Meet Catherine: From IELTS test taker to marketer at IDP

I'm from Macau, also known as the Las Vegas of Asia. I was attracted to Australia because of its cultural diversity and coffee culture. It has a welcoming and diverse international community, especially in major cities like Sydney and Melbourne. On top of that, Melbourne is one of the most liveable cities in the world. It offers a safe and vibrant environment to study and live.

From my personal experience, I found that IELTS had a clear assessment structure, which allowed me to systematically prepare for each section, including speaking, writing, reading, and listening.

Besides, IELTS Speaking is examined by a human instead of a machine. Thus, it adds a human-interaction element and a personal touch to the rigid English language assessment process. However, one of the drawbacks could be subjectivity regarding the marking criteria compared to other machine-based English language tests.

I was fortunate that I had overseas study experience. I'd studied my bachelor’s degree in the US and Canada, so I was looking forward to doing my master's in Australia.

But still, there was a cultural shock when I first arrived in Melbourne. I didn’t expect to see such a large Asian community here, especially in the Melbourne CBD and at my uni.

Nevertheless, I met many bright and talented people during my orientation week at uni, and I believed the friendships would last a lifetime.

Initially, online study was a massive challenge for me. I had to stay disciplined, set clear priorities and not be side-tracked by time-wasting distractions. But, most importantly, I had to balance work with personal time and mentally relax after study hours.

I was one of the luckiest candidates who made it to the final stage of the IDP Super Intern initiative launched by IDP, which helped me land the intern position.

During my fruitful internship at the IDP Melbourne office, I had the opportunity to master many transferable skills and gain valuable knowledge about our IDP values and missions.

Also, my direct manager Daniel Condon guided me throughout the whole process, which I was forever grateful for.

I’ve always had the ambition to be recruited by a major multinational corporation like IDP. After completing my master’s degree in Marketing Communications, I couldn’t be prouder to launch my professional career with a company that leads the international education industry globally.

Now I’m embarking on this new adventure with my usual enthusiasm and determination toward marketing. I look forward to many more challenges and opportunities that lie ahead to develop my career and reach my personal goals.

Inspired by Catherine's journey? Take IELTS to achieve your study goals.