The top 5 things to do before you leave Australia
Congratulations! You are now very close to the completion of your Australia Awards adventure! Before you leave Australia’s sunny shores, it is essential that you take some time to plan for your return to Cambodia.
Here are our top 5 tips on what to do…
Re-examine your career goals
Your award has represented a bit step in your career. So, take some time to re-examine your career direction and think about your future, your goals and where you are heading in your work and life. And importantly, write your goals down!
You may find the following questions helpful in your analysis.
Look into the future and imagine where you will be and what you will be doing in 5 years’ time. What is your vision for yourself? Use these questions to identify key elements of your vision.
- What do you hope you will be doing in your work, and in your life?
- Where and with whom do you hope to be working? Where do you hope to be living?
- How do these ideas align with the kind of contribution that you hope to make in Cambodia?
- How will you best use your new qualification in your future career?
- What is the next practical career step you can take as you work toward your vision?
Acknowledge how you have grown
No doubt the experience of studying in Australia has taught you many things apart from what you have learnt through your studies. You may have learnt about your strengths and resilience as you have coped with the many changes and adjustments required to be a successful student; you may have grown in your social confidence; you may have many new friendships and have met people and had experiences that have changed you; and you may have new ideas and understandings that you didn’t have before. Essentially, you will have changed and grown in many ways, and for family and friends your new self may be a little unfamiliar!
So, spend some time thinking about how you will introduce your ‘new self’ to your family, friends and colleagues. They will probably see the difference in you. Take time with them to share your stories and help them to understand what you have learnt, how you have grown as a person, and what the experience of being an Awardee has meant to you.
Say your goodbye’s
Take time to identify the people who have come to mean a lot to you – other students, new friends, your student contact officer, academics, tutors and others – and find a way to say goodbye. Celebrate your achievements with them, and leave knowing that you have a global network of people who can continue in their friendship and support after you leave Australia. Make sure you are connected with these important people through your LinkedIn account. That way you will always be able to stay in touch.
Prepare to leave
There will be many practical tasks to do before you leave. Some tasks that may be relevant to you, and require some planning in advance are:
- Complete all paperwork that your University requires to achieve your qualification;
- Prepare to vacate your accommodation. This can mean notifying your landlord that you will be leaving (make sure you check your lease for minimum notification periods);
- Prepare to make final payments and close your internet service provider and any other accounts that are in your name, before you leave;
- Organise freighting of personal belongings back to Cambodia, other than items you will take with you as check in baggage;
- Close your Australian bank account;
The main thing is to think and plan ahead for all of these tasks and don’t leave them to the last minute!
Plan to be an active future member of the Alumni community
On you return, opportunities will be presented to you that are designed to help you to return and reintegrate successfully, and to contribute in a range of ways. Our advice? Take up these opportunities as much and as often as you can!
For example, Australia Awards Cambodia will invite you to participate in a reintegration workshop to plan for your career and help you to reintegrate back into your life and work in Cambodia. Even if you are returning to a job, these workshops will be a time for valuable reflection and planning.
Also, you will be returning to become part of a vibrant Australia Awards Alumni community. As one of our new Alumni, you will start to receive information about events and opportunities designed to keep you connected and supported as you progress your career.
One important final note about No Objection Letters (NOL)
Once you have returned to Cambodia there is a two (2) year exclusion period when you cannot return to Australia without a ‘no objection letter’ (NOL) from the Australian Embassy in Cambodia.
This letter grants you permission to apply for a visa to return to Australia for your graduation, work meeting or similar. Note that the issue of the NOL does not guarantee you will be issued a visa.
The key points you must remember are:
- Requests for NOL should be directed to AAC info@ australiaawardscambodia.org
- The NOL must be submitted with your visa application.
- It is your responsibility to ensure you apply for a visa in adequate time prior to your travel – so you should allow a minimum of five (5) weeks (i.e. three (3) working days for the issue of the NOL by DFAT and four (4) weeks for the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs to consider your application for a visa).
If you fail to submit the visa application within the required timelines, appeals to DFAT or DHA will not be considered.
Australia Awards
Post graduate learning opportunities for Cambodia’s future leaders
The top 5 things to do before you leave Australia
Congratulations! You are now very close to the completion of your Australia Awards adventure! Before you leave Australia’s sunny shores, it is essential that you take some time to plan for your return to Cambodia.
Here are our top 5 tips on what to do…
Re-examine your career goals
Your award has represented a bit step in your career. So, take some time to re-examine your career direction and think about your future, your goals and where you are heading in your work and life. And importantly, write your goals down!
You may find the following questions helpful in your analysis.
Look into the future and imagine where you will be and what you will be doing in 5 years’ time. What is your vision for yourself? Use these questions to identify key elements of your vision.
- What do you hope you will be doing in your work, and in your life?
- Where and with whom do you hope to be working? Where do you hope to be living?
- How do these ideas align with the kind of contribution that you hope to make in Cambodia?
- How will you best use your new qualification in your future career?
- What is the next practical career step you can take as you work toward your vision?
Acknowledge how you have grown
No doubt the experience of studying in Australia has taught you many things apart from what you have learnt through your studies. You may have learnt about your strengths and resilience as you have coped with the many changes and adjustments required to be a successful student; you may have grown in your social confidence; you may have many new friendships and have met people and had experiences that have changed you; and you may have new ideas and understandings that you didn’t have before. Essentially, you will have changed and grown in many ways, and for family and friends your new self may be a little unfamiliar!
So, spend some time thinking about how you will introduce your ‘new self’ to your family, friends and colleagues. They will probably see the difference in you. Take time with them to share your stories and help them to understand what you have learnt, how you have grown as a person, and what the experience of being an Awardee has meant to you.
Say your goodbye’s
Take time to identify the people who have come to mean a lot to you – other students, new friends, your student contact officer, academics, tutors and others – and find a way to say goodbye. Celebrate your achievements with them, and leave knowing that you have a global network of people who can continue in their friendship and support after you leave Australia. Make sure you are connected with these important people through your LinkedIn account. That way you will always be able to stay in touch.
Prepare to leave
There will be many practical tasks to do before you leave. Some tasks that may be relevant to you, and require some planning in advance are:
- Complete all paperwork that your University requires to achieve your qualification;
- Prepare to vacate your accommodation. This can mean notifying your landlord that you will be leaving (make sure you check your lease for minimum notification periods);
- Prepare to make final payments and close your internet service provider and any other accounts that are in your name, before you leave;
- Organise freighting of personal belongings back to Cambodia, other than items you will take with you as check in baggage;
- Close your Australian bank account;
The main thing is to think and plan ahead for all of these tasks and don’t leave them to the last minute!
Plan to be an active future member of the Alumni community
On you return, opportunities will be presented to you that are designed to help you to return and reintegrate successfully, and to contribute in a range of ways. Our advice? Take up these opportunities as much and as often as you can!
For example, Australia Awards Cambodia will invite you to participate in a reintegration workshop to plan for your career and help you to reintegrate back into your life and work in Cambodia. Even if you are returning to a job, these workshops will be a time for valuable reflection and planning.
Also, you will be returning to become part of a vibrant Australia Awards Alumni community. As one of our new Alumni, you will start to receive information about events and opportunities designed to keep you connected and supported as you progress your career.
One important final note about No Objection Letters (NOL)
Once you have returned to Cambodia there is a two (2) year exclusion period when you cannot return to Australia without a ‘no objection letter’ (NOL) from the Australian Embassy in Cambodia.
This letter grants you permission to apply for a visa to return to Australia for your graduation, work meeting or similar. Note that the issue of the NOL does not guarantee you will be issued a visa.
The key points you must remember are:
- Requests for NOL should be directed to AAC info@ australiaawardscambodia.org
- The NOL must be submitted with your visa application.
- It is your responsibility to ensure you apply for a visa in adequate time prior to your travel – so you should allow a minimum of five (5) weeks (i.e. three (3) working days for the issue of the NOL by DFAT and four (4) weeks for the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs to consider your application for a visa).
If you fail to submit the visa application within the required timelines, appeals to DFAT or DHA will not be considered.
Australia Awards Cambodia is managed by Tetra Tech International Development, on behalf of the Australian Government.
Australian Embassy Phnom PenhQUICK LINKS
CONTACT INFO
Level 2F, PGCT Centre, Preah Sihanouk Blvd, Phnom Penh
Email: info@australiaawardscambodia.org
Tel: +855 12 635 306
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