WOMEN CAN FLY (WCF) held a weekly, online seminar in February and March earlier this year called, ‘A Crash Course for Studying Abroad.’ We invited four professionals working in Australia in various fields to lead the seminar and condensed the content necessary for those looking for work in Australia into four days. At the end of the seminar, participants completed their English resumes (CVs). In this article, we will report on the events with feedback from participants who attended the seminar.
Table of Contents
What you need to know about finding a job in Australia
Studying abroad takes an enormous amount of time because there are so many things that need to be researched where you don’t receive much support for. Therefore, this seminar is held regularly, providing necessary and practical information for those who intend to study and work in Australia in the future.
What the seminar was like on the day
This year's participants were Japanese residents who have already decided to study in Australia. They had already decided how long they would study abroad and wanted to ensure their study abroad experience would be a good one. They were all thinking that they wanted to make the most of their study abroad experience and wanted to spend time and money so they wanted to get results from the seminars.
Each session allowed for greater mutual recognition of each participant's situation and background which made each course program personalised to the individual. As organisers, we were happy to see that as we got to the final day, we got more and more questions from the attendees and the connection between them and the teachers became closer.
Thoughts from the participants
In a survey after attending all four seminars, participants were 100% satisfied.
When asked, ‘What changes did you notice before and after taking the course?’
An answer we received was, "I was able to gain prior knowledge and preparation for employment for studying abroad. I thought I would only be able to work in the hospitality industry but now I hope I will be able to work as an intern! I hope I can even do an internship! I am now prepared for working abroad. (One of my concerns was resolved.)" We received such positive feedback. We were also glad to see some males participate in the event.
Overall thoughts on the seminar
A：I understood the key points of what constitutes a resume. I was able to reflect on my past in the Ikigai Work (I wish I could have taken it in real life) and hear Kimi's (WCF’s Founder) experience. (It pushed me to realise that I could do so much with a student visa.) On Day 4, I felt that the paths become connected if I made my own choices. It’s the same in any country - I have to try things first. It’s like taking a leap and my wings will emerge while I’m taking flight. Living in Japan, I have not been able to have that experience but overseas, the hurdle is somehow lowered and I feel like I can do it.B：Language should be an opportunity to connect people. I would like to connect with many people while taking the steps to study and workabroad. The resume workshops were very informative because they were explained while following the actual content of the position being advertised.C: Thank you very much for all the information you have given me about working in Australia, including how to search for a job and how to write a resume. Thank you also for answering my questions each time. I feel like I am now better prepared to work in Australia in the future. I will prepare based on what you have taught me to make the most of my time in Australia.D: Thank you very much for this enjoyable seminar. It was good to know the meaning of ‘purpose in life’, which I don't usually think about. The ikigai worksheet also helped me learn about myself and where I am headed in the future. It gave me the courage to move forward with confidence about how to live and work in the future. I feel that if I had taken James' seminar when I was in high school or college, I would be able to take pride in my own work and learn what I want to do for a living. I was honored to take James' seminar at my current age but wished I had taken the seminar when I was in high school.The key takeaways
Unlike seminars where you just listen to the talks, each one was followed by a worksheet that allows you to create an English resume and cover letter that you can use immediately after the course.
We're happy to report that the seven additional support benefits we've added to the four seminars have been well-received! (① English Resume Template, ② Information exchange and Q&A session on the English version Facebook Group, ③ Setting up LinkedIn for International Job Hunting, ④ Temporary staffing agency registration, ⑤ Proofreading by native English speakers, ⑥ Individual consult ⑦ Videos of international students studying in Australia)
Many students who study abroad when they’re younger want to improve their language skills but when it comes to studying abroad for adults with work experience, many are aiming for career advancement, for example, "language skills + other skills.
How about a series of seminars?
In the survey, 100% of the participants said they would prefer a series of talks.
We ourselves feel that in our information-saturated lives, it is important to have the opportunity to continuously and intensively deepen our knowledge of a single piece of information in a multifaceted way. Glad to hear the attendees feel the same way!
Seminar overview
A Crash Course for Studying Abroad ~Study Abroad Seminar that will make a difference in a year's time~Day 1: English resume tips for getting accepted overseas. Local Job Search - Interviews - Acceptable Candidates by Takeshi Kusumoto
Day 2：Your strengths and how to use them effectively to work with native speakers abroad by James Cordiner
Day 3: Tips and essential tools to fully showcase yourself and expand your connections abroad by Kimiyo Aizawa
Day 4: Path to study abroad to make the most of your career development without worrying about your job after you return home by Fuyuki AnzaiA message from the organisers
The challenge we faced was how to make the time spent with participants to boost morale remotely, since the speakers were not in the same place as the participants in the online seminars. As a result, we gave participants pre-work and additional videos before the seminars.
In this survey, we received feedback from our WOMEN CAN FLY students that the ‘Crash Course for Studying Abroad’ helped them clarify the path of their efforts to study abroad and made them look forward to studying and living abroad.
The speakers worked with us with the hope that their knowledge would be of some help to the next generation. We couldn't be happier to be the bridge to these encounters.
We hope that WCF has given the participants of this event the wings to fly abroad, from learning the key points of writing a resume in English, the basics of communication abroad, finding strengths within themselves and preparing themselves to go out into the world without any excuses.
We look forward to seeing all of the participants study abroad.
If you are thinking of studying abroad, let us help you get a head start on your study abroad experience!
Future Plans
We received a lot of feedback on topics that participants would like to see in the future. We have also added a new and improved Start Studying Abroad course. In addition to the series of lectures, we are also planning one-off seminars on career advancement and language learning.
Stay tuned!
Thank you for reading this, and We are always here for you !
Women can fly.
Team WCF
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