From Philippines to Australia, from Engineer to ICMS Student

Qualified engineer Angelica Balajadia took a chance and changed her life, leaving a job in the Phillipines to start a new chapter in Australia with an ICMS Master of Management degree.

“I’m a Filipino,” Angelica said. “I can do anything.”

“With every opportunity, I say yes, I can do that. Australia has taught me to be positive.

“I have found my people here, I have networked here. I am open to doors opening and so many doors are opening already.

“It is up to me to choose which door to open.”

How to make a career change or move countries

Angelica confessed that engineering was not truly her passion, but that she was persuaded by family and friends to study engineering after school.

Angelica graduated in 2015 from the University of Batangas in Philippines with a Bachelor of Science (Industrial Engineering), and within a week was offered a job as an industrial engineer with Artesyn Embedded Technologies in Laguna, Philippines.

She continued working in the engineering field but, because she wasn’t following her passion, by the time she turned 30 years old, Angelica knew she wanted to make a change.

“I was turning 30, and I wanted to study again. Then I decided I wanted to move to another country, just to do something new. I kept asking myself, ‘What’s new for me?’”

Angelica found a Philippines Group on Facebook that showed the path to getting a visa for Australia. She met with an agent, discussed a plan, went forward with the process and received her visa on Australia Day, 26 January 2023.

Shortly afterwards, Angelica started an ICMS Graduate Certificate of Business before transitioning into an ICMS Master of Management from which she will graduate in 2025. She is also the current recipient of the Nova Entertainment Scholarship.

Like Angelica, many international students use an international representative or agent based in their home country to facilitate the application process and ease the transition to Australia.

ICMS agents are based around the world and they will be someone who speaks your language and will advise you on things like your preferred course entry requirements, your English language level, and who will help you with the application process.

Under Australian law, every Australian education institution that uses the services of an education agent must have a formal contract with the agent and monitor their integrity.*

An Australian Experience

While her focus was to study, Angelica has found work in Australia that can help fund her studies and also help her support her family back home.

She worked as an Admin Support Officer with AIBTGlobal from April 2022 to February 2023, and since then has worked as a Data Coordinator for Advancedlife Photography.

Making such a big life change was difficult at first, but Angelica soon found Australians to be welcoming.

“I don’t regret choosing Australia over New Zealand or Canada,” she said.

“I am enjoying my studies here at ICMS. Back in the Philippines, I felt stuck in my career, but I still have a lot of things to do, to share and to learn. That’s the main drive, for me.

“ICMS will help you be an effective leader or manager, or start the best business one day.

“It is up to you to grab that opportunity, and that is what I am doing now.”

To find out more about ICMS, click here.

To connect with Angelica Balajadia, click here.

* Click here to find a list of ICMS international education representatives (agents).