Fulfilling my childhood dream

My childhood dream

"Believe it or not, the story I'm about to share with you started as a 10-year-old girl who had a dream."

As a young child, I had this crazy dream of studying  a master's degree in Australia. I know it might sound weird that a child would have such a lofty goal, but I was inspired by my mom's trip to Australia and her stories about the country. That ignited a passion for Australia in me, and I began to dream of studying there someday.

Fulfilling my dream at QUT

In 2017, I took a leap of faith and flew solo to Australia to chase my dream. I remember feeling my heart race as the plane touched down in Brisbane. I chose this city because it had a similar climate to my home country, Thailand and I'd heard great things about the business program at QUT.  The dream came true! I started studying for my master's in business with a focus on International Business at QUT.

During my student life, I really enjoyed studying at QUT because it had great facilities such as 24hr access to the library, study rooms, great networking opportunities and numerous clubs and communities to join. I also like the real-world aspects of my studies which prepares me for my future. As a QUT International Digital Ambassador, I had the opportunity to connect with other students and form some really amazing friendships that have lasted to this day. In my last semester of university, my project friends and I were given a real-world scenario for a business called Recruitment Central. We helped the business owner to develop a better customer journey for their website and establish a robust brand identity. We also created a blueprint for her business’s overview and redesigned the website. She was very happy with our ideas and implemented them till nowadays.

Getting job ready

Through the QUT student support services I got help to create my resume and cover letter as well as improve my LinkedIn profile.  To prepare myself to be job ready I was looking at different job advertisements which I was interested in and the skills that were required. If I didn’t have the skills, such as SQL (Structured Query Language) which is a programming language, I ensured I studied and learned those to make me more competitive in the job market, then I added these to my LinkedIn profile. This was proven very useful as I landed my first job through someone contacting me via LinkedIn. During the interview, I was asked about my SQL knowledge, which I had just recently acquired, and I was able to impress the interviewer with my newfound skills.

Landing my first job

When I got my first job, I had to move to Sydney, a place I really enjoyed and there are a lot of opportunities, working with international companies, however, it’s also a very competitive environment. Of course, I sometimes miss Brisbane too!

My first job was with The Hut Group as an eCommerce Trading Executive for Southeast Asia. I learned so much and gained many skills during my time there. In my first six months, I was awarded a star performer as I achieved a monthly sales target (+£350K) by over 40% across Southeast Asia.

Then in 2022 I got my current role as a Digital Marketing and eCommerce Specialist with Chemcorp International. I manage their nine websites (B2B & DTC) and marketplace (Amazon), optimizing them to increase conversion rates and drive traffic, while thoroughly analysing the customer journey experience. I also plan and develop strategies for eCommerce and digital marketing for the company.   I really enjoy what I’m doing for work as eCommerce and digital marketing are my passions, and I constantly strive to learn and grow in this field.

The next step

I’m always working towards something new, and I set myself regular goals as a challenge. The next step in my career is to have more opportunities where I can learn new things and improve my skills. I also like to meet new people to expand my connections and speak at events. Excitingly, I will soon be speaking at upcoming events in Melbourne and Singapore, where I will share my experiences and insights on eCommerce and digital marketing in Australia and Asia. I'm really looking forward to seeing where these opportunities will take me and to continue pushing myself to be the best I can be in my field.

My advice to students is to focus on building your network, putting yourself out there, and continuously improving your skills. The more people you know and communicate with, the more people will be aware of you and what you can do, you never know how it will turn out. Therefore, prepare yourself by being ready to take advantage of any opportunities that come your way. Always strive to perform at your best and never stop learning. Knowing what you want is important, as it helps you have a strong sense of who you are. Remember that regardless of your background, you can always achieve your goals if you work hard and believe in yourself. Above all, never give up on yourself, no matter what challenges you may face.

My motto

When you can’t control what is happening, challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what’s happening.

That’s where your power is!