Landing your first role: inside tips for international graduates in NZ

Ready to Land Your First Job in New Zealand?

Join BA Career Meetup to hear from Kate He and Vidhi Tiwari, who will be talking about how they prepared themselves to secure their very first roles in the NZ job market.

From building job-ready skills through part-time jobs and attending events to growing professional networks, they’ll walk you through the mindset shifts, strategies, and practical steps that helped them succeed, right after graduation.

Whether you're a final-year student, recent graduate, or just starting your career prep, this session will give you the clarity and confidence to take your next step with purpose.

Walk away with real-world insights, actionable tips, and fresh motivation to kickstart your career in NZ.

Note: This event is hosted by Summer of Tech whose mission is to empower Aotearoa's diverse tech students and graduates. Summer of Tech bridge the gap between learning and earning by making it easy and attractive for employers to hire them.

About Summer of Tech
Summer of Tech is a world-class internship programme helping innovative NZ companies connect with smart local technology students. Whether you study engineering, design, computer science or any other tech-related field, we have a job for you!

All attendees will need to adhere to the Summer of Tech Code of Conduct. Please read this before attending the event.

Speaker's bio
Kate:
Kate He is a Business Analyst in the finance team at Woolworths New Zealand. Originally from China, she completed her Master of Business Analytics at the University of Auckland, majoring in FinTech. With a background in accounting and data analysis, Kate combines her financial expertise with analytical tools such as SQL, Python, and dashboarding to deliver actionable insights for business decision-making. As an international student turned full-time employee, she is passionate about helping other international students recognise their unique strengths and successfully navigate the New Zealand job market.

Vidhi:
With a multicultural mindset and a drive to make an impact, Vidhi Tiwari came to New Zealand to pursue her Master’s in Professional Business Analysis at Victoria University of Wellington. With a strong academic foundation in Management and IT from the University of London, she quickly developed a passion for solving problems, working with people, and becoming a voice for her peers. From leading group projects at VUW to landing a graduate role at EY, Vidhi has experienced challenges and the hidden wins of navigating the Kiwi job market as an international student. In this session, she shares the honest version of her journey: the rejections, the multiple tests, the late-night applications and what she wishes she knew when she started. Join us to hear real talk, practical insights, and a few battle-tested strategies on transitioning from “just a student” to a confident professional in Aotearoa.

- Connect with Vidhi Tiwari​ on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vidhi-tiwari-9828321a0/

- Connect with Kate He on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunshiwei-he-uoa/

Agenda:
6:00 p.m. – SOT Introduction + BA career meetup introduction (10 minutes)
6:10 p.m. – Vidhi's personal story sharing (15 minutes)
6:25 p.m. – Kate's personal story sharing (15 minutes)
6:40 p.m. – Q&A (15 minutes)
6:55 p.m. – Closing Remarks (Wrap-up)