A Change In Perspective

Being academically talented/booksmart has always been emphasised in Eugene’s life by his parents and relatives. In the eyes of his strict Singaporean parents, they viewed getting good grades at school as ultimately lead to a successful life.?

However, that’s not the case with Eugene, who found himself physically bullied and ostracised by his peers due to his bad grades in high school. However, it didn’t last long as he decided to take matters into his own hands by taking mixed martial arts classes to defend his assailants.

“Martial arts brought a sense of meaning, wonderment and fulfilment to my life. It kept me away from vice and self-destructive behaviours. I was introduced to foreign concepts of humility in defeat, honour, morality and unwavering integrity. Upholding myself according to these principles profoundly changed the way I view life.”?

As he embodied the martial arts principles, his life went upward from that point, demonstrated through his early accomplishments, his participation in the global debating organisation, The World Scholar’s Cup, where he was a debating team captain in high school. Eugene’s team debated on topics such as; globalisation and intrinsic human experiences. In the end, he was awarded one of the top 6 debaters in the World Scholar’s Cup!

Fast forward a year; he found himself in Australia studying at the Australian National University doing his undergraduate studies in Commerce. He quickly learnt that securing a job in Australia isn’t about having good grades. Instead, the Australian workforce encourages students to participate in extra-curricular activities and apply their knowledge to practice.

He heard about Practera through LaTrobe university when he proceeded to study his Masters of Business Analytics through his course director, who suggested that he participate in the Global Victoria Intellect Program.?

The Practera Program coordinator introduced Eugene and his team to Jenny Richardson from the Paw Grocer, who wanted to take her pet food business to Singapore. His team nominated him as a leader because he was originally from Singapore and his outgoing personality.?

He used his expertise as a Singaporean to recommend insights for his client;

“I informed the client that approximately 14% of the Singaporean population is Muslim, who are unable to own dogs, but they can own cats. Considering the resources required for an expansion to Singapore, this statistic might be very relevant for you. Jenny was pleased about this insight because she was unaware of the cultural influences that could potentially affect her business.”?

He also learnt that having expertise derived from his own experience has been very beneficial throughout the program. In addition, he found that soft skills such as; problem-solving and cultural consciousness were paramount for project success.?

“I learnt that everyone has their unique capabilities, and everyone possesses their strengths.”

“As a leader, you have to make sure that everyone is happy with their role and the tasks that are delegated to them. With that, I encouraged everyone to think of ways to add extra value to the deliverables where the report could be of greater utility than we initially discussed.”

He went on to apply for two more programs, powered by Practera,? the Study Australia Industry Experience Program (SAIEP), back in July 2021 and the Dealbook program.

After finishing his Data Science internship at Coles, Eugene was on the quest to find an opportunity that resonated with his values.? He immediately thought of Practera as a company where he wanted to use his skills and experience to help international students find employment in the Australian workforce.

Eugene wrote a long email to Hope Dolino, the Programs Manager SA & Vic, asking for her career guidance. He also expressed his interest in lending a helping hand to Practera programs to those international students looking for Australian work experience.

Hope gave Eugene some insight into how Practera programs ran behind the scenes and advised him to strengthen his employability further.? Hope saw Eugene’s hard work and dedication, the opportunity finally came. First, Eugene was offered an intern position at Practera. Second, and, most recently, due to his stellar performance that exceeded Practera’s program team’s expectations,? Eugene was offered a full-time position as a Programs Support Officer.

Despite his adversities and wins, Eugene’s perspective on how to acquire career success has shifted!