Victoria Plus—the cornerstone to a successful career
Victoria University of Wellington alumna Nandana Guda completed Victoria Plus—one of the University’s free, award-winning leadership programmes—alongside her undergraduate studies, opening career doors and opportunities for personal growth.
Since graduating from Victoria University of Wellington back in 2014, my experience from the Victoria Plus Programme has played a pivotal role in getting me to where I am today.
I left the University with a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Marketing, International Business, and Environmental Studies, and a Victoria Plus Award, earned through completing the Victoria Plus Programme.
Soon after graduating, I was lucky enough to be offered a position in the Master of International Business programme at the University of Sydney. The Victoria Plus volunteer experiences I included in my programme application were in fact the main reason I was selected for the programme. In particular, the programme panel mentioned how my experience from the Victoria International Buddy Programme alongside my volunteer work for the Refugee Drop-in Centre made me stand out as a candidate, as they reflected my experience working in cross-cultural environments. It also gave me the chance to assist students who didn’t have English as their first language, which not only demonstrated inter-personal growth, but gave me the opportunity to expand my network and make some amazing friends. These transitional skills have helped create a strong foundation to excel across all forms of communication during my study and in the workplace today.
My time as a Peer Assisted Study Support (PASS) Leader throughout the Victoria Plus Programme provided me with a pathway to take up a tutoring position in the School of Government at the University of Sydney. In turn, this helped me develop and build on my leadership, public speaking, and communication skills, amongst many others.
Additionally, working with Āwhina and the Pasifika Student Success team, formally known as Te Pūtahi Atawhai, as a mentor has been one of the most rewarding experiences to date. I took away a wealth of knowledge from my mentees and continue to volunteer as a mentor with both Victoria University of Wellington and the University of Sydney.
For the past three years, I have been working in the digital marketing sector in Australia. The experience gained from my postgraduate degree gave me the competitive advantage in order to secure my place in this industry—something I could not have done without having the cross-cultural and leadership skills that I cultivated and honed during the Victoria Plus Programme.
Victoria Plus is so much more than an award—it can be the cornerstone to a successful career!
Victoria Plus is the University’s service and leadership development programme—find out how you can get involved and discover your potential.
Nandana Guda is a Victoria University of Wellington and Victoria Plus Programme alumna currently working in the Australian digital marketing sector.
