A decision to take a career break and study further is paying off for International College of Management, Sydney (ICMS) postgraduate student Maritess “Tess” Alera who has secured an internship at Ferrero Pty Ltd Australia & New Zealand (further referred to as Ferrero) as part of her ICMS Master of International Business degree.
Tess, originally from the Philippines, lived and worked in major Middle Eastern cities such as Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Doha in Qatar for the past 15 years. Tess then decided to study again and completed an ICMS Graduate Certificate of Business in 2021. She is currently completing her ICMS Master of International Business and is on Work Integrated Learning (WIL) industry training at Ferrero Pty Ltd Australia & New Zealand.
Her role as Supply Chain Intern at Ferrero-Australia in Sydney will bolster her academic knowledge of supply chain and logistics, and will be an excellent point of reference to add on her CV.
Ferrero was founded in the 1940s and the multinational company’s Australian operation started in 1974. Famous Ferrero brands include Tic Tac, NUTELLA®, Ferrero Rocher, Kinder Surprise, Kinder Chocolate and Bueno.
“This internship brings a practical experience that can provide an opportunity for students like me to enter the job market,” Tess said.
“It’s a good start to being known in the company and encourages me to do my best and share the knowledge I have of what I have learned from my studies at ICMS.”
ICMS is a higher education institution with campuses in Manly and Sydney’s business district. Founded in 1996, ICMS is a leader in career-focused, quality education and offers undergraduate bachelor’s and postgraduate master’s degrees to Australian and international students.
All degrees and courses have WIL incorporated, with students able to use the internships built into their degrees to gain practical experience in the industry of their choice, and build vital networks and connections they can use to further their post-study careers.
Tess decided to pause her career in Doha to boost her CV, and the GBC allowed her to transition to the ICMS Master of International Business which will open doors in upper management. The ICMS Postgraduate Certificate of Business (GCB) is a pathway to study an ICMS Master degree.
“When I was in Qatar, I was at the peak of my career, handling a lot of reports with well-known brands such as Belkin, Apple, Bosch, Bose, Dyson, and a lot more, but I needed to give up on them to give way to this chance of studying again,” Tess said.
“I was hesitant at first because it’s been a number of years of not studying after I graduated in college but because of a mutual decision with my husband, I was able to study this Master degree.”
She started off studying online from her home base due to the Covid-19 pandemic and border closures, but was able to move to Australia when restrictions were lifted.
“During the pandemic, I reflected and believed that nothing is impossible because you do not need to see the whole staircase, one just needs to take the first step. That is what I did,” she said.
Tess was awarded an ICMS Postgraduate Innovation Scholarship in November 2021 and was a speaker at the ICMS Scholarships ceremony in March this year.
She thanked ICMS Professional Scholarships Program chairperson Ann Whitelock for the opportunity the Innovation Scholarship presented.
“I truly hope that my experiences and my journeys here would always remind my children that if I can do it, they can do it too… I am one of the lucky students who is achieving my career goals with the help of ICMS. My confidence is being boosted through the course and internship, I am accepting new opportunities, exploring new experiences, and expanding my connections and network,” Tess said.
“In 10 years, I see myself as a successful Supply Chain or Logistics Manager, having my own company that I can manage and hire people to help them. I’ll keep building my network and apply the things I’ve learnt at ICMS.”
It wasn’t easy for Tess to take a break from her career and to leave her family in Qatar while she studies in Australia for her future career but, for Tess, the decision has paid off.
“I want to encourage everyone to take that leap of faith, don’t let their untapped potential not be recognised by this world. Our dream does not become a reality through magic; it takes a lot of determination and hard work.”
For more information on the ICMS Graduate Certificate of Business, click here
For more information on the ICMS Master of International Business, click here
For information about the ICMS Professional Scholarships Program, click here
To learn more about ICMS students’ experiences during their Work Integrated Learning, visit our Hall of Fame
Sources:
Our Stories, Master of International Business, News