Employability and Careers Blog: Info and Advice for AUT Students and Graduates

Clambering out of boats and crossing muddy water to bring supplies and support to the Rohingya people in Myanmar camps is just one part of the job for Su Myat Kyaw, medical activity manager for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). It’s exciting, worthwhile and humbling, says Su who undertook the AUT Edge Award and Beyond AUT Award as well as studying disaster and risk management at AUT.

Five AUT graduates talk about how their paths changed as they progressed through their tertiary study. They have found productive and stimulating careers that are quite different from their initial dreams and expectations.

When Mallik Gadipudi completed his MBA in Human Resources at AUT and took on a 2degrees customer care specialist role, his Dad back in India was perplexed and angry. Why was he going to work in a call centre after doing a postgraduate qualification?Mallik didn’t see it that way. For him it was a strategic step needed to overcome a lack of experience in the New Zealand workplace. And it worked. Mallik is now national sales manager for KPL Distribution and has founded a music production company.

You’ve got an interview. Amazing. Oh no, it’s online. You’ll be in a box, looking at people in boxes. What do you do? How do you engage? What if your internet fails?Don’t panic. You’re not alone. All job interviews for Auckland roles are being conducted remotely at the moment and this is likely to continue for some time yet. 7 recruiting managers give advice.

If you don't want to be like the guy in the image, then read our tips on how to set up and perform in a virtual job interview. It's not difficult if you are prepared.

Do you look at your CV and feel it is a bit thin on activities and experience? How do you show an employer you’re good at being organised or team work, when you don’t have any proof? Have you ever considered the benefits of volunteering.

Construction engineering graduate April Faitua was delighted to get into the Kāinga Ora 18-month graduate programme working on construction that brought about social change. April has now taken up the role of consultant information manager for Auercon in their digital engineering team. She talks about her Kāinga Ora graduate programme experience.

You are very unlikely to go into your dream job immediately after you graduate. No, don’t sigh and bin this blog. All I’m saying is that often the best entry level graduate roles do not sound like dream jobs, but they will lead to them if you’re good at what you do.

The dream of becoming a detective led Georgia Fui to AUT to study criminology. However, as she delved further into her degree she started to question her career choice. Did she really want to be out on the streets catching people breaking the law? If not, then what else could she do?

When you hear the word ‘ninja’ what do you think of? People swooping around doing stealthy karate chops in dark outfits – or teenage mutant turtles called Michelangelo and Donatello eating pizza? I bet you’re not thinking of Systems Ninjas; techie trainees learning how to code without any strange outfits, medieval names or destruction?  Readiness IT 's ystems ninja traineeship is a great strating place says Systems Ninja Brian Kong.