From zero experience to dream job: a conversation with Mudit Mittal

When Mudit Mittal started his studies in a Master of Information Technology here at UTS in 2019, he had no prior Australian work experience. Fast forward two years and a couple of roles later, and he’s landed a gig as a Data Analyst Consultant at EY!

We caught up with Mudit to hear about his career journey and celebrate all the steps along the way.

 

Thanks for chatting to us today Mudit! Let’s start by chatting about your experience with the Industry Immersion Program in 2019 – why don’t you tell us a little about that?

Being an international student, the Industry Immersion Program was my first step into the Australian corporate world, and gave me an edge over my peers. The program was pivotal in enhancing my understanding of the Australian work culture and its differences from the country where I come from. 

The program mostly focused on shadowing my mentors and working on a project in a team. The program was fundamental in explaining the key elements of successful work life such as collaboration, teamwork and empathy.

 

How helpful has work experience like the above been in your career so far?

The experience was paramount in exposing me to the nitty-gritty of Australian work culture. It played a significant role in improving my interview preparation strategies. Consequently, I was able to include pointers in my answers which were really well received by the interviewers. 

Also, the experience looks great on my resume and gave me something to talk about in interviews which really helped me bag my first role.

 

What did you learn in university to prepare yourself for your career?

I think one major learning from university apart from all the technical stuff was working in teams. Group projects were the core elements of each course at UTS. 

With new teams in each course in each semester, I was able to work within a plethora of different collaborative environments. Some experiences made me friends for life, while some were filled with lots of learnings which completely changed my outlook of teamwork. 

Other than that, I also learned the importance of organising my day in advance. For the first time in my life, I started using a calendar to schedule each and every activity of my day. 

Overall, it was an enriching experience which I will cherish for the rest of my life.

 

Why don’t you tell me more about what came after that – you worked at UTS for a while?

I worked at UTS as a notetaker as well as a Research Assistant until the end of 2020. 

From the start of 2021 until my graduation in August, I worked as a Python Data Engineer at Pendal Group which is an Investment Management firm based out of Sydney CBD. 

After my graduation, I started working as a Consultant – Data Analyst at Ernst & Young.

 

Wow, those are some great positions! How did the transition go from university roles to your first job in your industry?

I think transition depends on how quickly you adapt to the changing environments. I adapted quickly by networking with my new colleagues and learning from their experiences. 

It’s always best to ask someone to be your mentor and go-to person for anything in your initial months at a new role.

 

What was the job search process like in your current role with EY? Did you have to do an interview, Assessment Centre, or something similar?

My job search process was quite limited to LinkedIn. My main focus with this was expanding the network with HR departments from different organisations — including some from EY. 

Once I applied for the job, I messaged one of the HR employees at EY on LinkedIn to at least review my application. Consequently, I was called for two virtual interviews followed by a skills assessment test and a final virtual interview with one the partners.

 

And what skills were important in the process of landing this job?

My data skills with Python and SQL were paramount in landing this job. 

Apart from that, my previous experiences and relevance to the job profile played a significant role in landing this job at EY.

 

Did you rely on any support in particular? Any resources, preparation techniques, etc.?

I mostly prepared for typical behavioural questions and tried to align my answers in accordance to the job profile. Most of these questions can be found easily on the web. 

Apart from that, I also brushed up my Python programming skills from various open source material available online for the technical interview.

 

What tips would you have for students looking to land a role in your industry?

I would recommend everyone to work on your resume. Don’t be lazy and apply for each job with the same resume. Even small amendments to your resume could make you stand apart from the crowd. 

Other than that, It’s always good to have a job application spreadsheet to maintain the status of each job you have applied so far, any follow up emails etc. I personally recommend keeping a close track on job roles posted on CareerHub since for most roles you can get the direct email of the recruiter there which you can follow up later on. 

I have also realised that the recruiters from the Careers portal are more open to hiring international students (if they don’t have a pre-conditions for permanent residents or citizens) than other hiring platforms.

 

Thank you for all this amazing info, Mudit! Anything else you’d like to tell people that we haven’t covered already?

Just don’t be disheartened by rejections. Try to explore the ‘WHY’. 

Don’t let the barrier of your visa conditions strangle your job search. As long as you don’t have work restrictions, most organisations are keen on hiring you. 

Always remember that you are better than most out there. Keep persevering!

 

You can connect with Mudit on LinkedIn to follow him on his career journey.

 

Featured image courtesy of Unsplash