Phoebe Vuong

The brave decision to move from her familiar hometown of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to take up a scholarship in spectacular Sydney, Australia has been a life-changing experience for Phoebe Vuong. The International College of Management, Sydney (ICMS) alumna has landed her dream position in a marketing and communications role in Sydney after completing a Master of International Business at ‘The Castle on the Hill.’

Each year, ICMS provides a comprehensive range of scholarship opportunities for new and current students, from industry and ICMS sponsored professional scholarships to tuition fee, accommodation and financial hardship scholarships. Vuong was the recipient of the prized ICMS Postgraduate Innovation Scholarship, opening the door to an array of opportunities in a country she fell in love with during a holiday in 2007.

“Australia is a beautiful country with an amazing lifestyle and multicultural values. I fell in love with it during a trip years ago and have always hoped to come back to pursue my higher education. An opportunity arose when I heard about the ICMS Postgraduate Innovation Scholarship – I applied for it and I was successful. It was a decision that changed my life forever and I will never stop feeling grateful for ICMS giving me such a wonderful opportunity.”

As passionate marketer, Vuong has built a meaningful career within the dynamic Information Technology and Audio-Visual industry. Within her role, she is required to wear many hats and is constantly developing her skills within digital marketing, advertising, content creation, public relations and event management. A challenge which she finds to be very rewarding.

“I am one of those people who enjoys watching advertisements and always finds them fascinating. Marketing is my dream career as I am passionate about effective communication. Since the industry is ever-changing and requires adapting, I also get to try different things and learn a lot of new skills that I know will be helpful throughout my career.”

When it came to developing her skills during her master’s degree, Vuong recalls that ICMS has an impressive network of industry partners. These leading companies provide invaluable industry insight and experience to help shape a student’s qualification and ensure they are in line with industry best practice.

“One of the components that I found extremely helpful in my course was the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Program. Through this placement, I gained great experience in the business world and it allowed me the confidence to kick-start my career. WIL is the first step that every student should take to transition themselves from an academic environment into the workplace.”

To anyone starting out in their career, Vuong offers the following advice:

“One of my favourite books is ‘Feel the Fear and do it Anyway’ by Susan Jeffers. I want to tell everyone who is starting a career, to not let fear stop you from doing the things you want and achieving your dreams. Be humble and open to challenges, get out there, do things, accept failure, learn from your mistakes, and keep going. This is how you learn.”