Chinese student lands top job in tight local market

Release Date: Oct 28, 2009

Carnegie Mellon University graduate student Sandy Tan (Xiayun Tan) is proof the Global Economic Crisis can be beaten by landing a job as a Project Coordinator with Coffey International in Adelaide, South Australia.

Ms Tan, a Chinese international student from Shanghai, is Carnegie Mellon’s second 457 visa category student to get Australian employer sponsorship this semester. The 457 visa is for Australian employers who want to employ overseas workers to fill nominated skilled positions.

“The best employers want the best brains no matter where they come from. Sandy’s experience shows that even in tough economic times, excellent students, no matter where they come from, can get jobs in Australia,” says Tim Zak, Executive Director of Carnegie Mellon University, Australia campus.

"The diverse combination of courses at Carnegie Mellon helped me get the job at Coffey. I learnt solid analysis, communication and presentation skills. I am excited and really looking forward to the new job," Ms Tan says.

Ms Tan is a recent graduate from the Masters of Science in Public Policy and Management which combines the latest practice and theory in management analysis and problem solving.

Ms Tan worked at Coffey International Development in September 2008 as an intern student with the Technical Services team. She worked on project cost accounting duties and made an excellent impression on her fellow staff members and management team.

“At Coffey we are looking for people who share our philosophy, vision, professionalism and commitment to best practice. It was very clear that Sandy is a great asset to the team. She is hard working and a fast learner and her analytical skills meant she very soon became a prominent member of the team,” says Michelle Corbett, HR Manager at Coffey International.

“We are pleased that Coffey’s sponsorship visa has been approved and she is now part for our team. We congratulate Sandy on her recent graduation from Carnegie Mellon University whom we are pleased to be associated with,” Ms Corbett says.

Indian student Abhiman Raguraman was Carnegie Mellon’s first international student to be employed on a 457 visa. He recently joined OneSteel as a Business Intelligence Graduate.

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