Graduate Opportunities

University attended: La Trobe University.

Ilya is a former international student from Russia and currently works as a finance and resources officer for La Trobe International Office at La Trobe University.

What are your responsibilities in your current role?

My current role of Finance and Resources Officer is responsible for providing finance-related services to the University’s International Office staff and the students. This includes monitoring cost allocations between the departments’ cost centres when processing payments, performing reconciliations and running the payment schedules for our students’ medical cover provider. Throughout last year I was seconded into a compliance officer role where I was conducting regulatory reporting and administered Financial AID process for U.S. students that borrowed education loans.

What advice would you give international students wanting to secure work in Australia upon graduation?

My experience has proved that getting involved and staying active during studies is the key element of successfully securing employment. During my last semester of study I was doing two casual jobs – a call centre and worked in the student support team in the International Office. I also performed the role of Finance Director at the Young Achievement Australia project and was involved as a volunteer with an organisation that organises trips for disabled children. The advantages of this are networking possibilities and developing an open mindset which is what many employers are seeking in candidates.

How can Australian employers benefit from employing international students?

I’m convinced that employing people from different backgrounds brings benefits for employers. Australia is a multinational country and employing staff that can relate to different ethnical groups is an advantage. I think most employers are conscious of this and are quite open-minded. For example I’m working in an office of 50+ people of 20 different nationalities and this creates the blend of culture that brings out the best in people and results in great customer service to our clients. Having said that, an employee’s set of skills and their suitability for the job remain the most important criteria of course.

What have you found most rewarding in your current role?

Probably the most significant impact my current role had on me is that it shaped my organisational and time management skills. The day is full of various tasks of different complexity and timelines, and being able to manage the workflow is crucial. As a compliance officer I strengthened my understanding of the complex policies, legislative requirements and processes.

Describe the application process for your role.

I had to prepare my CV and write a cover letter and statement against the selection criteria, in which I had to address several questions and demonstrate my skills. This is the most important part which can tell your future employer about you. It must be able to convey the main message about your experience, supported by specific examples. Once my application was selected, I went through a successful interview with a panel of the department’s managers.