Mentorship and Internships ‘mean the world’ to Master’s student

The opportunity to work in Australia while studying was the final tick in the checklist for ICMS international student Danielle Doan Nguyen when she was considering studying a postgraduate degree.

Now in her final year of an ICMS Master of International Business, and with invaluable work experience as both an ICMS Digital Marketing Intern and a marketing intern at Touchpoint Technology on her resumé, Danielle is 100% satisfied that she made the right decision when choosing to study at ICMS in Australia.

“I came across an ICMS advertisement and was hooked as soon as I learned that ICMS gives internship opportunities to international students. That was so special because, in many countries, international students are not supposed to work and have an income. For that reason, ICMS was such a fit for me because I care a lot about an education’s practicality,” Danielle said.

Her ICMS Master of International Business follows a bachelor’s degree in International Business Marketing from James Cook University (Singapore).

While the career-focused higher education institute, located in Northern Beaches, Sydney, and in the city of Sydney, NSW, may be far from her home country of Vietnam, Danielle believes her journey abroad has set her up for future career success.

“I know that I made the right decision as not only did ICMS give me an amazing learning experience, where we can discuss current affairs openly in a classroom and where every voice is heard, but also real working experience through my industry training.”

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) that works

Danielle’s industry training as a digital marketing intern at ICMS was arranged through the ICMS WIL program and lasted from April 2022 through to October 2022. She also started a marketing internship at Touchpoint Technology in September 2022.

A key part of every undergraduate and postgraduate degree, WIL means up to 600 hours of industry training through any one of ICMS’ over 1000 industry partners.

Students gain real-life work experience that underpins and reinforces the academic curriculum. ICMS WIL aims to deliver meaningful internships to students, individually tailored to students’ goals and ambitions.

The internship at Touchstone Technology is still in its early stages, and Danielle reflected how her ICMS digital marketing internship taught her a lot in a short amount of time.

“If it wasn’t for the digital marketing internship opportunity at ICMS I wouldn’t know that I could learn so much in such a short amount of time. I got to write landing pages, shoot and edit video advertisements, write copy for social media, build a chat funnel and run a virtual event for the Vietnamese market,” Danielle said.

“I have had an amazing time learning and growing with my managers and co-workers at ICMS. This is also the first time I have worked in an Australian environment that comes with so much new knowledge.”

ICMS as The Professional Mentor

“I have felt a strong culture of mentorship at ICMS ever since I first enrolled. Before I didn’t even know what a ‘mentor’ was, nor did I know I needed one. But at ICMS, I have had a mentor in not only my studies but also in my work and future plans,” Danielle said.

ICMS prides itself on a nurturing ethos, where smaller class sizes mean individual attention and where students are mentored from enrolment to graduation. This was Danielle’s experience both in her studies and in her ICMS digital marketing internship.

“I have had long talks and emails with my lecturers and my manager to review my performance, and they advised me on which direction should I take after I graduate. Their advice was wonderful and relatable to me, since they are all very experienced in their field. They have given me not only knowledge but also motivation to strive forward,” Danielle said.

“I have felt that ICMS cares about students, no matter who they are, and I feel like I am seen and heard here more than anywhere else. In my previous uni, I was just another student, but here I am a scholarship recipient, a speaker, a content creator, a keen student, and so much more. I am, and will always be, grateful for that.”

Graduating with a degree of experience

Focusing on marketing with an ICMS Master of International Business puts Danielle in a good position to achieving her future career goals.

“I want to become a multi-national business owner and marketing is going to be extremely essential to promote new business and retain customer flow. I want to have my own brand name and social channel and be a successful entrepreneur in the future,” Danielle said.

“It takes trial and error, but I feel like I am much closer to my goals than before after studying at ICMS.”

* Danielle was the recipient of a Postgraduate Innovation Scholarship and graduates in May 2023 with an ICMS Master of International Business. She has been key in helping ICMS reach prospective students in Vietnam, helping with the Facebook account, translation, and setting up a digital marketing campaign in Vietnam. Danielle was the presenter of a recent ICMS webinar held for new students where she shared her story about becoming an ICMS student and what she believes makes ICMS different.

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For more information on the ICMS Master of International Business, click here.

For more information on ICMS Postgraduate degrees and diplomas, click here.

To connect with Danielle Doan Nguyen, click here.