Arcadia Australia

Spending a semester abroad in Sydney, Australia has been an amazing experience, and a memory that I will never forget. It was truly a breath of fresh air. However, that is not to say that I did not have any challenges here. Moving to a new country, where I knew absolutely no one, forced me to step out of my comfort zone significantly.

I had to make a tremendous effort to get to know new people and adjust to a new culture and lifestyle. One highlight during my time in Sydney is my Internship at Smart Mango, a global business consulting company that helps international business expand into the Australian market and vice versa. Working at Smart Mango has definitely changed my views on the workforce, I was expecting a lot of what I had learned and studied in my time not only from home but at the abroad university at USYD to be more applicable and utilized during my time at the internship, and whilst it definitely uses some of the concepts and teachings from what I studied a lot of what transpired in my internship was taught on the go, learned by doing, and was an immersive experience.

What surprised me most was the workplace culture. I had imagined a formal office, everyone in cubicles with strict guidelines, but Smart Mango was very relaxed, from work clothes, to flexibility in work. For example, the biggest benefit of Smart Mango is their choice to work in a coworking space, it is an amazing atmosphere where everyone can work in their own space comfortably, and still meet to discuss important projects. There is a pool table that my coworkers and myself play at the end of each in person work day, there is a coffee machine that is free for all to use. Nearly an hour of each in person workday was spent catching up with fellow co workers over coffee breaks, and it made me reflect on how I would like my workplace to be in the future. Valuing personal time and relationships in the office just as much as traditional work.

Living in Sydney

Sydney is a city that I have really grown to love, I am very grateful for the culture around Sydney and Australia in general, the ability to walk everywhere is so convenient and also motivating. The public transportation system is just as good, mostly using the train, as well as the abundance of electric bikes, everything is so easily accessible. So far, despite the frequent rainy days, the weather has been amazing, the sunny days are an extreme mood uplifter and motivates me to spend my time outdoors. As a result I have spent a lot of time at the beach, playing golf, or at the abundance of parks available.

In addition, my housing has been great, more than enough space, my own kitchen and bathroom with all the space I need. The accommodation is also really convenient, placed right next to Redfern train station, right by a great boxing Gym I am enrolled in and thats not to say the amenities in the building are just as good, a pool table for the building, free food events, 24/7 basic gym, game area.

Outside of work and school I’ve mostly spent my time at the beaches around Sydney, Bondi, Coogee, the golf courses, my favorite being the Coast,and even gone to the different Soccer events such as the world cup qualifier between Australia and Indonesia. Additionally, during my easter break, I took a trip to the Gold Coast and went SkyDiving, one of the most thrilling and amazing experiences of my life.

Working in Sydney

One of my main objectives at Smart Mango was to assist in the project of Taralac Paints, an Indian paint manufacturer, in researching white-label production prospects in Australia. My role included conducting research to identify potential local partners, preparing recommendations, and supporting the communication between the two companies. While still ongoing, it is very rewarding to see the progress of the project, and the impact I made to the project.

One of the most valuable parts during my internship was the opportunity to attend three different trade shows with the company. Sydney Gift Expo in February, Sydney Build Expo In May, and The Bunnings Trade Show in May. I got to shadow a senior team member and directly interact with the companies and their representatives. Here was where I got to see my impact as I was in charge of doing the prior research on each company attending the expo and discerning a shortlist of companies to target in relation to Taralac Paints and which companies might be interested in collaboration. While interning, I've also been taking classes at USYD, while one class I have taken out of interest, I have taken 2 business classes that are directly related to the nature of my internship; Global Business and INternational Entrepreneurship. In both classes I explore the expansion of businesses into global markets and the different considerations surrounding acompany’s decision to do so. In taking these classes it was very eye-opening and allowed me to be more insightful when it came to my internship as it was directly correlated.

Overall, this entire experience has been incredible. Coming to sydney with no prior knowledge or connections has made my experience here that much better, and has allowed me to leave with new connections and gained knowledge.