Local employers' perception of Australian uni grads
 

1. I'm aware that local employers are skeptical of Aussie uni grads due to their belief that the latter are usually local uni rejects.

BUT what about the private sector in Singapore? Are they as skeptical as well?

2. While it is true to a certain extent that some local uni rejects went to Australia, there are also some really good Aussie universities that set high entry standards (think UMelb and ANU).

So, how do local employers (both government and private sector) perceive such top-notch Aussie unis? Are they the exceptions?

I'm asking this because I have to make a decision between SMU (social science or business) and UMelb (commerce). Thus, 5 years down the road, I don't wish to look back at my decision with regret.

Anyone can offer your insightful opinion/experience?

no worries about umel, anu or usyd, perhaps even unsw.

If you can do well, definitely at least as employable as local grads. :)

However, few friends of mine did not do quite so well at some of these universities, had to come back and do a postgrad dip in dl institutes in order to make up for their lack of honours. In that case, thats not very good. So there, make sure you can excel.

I would say an SMU business degree is significantly held in higher regard than any australian university, especially if you intend to work in Singapore.

I disagree, discounting umel or usyd, i believe if you are from ANU, which is more prestigious and higher ranked than NUS, you will turn employers' heads more than the smu student

Are you implying that as long as i'm not from ANU, going to any other Aussie uni including UMel wouldn't make a difference to employers' perception of me?

I am guessing you'll be graded like any other local grad. Dont expect the same pizzazz as an Oxbridge or Ivy grad.

Ultimately when looking for a job after getting your degree, it comes down to 2 main things: 1) Who you know, and 2) How you brand and sell yourself.


In any case, both degrees on offer would be enough to get a foot into the interview room. What happens after that depends on you.

What if I wish to work overseas or study masters overseas? Would going to UMelb make a difference?

Based on hearsay, the brand name of the university is quite important in employers' consideration.

you guys are making distinction where there is none. NUS,NTU,SMU,ANU,UMel,USyd, and on, there is no real distinction in general. of course, there will be the odd case where one emploer prefers the aussie uni and another love the local chap, but they are just white noise. strip them out, graduates from these uni are indistinguishable.

Employers distinguish unis into 3 broad groups: top (Harvard, cambridge, stanford), norm (NUS, ANU, whatever) and DL/external. Graduating from a top uni will typically, but not always, help. again white noise comes into play, sometimes

A graduate student from UMelb
 

Hi,

I'm personally a graduate from UMelb. I would say, go for it! It's not only about what you will you be studying or which university is better (local or overseas), but its more of what you can learn and broaden up your perception. When you actually lived there and experience things, you will definitely think differently and see how a western country actually differs from our usual daily perception.

Singapore to Australia isn't very far as well. Its only a 6.5 hours flight or even 4 hours flight if you chose to study in Perth. Not only so, you will be able to travel around Australia during your breaks with your friends or family.

You will meet all sort of people whom you will never see in Singapore. Now I am back in Singapore to work, I do see that having a reputable overseas degree (ANU, UMelb, USyd, those universities from the group of 8) do help in your job searching. I also realise how graduates from overseas thinks differently from local universities graduates. Furthermore, when you interact with people, you can share your experiences with others which people can feel and differiate yourself from others. So, if you have the opportunity/chance to study overseas, why not! I didn't regret going overseas to study at all!

Give yourself a chance, and it will be an amazing experience.

Good luck! :)