Renaldy Lim - Indonesia, 5 July, 2023
I’m Renaldy from Indonesia. I studied a Bachelor of Business, which I loved. I chose QUT because of the quality of teaching, which is practical and real-world ready. I also received the International Merit Scholarship which helped me financially and gave me access to the College of Excellence which has provided me with opportunities to attend numerous interesting workshops. QUT has so many amazing facilities and great lecturers which makes it a great place to study.
Practical learning
I especially enjoy the way practical learning is incorporated into my course as it helps me apply my knowledge into a real-world setting. One project I’ve been involved in is being a consultant for a mining company and helping them solve and improve their business processes in terms of their metal production and distribution. This was a great opportunity because I could apply all the theoretical knowledge that I learnt at university in a real-world setting. I learned a lot about collaboration and the importance of communication between peers and client alike.
I also got a further insight to the real world by joining the QUT Mentor scheme. This gave me the opportunity to be matched with a suitable mentor aligned with my career goals and degree. My mentor was from BDO which is one of the world’s leading Audit and Accounting organisations. I learned a lot of skills such as job seeking and how to build your portfolio, things that I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t had this connection. It was a great experience that I would definitely recommend.
Real-world experience through QUT social clubs
The first thing that I did when I started university was to look around and join a student club that aligned with my studies. I joined a business club called 180 Degrees Consulting QUT where you are assigned to a real project for a not-for-profit client. I started out as a student consultant where I was exposed to many different learning opportunities such as talking with real clients, managing projects, and completing tasks as a required. It was a fantastic experience and as a result I applied for their executive position. This role has provided me with the opportunity to build connections with various companies which has been very beneficial for my career journey.
I was fortunate enough to be with this club for about two years as a Secretary, Vice President of Operations, and now Consulting Director. During this journey, I have created a few networking events and some workshops which will enable students to enhance their capability skillset. Not to mention, involving myself with these types of events significantly increases my communication skills and improves my confidence to talk with both locals and other international student alike. Moreover, you can also meet with a lot of corporate industries and network with them. A lot of businesses nowadays are always looking at your experiences - adding this to your resume will help you with job applications. Aside from growing your professional skills, these experiences will bring you one step closer to your future dream career!
An added bonus of joining clubs at QUT is that I’ve made a lot of lifelong friends from different countries which is really nice especially when you are new to the university.
Student support
QUT also provides a wide range of services that will help you in your professional career and academic studies such as Career Coaching and Peer Support (SLA). I have used the resume checking service a few times which provided me with a lot of useful tips on what to improve on. This helped me in getting a good structure and understanding the do's and don'ts of resume writing which will be beneficial when applying for jobs.
Preparing for the future
I'm currently working as a Management Consultant at a consulting firm, which is related to my degree. In this job my responsibility is to analyse and build rapport with client by engaging with various stakeholders and transform their business process along the way. I have also worked for QUT before as HiQ Peer Concierge and International Future Student Advisor!
QUT has assisted me in building the skillset for my future career, such as communication, critical analysis, research, and collaboration.
After I finish my course, I plan on developing my career in consulting and utilising my skills to help businesses. As my experience grows, you never know where the future will take you.
My advice
I would say to other students not to be afraid to try different things while you are at uni. QUT provides you with a lot of different avenues to grow and excel, so grab the opportunity while you can!
