By Balbir Singh
Founder, Seek to Migrate, Seek Education Solutions and Seek Group | Registered Migration Agent (MARN: 2318190) | Business Owner
I arrived in Australia from Ras Al Khaimah as an international student with big hopes, a lot of questions, and absolutely no idea what “OSHC” meant.
My first stop was Insearch UTS, followed by CQUniversity. Like many international students, I learned plenty in the classroom but some of my biggest lessons came from the jobs I took to support myself along the way.
I stacked shelves at Coles. I worked university jobs. I dealt with customers, deadlines, long shifts and the occasional cash-register disaster.
Those jobs taught me things that still matter in business today:
Show up.
Treat people well.
Stay calm when things do not go to plan.
And never underestimate what you can learn from starting at the bottom.
My career did not follow a neat path.
I worked in accounting in the public sector. I owned a pizza restaurant. I moved into higher education marketing, student recruitment and education consulting.
Then COVID happened.
While everyone else seemed to be making sourdough, I went back to university for postgraduate study and became a registered migration agent.
Looking back, it makes sense that I ended up in education and migration.
I have been the student trying to choose the right course. I have worked inside the education sector. I have seen how a good education decision can create opportunities and how a poor or rushed decision can make things harder later.
Education is not just about getting a qualification.
For many people, it is the beginning of a career, financial independence, confidence and a future in Australia.
Migration is personal for me too.
I know what it feels like to arrive in a new country and try to understand the paperwork, the rules, the systems and the things no one explains clearly.
That is why I care about helping people look beyond the next visa.
For students, that might mean choosing a course that genuinely suits their background and goals not simply following what a friend is doing.
For employers, it might mean building a compliant sponsorship strategy that supports business growth and gives skilled workers a genuine opportunity.
At Seek Group, we work across education and migration because the two are often connected.
The goal is not just to get an application lodged.
It is to help people and businesses make informed decisions, reduce avoidable mistakes and build a pathway that makes sense for the future.
For students: do not just choose a course think about the pathway around it.
For employers: sponsorship is an investment. Treat compliance, workforce planning and your people accordingly.
And for anyone starting from scratch in Australia: your first job, first course or first visa may not define your whole future but it can be the start of something much bigger.
This post provides general information only and is not migration or legal advice. Migration requirements and policies can change, and outcomes depend on individual circumstances.
