Last month, The Australian National University (ANU) won a prestigious Global Employers' Choice Award. The accolade was part of the 2020 Global University Career Development (China) Award from Lockin China, one of the largest career development platforms for young professionals in China.
Within the ANU College of Business and Economics (CBE), the CBE Careers and Student Employability team (CCSE) were amongst those recognised for their exceptional services and the innovative professional programs they organise for the College’s students.
CCSE offers a range of initiatives to build the professional skills required by employers. Their offerings include the CBE Internship Program (CBEI), Special Industry Project, the Global Learners of Business and Economics (GLOBE) International Internship Program, and MomentuM, the College’s professional development and mentoring program.
“The experience I had through MomentuM and CBEI was filled with positive client interactions in an Australian business setting. This was extremely valuable for me as an international student,” says Jiafa Liu, a third-year accounting student at CBE.
As part of College’s GLOBE program, Jiafa was a legal and business development intern at Shenzhen Andun Intellectual Property Service Co. Ltd. (AndunIP) in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, where he was closely involved in project management for major clients, such as Huawei.
During this internship, Jiafa believes he was able to impress his supervisors with the knowledge he gained through CBE’s employability programs.
My supervisors at AndunIP thought I was extremely professional in the way I conducted myself with clients. I owe this recognition to the CBE employability programs.
Shedding light on what employers in China are looking for, Jessie Zhao, an Industry Engagement Officer within CCSE, shares that employers are looking for more than relevant work experience from university graduates.
“Soft skills such as workplace communication, teamwork and problem solving are some of the key attributes employers in China are looking for in university graduates. In addition, fitting into a company’s culture is also an important trait,” Jessie says, who is currently based in the ANU China Liaison office.
According to Yangtong Liu, who graduated from CBE with a Master of International Management in December 2019, workplace communication is one of the most valuable skills she learnt at the College.
Aside from the critical ability to talk to internal and external stakeholders, personal branding was also an invaluable skill I acquired. In interview sessions, I can now present myself in a more confident, efficient and professional manner.
Last year, she also interned with Asian Tigers Mobility China, an international relocation solutions company in China, through the College’s GLOBE program.
CBE’s Career Consultants are currently helping College students navigate the professional landscape and achieve employment success in the global market through a wide range of virtual engagements, online workshops and events.
“CCSE offers a variety of career-related programming to support students' career development. CBE students need a portfolio of career skills and professional capabilities to make career decisions throughout life. Our programs equip students with skills necessary for long term career success,” shares Gina Diamond, Manager of CCSE.
The Global Employers' Choice Award is a celebration of their hard work, commitment and effective collaboration.
“We’re delighted to be part of the collective effort across ANU in providing student experience programs that have met and exceeded industry expectations. I am particularly proud of the innovative and rigorous career services and employability programs offered by CCSE, whose dedication to the betterment of CBE students’ career journey knows no bound,” sums up Associate Professor Vinh Lu, CBE’s Associate Dean (Advancement and Engagement).
The CBE Careers and Student Employability team highlight recruitment cycles through career workshops and employer events, which are promoted through CareerHub. Click here for more details.