Mohit here 👋
Welcome to my weekly newsletter and exclusive community for migrants and international students. I save you time and expertise by compiling my research from reading 90+ books, 150+ conversations with migrants, and 6+ years of experience in Australia.
Read time: 4 minutes
Article #2
The first question for an international student whether they speak it out loud or not is always: “Will I be able to land a full-time job?”
I asked the same question and is it the right question? Certainly not.
You need to change the way you think.
If finding a full-time job is your goal, you need to think about what systems or habits you need to have in place. Systems that bring about clarity and discipline.
Depending on your course, remember you have at least 2 years to practice and become consistent with your system. You have 3 - 4 years if you are doing a Bachelor’s. And so on.
It is all about “sharpening your axe”.
Here are 4 systems or habits you can develop for a full-time job:
Reading
Reading saved my life and I recommend it as the number 1 skill for every international student to develop.
Reading helped me learn about myself. It helped me learn about people around me and the world. We are here for a finite amount of time and we are not that important. We are just a small part of a big universe. Our problems are important to us but not to the world.
Reading for 20 minutes every day and the act of just being with yourself and a book can be transformational for your growth.
Writing and Journaling
Think about this. You use writing everywhere.
Assignments
Applications
Resumes and cover letters
Emails
Social media captions
I always thought writing is a talent you are born with. I was wrong. Here I am writing a newsletter and it is like any other skill. You start from somewhere, learn how to get better and keep doing it consistently.
Start by writing for yourself. Write about how your day was. Write about what you are feeling currently. It does not matter what you write, just write. You can decide later if you want to share what you are writing.
Writing for yourself (journaling) is therapeutic because you can see your thoughts. All those thoughts that were crammed inside your head are out there for you to see.
We suffer more in imagination than in reality - Seneca
Journaling will help you find themes or patterns about yourself that you can confidently use for job interviews.
Meditation (Mindfulness)
I heard the following quote on a podcast.
Living in the past causes depression and living in the future causes anxiety - Anonymous
Meditation will help you live in the now. Meditation taught me to let go of the past, aim for the future and focus on the present. It also taught me to be grateful for everything that I currently have and to look at any situation positively.
Play a sport or go to the gym or walk or run
Last but not the least is exercise. Given that I work in sports, this should be number 1.
You can read the Australian Physical Activity and Exercise Guidelines. It is a great resource to help you get started.
Choose one and start with that. Learn to live in the present and stop identifying with temporary and materialistic gains.
Taking small intentional steps every day always compounds into something magical. Working on yourself and investing in positive habits will surely result in a full-time job.
Until next time!
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