

In just three years, Dr Narayan’s hard work and determination and the skills and knowledge from her degree helped her move from a coordinator role to a manager role. 

Dr Narayan has since introduced managerial procedures, collaborated with research, industry and government and led management for a broad range of innovative projects in energy such as electric vehicles and microgrids. 

Charles Darwin University’s Career Centre provides a range of careers and employability support for students. Students can benefit from personalised meetings with a careers councillor, access support with their CV and job applications and complete practice interviews. 

There are many opportunities to network at university, particularly at an Australian university. Australia is a vibrant, multinational study location, with one in four of Australia’s population born overseas.  

Australia’s cultural diversity is also reflected in the students it attracts. At CDU, there are more than 2,000 international students from over 70 countries who will get the opportunity to meet a range of fascinating, diverse people from around the world. 

While completing her Master of Business Administration (MBA), CDU alumnus Ellie found one of her favourite parts of her studies was the people she met. “The multicultural community in Darwin is so inclusive and friendly,” she said. “I have met some amazing friends through CDU, and our friendships continue until today.” 

Born and raised in Hanoi, Vietnam, Ellie spent her childhood helping her parents manage their retail store. This led her to follow in her family’s footsteps and she chose to study an MBA to learn key business skills and surround herself with like-minded individuals. Today, Ellie is leading the marketing activities for a regional Australian airline and runs her own e-commerce company. 

At CDU, many of the undergraduate and postgraduate studies include a placement opportunity in an Australian organisation. This experience provides training specific to working effectively in an organisation.  

A Master of Professional Accounting (Professional Practice) helped CDU alumna Rafat achieve her dream of securing a full-time job with one of the Big Four accounting firms, KPMG. She credits her success to the placement opportunity and CDU Career Experts who helped with CV writing and mock interviews 

Moving from her home in Bangladesh during the pandemic, Rafat initially found it difficult to connect with others and integrate into university life. However, she felt she could always reach out to faculty staff. “It was just unbelievable! Although there were times where I doubted myself, my work supervisors and faculty staff did not ever hesitate to support me,” she recalled. 

Australian university graduates have made a profound impact on the world, producing ground-breaking research and development, as well as becoming some of the world’s leading scientists, doctors, designers, artists and entrepreneurs. 

CDU has a dynamic alumni network of 70,000 people across 140 countries. Like Monishka, Ellie and Rafat, you too can become part of this extensive global network.  

A vast alumni network at CDU will allow you to develop and maintain lifelong personal and professional connections that can help in your career and beyond.