Medibank Employee Career Stories

Claire worked in a Marketing Analyst/Business Services role at La Trobe University, her responsibilities included communicating with international agents and expanding the business scale. She was referred by a friend for the role.

She believes that proactively learning new skills, upgrading your skill set and surrounding yourself with friends who provide positive influence is very important. This will bring you new opportunities as well as prepare you for them. Every opportunity Claire received was a result of her proactive action, either through talking to others about her passion or actively learning from others. This also helps you get out of your comfort zone and hone your interpersonal skills.

It is okay to not have a full plan at the start of your career, you can follow your passion like Claire did. But remember, instead of saying ‘yes’ to every opportunity, say ‘yes’ to the ones that resonate with you the most.

Hashini loves accounting and finance. Moving towards system accounting to further learn and develop within accounting has had a great positive impact on her career. She enjoys exploring and learning things in depth. She recognised her passion and followed her interests.

Her top tip for international students is go for what you think is right. Go for what you are good at. You might experience some cultural pressure to follow certain professional pathways but follow what you like and what you’re good at. Work hard and be focused when you’re studying, learn your transferable skills and recognise your strength. Do your research, choose a career that you’re passionate about and you’re good at. 

Mehtab says ‘deciding to leave my family and come overseas alone had made a positive impact on my career. Not having family around as a support network is hard, so be proud that you made a decision that will change your life in a good way and in a big way. It’s tough, especially the first few months. But you are strong. Give your 100% wherever you go, and your career and life will reward you.’

If you are an international student who is about to start your career, Mehtab advises you to be open to all the opportunities made available to you. Health Insurance was never on her list, but she loves working at Medibank. You never know until you try. Be open to more opportunities.

Another tip she’d like to offer is to try to learn as much as you can from the roles you do. Part time, casual, full time, doesn’t matter. Think critically, look for ways to improve and demand better of yourself. Learn and reflect from your experiences. Try to nurture some hunger to learn and grow your skills. Learning how people speak and how language is used differently is hard at first. The cultural differences are too. But stick with it, it gets easier with time.

Min says participating in the Medibank graduate program had a great impact on her career. It gave her an overview of the business, the opportunity to work with different teams and to really understand the corporate culture. Applying for a graduate program could be daunting as there are usually a lot of steps such as CVs, application forms, online test, video interview, group interviews and 1on1 interviews. But it will worth your time and effort. Look out for these opportunities and be prepared. Practice mock interviews with your friends, record questions that you’ve been asked in any interview, review your answers and improve them for next time.

Most skills that you learn during study are transferable, so be confident and don’t let ‘lacking experience’ stop you from applying the positions you wanted. The skills and the knowledge that you’ve gained through study are applicable beyond your specific speciality. Don’t be discouraged by rejection, rather take it as a valuable learning experience. The more jobs you apply for, the more opportunities you will have. 

During Nam’s study at Swinburne University, she was offered a paid internship opportunity at Medibank in the Overseas Portfolio team. After that, she secured a role as a Junior Analyst in the Medibank Voice of Customer team. 

Nam says, ‘when you are at university, it is beneficial to focus on opportunities beyond study. Look for internships, volunteer work, any opportunities that will help you to build experience and a network. Prioritise your career and personal development. Reach out to your teachers or leaders for support and discuss your interests and goals with them.

Also get out of your comfort zone. When you come from overseas, you tend to stick to people from the same country and culture. Forcing yourself to move beyond that, meeting different people from different backgrounds, helps enormously with personal development’. 

Navdeep’s first role post study was as a Team Leader in a call centre. He applied for this role through SEEK and secure the job after two rounds of interviews.

Switching industries from service to IT was the most significant decision for his career. Reflecting on it now, he says he could not have made a better decision. So, don’t hesitate to jump on new opportunities that interests you - and throw yourself into the deep end. Believe in yourself and that you will succeed. 

Work hard and don’t be shy to let your strengths shine. Previous roles in customer service provided Navdeep with great interpersonal skills, problem solving, and effective communication skills. He says don’t miss the opportunity to work during your study, because it builds up your work experience and transferable skills. Navdeep’s knowledge and expertise in customer service aided his success in his current role as Support Analyst at Medibank. Getting a job in customer service also helps you to know more people, their culture, and how different it can be compared to where you come from. That will be the most important skill that you will need throughout your career.

Roy worked as a tutor throughout his university life. He also took the initiative to meet other students and lecturers at the university to establish his own network. He got his first full time job at Medibank through networking. One of his contacts advised him that there was a vacancy that he might be interested in and he applied and successfully secured a role at Medibank in the Customer and Portfolio team. 

Roy says, ‘it’s important to work hard and take the time to learn how to work smarter. Working smarter means keeping yourself accountable and be more proactive. When you’re given a big project that you don’t know where to start, learn how to break it down into smaller tasks logically. When completing a task, try to look a few steps ahead, anticipate future activities, potential outcomes, stakeholders’ needs and possible restrictions or issues.

Also, always remind yourself to look at a bigger picture and don’t get trapped in every little detail. It’s okay to consider imperfect options because in some situations there’s no ideal solution. Learn how to work with imperfection and invest your time and effort wisely’. 

Trishna’s first role was in an engineering construction company as an Office Administrator. Whilst this was not the ideal role, it was a foot in the door. Through building networks and relationships, within two months, she was able to commence in a new role as an Environmental Engineer. After a few years, Trishna realised that her passion did not lie in Engineering and she embarked on a new career path in People and Culture.

Trishna’s top tip for international students is to be brave and to not be afraid to ask for what you want. Be interested, curious and take ownership of your career. Part of this includes building a network of colleagues, mentors and coaches to support and guide you throughout your career. Most importantly, be ready to adapt as you learn and grow. Your life is not predetermined, so it is important to be brave enough to pivot towards and embrace new opportunities.