How to get a business job straight after graduation

Neelam Yadav completed her Graduate Certificate of Business Administration at Torrens University last year. After finishing her graduate certificate, she was hired straight into a business consultancy role at Capgemini Invent as an Associate Consultant.

So far, she has thrived in her graduate job and even recently received a promotion to Business Technology Consultant. She is challenged every day, but she is learning a lot and connects with the ethics of her workplace.

“In my role I have already had the opportunity to work on various projects as a business analyst, research consultant, and organisational change management consultant,” Neelam explained.

“I am continuously learning and developing skills to grow as an enterprise architect with the support of my work network

My team consists of some of the most innovative, creative and sharpest minds I have ever come across so far at a workplace. We emphasise sustainability, gender equality, new ways of working, and giving back to society.”

Worked in aviation prior to a business career change

She had begun thinking about a career change into something different and had started learning more about the business world when the pandemic hit.

“While I was working as a flight attendant on one of the major carriers in Australia, I occasionally had conversations with business people travelling on my flights. This made me excited to learn and get qualified to change my career and explore endless opportunities.

The pandemic was a catalyst for the decision to study and now when I reflect back it has become even clearer that the transition was a good thing,” Neelam said.

How did Neelam secure this fantastic graduate job with Capgemini Invent?

A few different things had to come together for this great outcome to happen.

Firstly, by working very hard and proving herself to be the best candidate, Neelam carved her own path.

“When I look back to where I started, resilience was the most important personality trait that pushed me forward to my current position,” Neelam explained.

“Every student goes through challenging circumstances: be it moving to a different virtual platform, exam fever, juggling personal life and studies, peer pressure, and other factors we don't take into account when we embark on the learning journey.

“But what sets us apart and keeps us going is consistency, grit and resilience.”

Secondly, by choosing a course at an industry-focused university with active graduate programs on offer, Neelam put herself in the right place to access this kind of opportunity.

“I spent a lot of time researching the universities that were in my top list. I went beyond the usual surfing the official websites and even visited the campuses of a few universities.

Towards the end the options were narrowed down and priority was given to this course with its blend of on-campus and virtual learning environments, and because of how innovative Torrens University Australia is.

Since I was working full-time and most of the days flying interstate, Torrens University was the best option for me and the flexibility was just perfect for me,” Neelam said.

Neelam was recruited as part of the Capgemini Invent Graduate Program 2021-2022.

Via this program, Capgemini Invent recruits promising young talent directly from several partner universities, including Torrens University Australia.

This is just one of several different graduate programs, placement or internship programs and industry opportunities available to business students at Torrens University Australia.

Others include:

• Graduate hiring programs with global consulting firms and industry partners Deloitte, EY, Enzen and PwC.
• Regular placement, employment and internship opportunities with industry partner tech companies, such as Avonet.
• Internships and work placements are part of the course curriculum for bachelor and masters level business courses, with access to programs through industry partners.
• Access to employment opportunities and your own personal Success Coach through Careers Connect.

The third secret to Neelam’s success? Work-ready training and a little support from friends.

It’s no benefit having access to a graduate program unless you have all the training and support you need to confidently apply for the role.

Throughout her course Neelam was trained and prepared to go directly into business, because much of the course content at Torrens University Australia is co-created with input from industry.

“Studying at Torrens University Australia equipped me for a smooth transition into work, as the subjects I studied were aligned to my current role.

I am now able to relate my tasks directly to the assignments and case studies we did as part of the curriculum.

“I had early exposure to presentation skills, storyboarding, stakeholder management, managing deadlines and thought delivery while I was learning at university: these are some of the fundamental concepts in management consulting,” Neelam said.

In addition to being prepared for her role with industry focused training, Neelam also took full advantage of the support on offer through her Success Coach and Careers Connect.

“When I look back to the one-on-one sessions I had with Success Coaches Vaughn Koen and Larissa De Lopez, I feel so grateful for those catch ups,” Neelam explained.

“They both assisted me in carving my career path. Vaughn was always available to have a chat on which subject I should choose and what would be the most effective way to gain industry experience. On the other hand, Larissa assisted me to structure my thoughts on my resume and was a big help in cover letter writing.

I am also very grateful to my professors, Des Pearson and Sanjeev Abeynayake, who sparked my curiosity and led me to excel in the business and marketing disciplines.”

With Neelam’s amazing work ethic and can-do attitude, the world is clearly her oyster.

What’s next for Neelam and what advice does she have for business students that are looking for graduate opportunities?

“Conversations I had with my Success Coaches guided me to take an early exit from an MBA at Torrens University due to unforeseen reasons, and to jump back in at a more opportune time. I will be soon picking up the master's degree from where I left, and moving forward with my career.”

Brent Brown said, ‘When we have the courage to walk into our story and own it, we get to write the ending.’

“My advice for students would be to get creative in their approach towards their education. Torrens University emphasises 'Love What You Do' which is also their value statement. If you are looking for a big network of support, start with Torrens University Australia.”