A Business Graduate Tells Us About Life on the Other Side of Uni

"Responsibilities are great."

This post is presented in partnership with Monash Business School.

Most students probably wouldn't lunge at the opportunity to do extra work on top of their degrees, but what if we told you it would actually make your life easier upon graduation into the real world?

Meet Jasmine Chin, a business graduate who's seen the other side of university, having undertaken a bunch of internships herself, and is now relishing her fully-fledged adult life.

So, how did Jasmine achieve this career-progression glow up of the decade?

Jasmine says it was her flexible double degree (a Bachelor of Marketing and Management from Monash Business School) that opened multiple doors for her future career. "[Studying both marketing and management] allows me to explore more options in the future," Jasmine tells Student Edge.

She didn't just choose to study both marketing and management because it sounded like the perfect blend of creativity and boss life; some careful planning and an open mind were a big part of the equation.

"Marketing is very practical and [full of] real-life scenarios, whereas management is very theory-based, so I think they both complement each other," Jasmine explains.

Choosing these areas also allowed her to take on some varied internships, including at an insurance company, a real estate and property development business and a media-tech company.

"I actually didn't do any traditional coffee runs," Jasmine jokes.

"It was really good to learn from different people and different teams and exposing myself to different industries."

But while most would squirm at the thought of doing classic internship tasks like data entry, Jasmine explains that it was great to experience these tasks too.

"People say [data entry] is boring but I found it really interesting because you can use that data and source it out and be really analytical about your decisions in the future," Jasmine says.

"That was very different from what I thought it would be because it's just a mundane task, but it's [also] very useful."

Thanks to her internships, she was also surprised by the industries she actually wanted to enter after she'd finished her degree.

"My final internship really opened up my eyes to tech," Jasmine explains.

"I thought it would be very geeky or very boring but it's actually very interesting; it's very fast, it's super exciting."

How did Jasmine fare in the dreaded graduate job market? 

"I started casually looking for jobs during my finals as a form of procrastination; hey, might as well make use of the time," Jasmine laughs.

"I would say it was relatively difficult to compete with other experienced candidates and find the 'right' role as a fresh graduate."

Ultimately, Jasmine decided to narrow down her job search by looking at the skill sets most sought after, the role's scope and the opportunities at the company. She landed a job in a tech company and has been there since.

"Responsibilities are great," Jasmine admits.

"When I get more responsibilities and more pressure, it means that I'm growing out of my comfort zone and learning more."

But to get there in the first place, Jasmine recommends taking a bit of time to figure out what interests you.

"[Don't] just pick something that's cool or something that everyone's doing that's not suited for you," Jasmine cautions, adding that once you start your degree, it's important to "not to be afraid to ask questions."

"You must have the right attitude; be challenged, try different things and take in feedback, positive and negative and keep yourself driven."

Ready to take on the world, one office at a time? Prepare for the challenge at Monash Business School. 

Find out more about the courses that Monash Business School has on offer and learn about their flexible learning opportunities. With Monash Business School, you’ll graduate ready to stand out in a global marketplace.

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