Indivar Kumar

"I actually started off majoring in Biomedical Science [Bachelor of Science] but after my first year, I realised it was not for me and switched to a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Sociology and Psychology, and a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in Marketing and Management.

"I wanted to be confident in my employability, which is why I did a conjoint with a BCom. I also knew I wanted a career which was creative and based around people, which is why I chose Marketing. Management is also people-centred and really complemented Marketing, so I chose that as my second BCom major.

"They felt like really versatile majors where you could learn a broad range of skills, and weren’t industry-specific, which was great because I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do after university.

"They also complemented my Bachelor of Arts majors well, as they were also people-focused. Sometimes the theory between the two programmes clashed, but I found that it gave me critical thinking skills, and the ability to think from different perspectives, which is really important. I’ve found those skills particularly useful in the workplace.

"I was lucky enough to get internships after my first year. When you start a Commerce degree, you don’t really know what jobs are out there, aside from the really obvious ones – Finance, Accounting, that kind of thing. And because Marketing and Management are such broad majors, you really could go anywhere.

"Figuring out the places in which you want to work is such a benefit when you graduate. If it wasn't for the internships I did, I would have never ended up where I am now.

"I definitely recommend doing internships to every student. Not only does it give you experience, networks, and gets your foot in the door, but you also start to understand what you like and what you don’t, which is so important.

"People often think that marketing is just advertising but really it's trying to connect with people. To pull on people’s emotions, and create a relationship with them. I got to experience a few different roles in the marketing world while I was at university, and that really made a difference in figuring out what I wanted to do after.

"My current role has a lot of relationship building, client interaction and communication. I get to be collaborative, creative and problem-solve on a daily basis. I also feel like I’m making a genuine change with my work.

"If I could give advice to any current or new university students, it would be to not be too hard on yourself, especially if you feel unsure about what you should be doing.

"I think there's an expectation of students that leave school to go to university to have done certain subjects, and go to university with this plan and start fulfilling that plan.

"You don’t need to be rigid in your thinking, and don’t be hard on yourself, especially if you feel like you are straying from a path you had set yourself. University is a great time to figure yourself out, and explore what you want to be doing.

"Be flexible and use university as a chance to figure out your passions, and build on those. University is really different to school, but take it as an opportunity to figure out what you want to do."