When Indonesian student Cindy Alexandra arrived in Sydney from Jakarta, she came with a clear idea in mind – she wanted to be a pastry chef. Cindy decided to study a vocational qualification at a technical college.
As part of her study, she was required to complete a job placement and she found a job at the renowned Asian fusion restaurant China Doll.
After working at the restaurant for six months, she realised something was missing.
“At first, I thought working my whole life as a pastry chef would be fulfilling. However, I realised that I could turn, 40, 50 or 60 and still be doing a physically demanding job like baking,” Cindy said.
“I contacted my friend who studies at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and asked him for advice. He told me to speak the education agent Study Zone who helped place him into UTS. I went to Study Zone and they recommended I attend UTS Insearch and study a Diploma of Business because I like social interaction and brand management.”
Now that she is in the first semester in her diploma, she feels engaged - learning about academic communications, economics and accounting.
The Indonesian student thrives on being intensely busy and likes the laser-like focus required from such a lifestyle. She has her own style of managing assignments as they come up.
“The work/study balance is hard to manage but enjoyable. When I am not working, I am busy studying or baking or seeing friends. I have never been a person who likes to do assignments in bits. When I have to do them, I do them in a block and manage them around my general study and work commitments. When they are done, I don’t worry about them anymore. I have found this approach to be helpful.”
When she articulates to UTS, Cindy plans to take a Bachelor of Business, majoring in marketing as she is interested in how advertising affects customer preferences. She would like to work in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry, with a leading player such as Unilever or Nestle, and then use this knowledge in Indonesia where she sees many potential opportunities.