Growth and Grit Volume 1: BRACU Alumni Thriving in Australia

The BRAC University Alumni Association Australia marked an important milestone with its first webinar, Growth and Grit Volume 1. The theme of the session, BRACU Alumni’s Thriving in Australia, brought together four alumni who shared their journeys of building careers and lives in Australia.

The webinar was hosted by Shadman Rouf, Joint General Secretary of BRACUAAA and Head of the Professional Development and Alumni Support Subcommittee. He opened the session by setting the context for an honest conversation around growth, resilience, and adapting to a new environment.

The first speaker of the evening was Nowroz Khan, a proud member of BRAC University’s first batch. She is now based in Adelaide and works at Westpac. Her journey connected with many in the audience as she spoke about coming to Australia as a student and gradually building her career. One of her key messages was simple but powerful. Getting into any job can open doors, and over time you can move towards the role you truly want. She also spoke openly about balancing her career with motherhood and how that journey looks different as an immigrant. She placed strong importance on mental health and reminded everyone that progress should not come at the cost of personal wellbeing.

Nawsher Noor spoke next. He is based in Sydney and works in the fintech and product space. He shared how he had an established career in Bangladesh but faced challenges when he moved to Australia, especially in communicating his experience in a way that local employers understood. One of the highlights of his session was his thoughtful visual storytelling, where he used clear and structured visuals to walk the audience through his journey of growth and adjustment. He spoke about the importance of networking and being intentional when applying for jobs. He also highlighted the value of recognising small wins along the way. During the session, he shared that he will soon be joining Apple, which was a proud moment for everyone in the room.

Humaira Malik, based in Sydney and working as a Senior Regulatory Advisor at Sydney Water, brought a different perspective as the only PhD holder on the panel. She described her academic journey as one that helped her develop strong thinking and communication skills. She also spoke about her experience as a working mother and how she adjusted to different stages of her career. One of her key points was around understanding your own value. She mentioned that many people are unsure about what salary they should expect and often undervalue themselves. Along with the other panelists, she shared practical advice on how to better understand your worth in the job market.

Ayesha Mosaddeque, who is based in Melbourne and currently working at Salesforce as a Senior Engineer, shared her journey in the tech industry. She has vast experience in cloud native, scalable software development in the global technology space, including platforms such as AWS. She spoke about her journey and reinforced many of the ideas shared earlier. She emphasised the importance of continuous learning and encouraged everyone to build knowledge in areas like artificial intelligence and modern tools, regardless of their field. She also highlighted the importance of attending in person networking events and focus groups, as these helped her build meaningful connections in her industry. Her message was clear. Growth comes not only from learning but also from showing up and being part of the community.

The session ended with a question and answer segment where participants asked about a range of topics. These included dealing with delays in important milestones such as PR, handling career setbacks, and navigating job opportunities in a new country. The responses from the panel were practical and grounded in real experience, which made the discussion relatable for everyone.

At the end of the session, BRACUAAA President Imtiaz Mortuza thanked the panelists, participants, and everyone who worked behind the scenes to make the event possible. He also shared that this is just the beginning and that BRACUAAA will continue to organise more sessions on topics that matter to the community.

Growth and Grit Volume 1 was more than just a webinar. It created a space where alumni could share real experiences and learn from each other. It was a reminder that every journey is different, but there is always something to learn from one another.