It’s a new year here at the Bulletin, and we’ve got a very special piece to kick things off. Recently, we sat down with Shailan Patel, MYOB’s Education Manager and long-time friend of the Bulletin, to chat on the many facets of his day-to-day life and hear his advice for students looking to transition from university to meaningful employment.

It’s a fitting way to start the year. Shailan and the team at MYOB have been an incredible sponsor of the Bulletin for the last two years, and it feels the right thing to do to introduce our readers to someone who, without, the Bulletin would not be what it is today. Given Shailan’s expertise lies right at the intersection of education and employment, there are probably very few people better to go to for advice when it comes to the graduate job market.

ABOUT SHAILAN

Many of you will be familiar with Shailan. He’s been heavily involved with a wide range of initiatives at the University of Auckland. You might know him from some of his guest lectures, from his involvement with many of the clubs at the Business School, or you might have just seen his name pop-up on LinkedIn. For Shailan, it’s that opportunity to connect with ambitious students full of aspiration and drive that motivates him. 

“I love speaking to students. There’s a lot of opportunity, hope, and ambition in this space. It’s incredibly exciting.”

Originally from the UK, Shailan graduated from the University of Bristol with a degree in Economics and Economic History. He spent five years working in recruitment and sales before making the move down under in 2010. Once he reached New Zealand, Shailan spent four years managing sales for some of the country’s largest media groups before joining MYOB in 2015. Today, Shailan’s role sees him continuously collaborating with educators and students to help new graduates transition into meaningful employment.

“I manage MYOB’s relationships with our education partners, whether they’re universities, high schools, or clubs like UAIC. The goal has always been to help students make a successful transition from education to meaningful employment. 

“Bridging the gap between learning and earning has been getting more and more difficult for young people. A few years ago, a report from The Foundation for Young Australians found that graduates are now taking at least two and a half years to transition to full-time work after completing their studies. MYOB won’t solve this issue alone, but we can do a lot to help educators and students tackle this problem.” 

BRIDGING THE GAP

For many of us students entering the later years of our degree programs, it can be a stressful and anxious time as we begin to shift into the ‘working phase’ of our lives. Many of our writers have themselves just gone through an internship or graduate recruitment period. We have all heard an array of different tips, tricks, and CV ‘hacks’ to best prepare you for your dream job. So we asked Shailan, what really are the most valuable pieces of recruitment advice? Firstly, the importance of networking can’t be overstated.

“The most underutilised resource is the university itself. Many students will be taking advantage of a lot of it, but there is so much more you can squeeze out of the University of Auckland. There is so much opportunity there, so many opportunities to get involved with clubs, attend networking events, and meet new people. You never know who will be the one to present an opportunity to you in a few months, few years, or a few decades. 

“I’ve met tens of thousands of students, and I’ve never met a student that has nothing to offer. But, I continue to meet students who are very good at underselling themselves.”

Don’t close your doors to anyone. I’ve met tens of thousands of students, and I’ve never met a student that has nothing to offer. But I continue to meet students who are very good at underselling themselves. 

“For example, I connected with a recruiter on LinkedIn just because we had a lot of mutual connections. I thought that the relationship might prove useful sometime in the future, so I sent them an invitation to connect. Fast forward six months, and they ended up being the one who helped me land my role here at MYOB. You never know what any connection could do for you in the short-term or the long-term.” 

…and when the time comes to prepare for your interviews, write a list and be specific.

“One of the best things you can do is just write down everything you have ever done. Whether it’s sports, volunteering, or part-time work, think about the skills each activity develops – chances are you’ll see a pattern start to form. For me, I realise now that every role I’ve ever held has revolved around communication and relationship building. Seeing that pattern helps you realise what you’re good at and helps you develop some confidence in yourself. It also gives you a list of examples to use in interviews – if a question comes up about collaboration, I can talk about this. If it’s a question on leadership, I can talk about that. 

“Whether it’s on your CV or in your interview, be specific – quantify. Attaching numbers to your achievements gives them credibility, and it helps you create and structure your story. Compare ‘I wrote some articles and did some interviews’ with ‘I wrote four articles for the UAIC Bulletin on .subjects A, B, C, and D and conducted four interviews with industry professionals.’ But to create that story, you need to do the homework and know everything you’ve done and understand what everything has taught you.”

Although many of us are focused on getting that first job out of university, Shailan encourages us to think beyond that. It’s more important to think about what you want from a career rather than what your next job is. 

“It’s good to try new things and take advantage of different opportunities to figure out what motivates you. It’s good to think about what you want to do and where you want to be in the future, and it’s good to put these things into a long-term plan – just make sure the plan’s flexible. Chances are something will come along and bulldoze it at some point (e.g. COVID).  Also, keep in mind that career progressions hardly ever happen when you think they will.

“And, if you haven’t figured out yet what motivates you or you don’t know what you want to do career-wise, one thing you can do is think about the skills you want to use on a daily basis.”

Perhaps the piece of advice that stood out to us the most in our conversation with Shailan was his emphasis on graduate recruitment being a “two-way street.” It’s a perspective on recruitment that many students often don’t consider.

“…think about why you want to work at a particular company just as much as they would think about why they want to hire you.”

“One question you should always make sure to get right is why you want to work at a company (and don’t say it’s because you need a job). It’s important to know because it’s a two-way street. You need to think about why you want to work at a particular company just as much as they would think about why they want to hire you. The company has to sell itself to you just as much as you need to sell yourselves to them. Are they good enough for you? Be confident in what you can offer.”

Some of Shailan’s quotes have been edited for clarity. This interview was conducted via Zoom on the 25th of March 2022 by Keegan Macdonald, Joshua Paul, and Andrew Meng.

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