Shows
where? with SepehrFinale: Some reflections and tips from SepehrAt long last, our first season comes to a close. In the finale, I deliver a monologue (I know, how boring) sharing some final thoughts on the podcast and graduate careers more broadly.
Some timestamps for your reference:
0:00: Introduction
3:11: Thanking everyone
7:48: Three reflections on the podcast, and what you can do about them
22:04: Three tips for making great early career decisions
Thank you so much to every single one of you in the audience who have listened to so much as a single episode of the show...2023-08-0845 min
where? with Sepehr#20: Ben from Primary | A conversation with my old boss on moving through law, consulting and building startupsBen Buckingham is the CEO and Founder of Primary, a pre-seed fintech seeking to be the modern operating system for treasury management. His long and illustrious career has seen him take roles in several highly sought after roles, including at Allens and McKinsey.
This very special episode presses on Ben's prolonged experience compared to other guests, where we talk about:
Why it might be helpful to consider starting your career in a larger corporation before moving into an area you're more passionate about
Varying risk tolerances amongst young professionals and what this can mean for the...2023-08-011h 02
where? with Sepehr#19: Tiana from Telstra | Why marketing roles aren't what you think they areTiana is a Marketing Campaign Manager from Telstra, after joining as a graduate almost four years ago. She also runs her own podcast, Unapologetically Asian, and holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and Management from the University of Melbourne.
Today's conversation features an exploration of one of the most interesting and highly pursued areas in business - marketing! We chat through the common stereotypes associated with marketing roles - including how mathsy they are, what the role of a marketing manager/specialist looks like, and Tiana's journey working in marketing at a larger organisation.
...2023-07-2553 min
where? with Sepehr#18: Whitney from MECCA | Only settling for a role you love and the world of in-house strategyWhitney is a Strategy Associate at Australia's premiere conglomerate of beauty stores, MECCA Brands. She also brings experience working in in-house strategy at Coles, and completed Bachelors and Masters degrees at the University of Melbourne in Finance and Management.
In today's episode, we cover the fascinating comparison between different kinds of strategy roles - from the more traditional like management consulting and in-house strategy roles, to more progressive ones like startup strategy. We also zoom out on Whitney's career and she unveils per mindset of never settling for less than a role she's truly loved, even if...2023-07-1854 min
where? with Sepehr#17: Sam from Visagio (ex-UN) | The not so simple journey of changing the world through the public sectorSamuel is a Transformation Consultant at boutique management consultancy Visagio, whilst also completing his Masters of Science at Oxford University with specialisations in Computer Science and Software Engineering. Before this, he worked at the United Nations as a Statistics Consultant, and completed a Bachelors in Commerce and Actuarial Studies, after dropping out of a major in international relations.
In this episode, we chat through Sam's incredibly mature philosophy behind why he decided to leave the public sector (and spoilers! - perhaps one day return), his experience learning and working in more technical roles despite loving and excelling...2023-07-1156 min
where? with Sepehr#16: Adete from AustralianSuper | Navigating the murky world of not knowing what to doAdete is a Graduate Investment Analyst at AustralianSuper, currently in her Infrastructure rotation; they're the largest single superannuation fund in the country with over $258b AUM. Before joining as a graduate, she gained experience in investment banking at Macquarie Capital, in addition to being a paralegal and her Bachelor's in Law/Commerce at Monash University.
Today's episode features interesting insight into the optionality-maximising nature of graduate programs - and a fascinating look into how the companies that manage our retirements, work from the inside. A must listen for everyone, even those who aren't necessarily interested in finance!
For more on...2023-07-0459 min
where? with Sepehr#15: Max - Stealth startup founder | Disrupting conventional careers with unconventional thoughtsMax is a 'serial founder', focusing currently on founding and building his own AI health-tech company. He's also founded an exclusive global founder's community, Next Chapter, in addition to community-driven micro venture capital fund, Ultraviolet Ventures. All this, and he recently graduated from the University of Sydney and the University of Berkeley (in California) in Maths, Statistics and AI, after dropping out of law school - after ranking top of his class!
Despite Max's bizarre achievements and contrarian takes, in this episode he gives us fascinating insight advice into how we can think against the grain in...2023-06-2755 min
where? with Sepehr#14: Terry - Incoming trading grad | Two bachelors, three exchanges and four jobsTerry is currently in his ninth year of an undergraduate degree. He started by completing a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics and Finance (with honours) at the University of Melbourne, and then decided to complete another bachelor's degree - a BSci in Statistics and Stochastic Processes, alongside a Diploma in Computing (that's four majors, by the way). During this time, he's completed internships at some of APAC's most well-known and respected companies in trading, management consulting and data & analytics*, and has also tutored multiple subjects at the university for three years. Next year, Terry will be commencing his graduate...2023-06-2059 min
where? with Sepehr#13: Carol from Macquarie | Building a part-time uni job into a long-lasting careerCarol works in Change Management at Macquarie Group, spending almost 9 years at her previous company, the Commonwealth Bank. She started working there as a Collections Specialist early on during her time at uni, and worked her way up through contact centre roles and finished off as a business coach and learning/development facilitator. She also graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce/Laws from Monash University while working at CBA.
In our conversation, we talk about Carol's irregular path of sticking with her initial part-time role as a full-time graduate career - and what it's felt like to...2023-06-1355 min
where? with Sepehr#12: Marc from Brookfield (ex-BofA) | All things investment banking and private equityMark is an Analyst in Brookfield Asset Management's Private Equity investments team - they're one of the world's largest alternative asset management firms with over AUD$1T under management. He moved over from the Bank of America as a graduate Investment Banking Analyst, covering financial sponsors during his ~2 years there.
In this episode, we chat about the ins and outs of the world of high finance - how to make the application stand out, dealing with the notoriously challenging work-life balance of investment banking and private equity, along with discussing the nuanced differences between these two career...2023-06-0650 min
where? with Sepehr#11: Victor from Salesforce | Making the drastic change from finance into tech salesVictor is a Sales Development Team Lead at Salesforce, previously working in multiple roles in finance - including a role at boutique investment banking firm Barclay Pearce Capital and then an equity research and sales role at wealth manager Shaw and Partners. In his relatively short time at Salesforce, Victor holds numerous accolades - including being their Sales Development MVP of the Year (2022-23).
Our chat covers a rewardingly broad swathe of topics, including some fantastic advice on how to build a meaningful network around you, optimising your role progression and education to learn as much as...2023-05-301h 04
where? with Sepehr#10: Lucy from Telstra InfraCo | Building a career where life comes first, not workLucy is a Business Strategy Analyst at Telstra InfraCo, having commenced her graduate career in Telstra's graduate program almost three years ago. She moved from Sydney to study Economics and Finance at the University of Melbourne, during which she served as President of the Melbourne Microfinance Initiative, one of the university's largest and most well-respected student-run societies.
Our conversation covers crucial advice on how graduates should never undervalue their worth and how they should approach gaining experience and the graduate application process, in addition to how she has approached finding a role that aligns with her desire...2023-05-2256 min
where? with Sepehr#9: Abhi from Rampersand | An honest look into the coveted world of venture capitalAbhi is one of Australia's most up and coming figures in the venture capital ecosystem, currently an Investment Associate at Rampersand, known for its investments in Spaceship, Assembly Payments and Cake Equity. He brings experience from another well-respected venture capital firm, Folklore Ventures, and joined Cambridge Associates as an Investment Analyst after graduating from his Bachelor of Applied Finance from Macquarie University. Abhi also co-founded DAO Under and is a Fellow at Afterwork Ventures.
Our conversation delves deep into the intricacies of what venture capital investors do day-in day-out, what drove Abhi to be interested in the...2023-05-1655 min
where? with Sepehr#8: Jeffrey from Lyka (ex-Deloitte) | Why it's okay to not have it all figured out when you're youngJeffrey is an Associate Product Development Manager at one of Australia's hottest startups, Lyka Pet Food. He brings experience Deloitte Digital in their Strategy and Design team, and co-founded a podcast of his very own - 'As I Am', aimed at bringing forward an honest conversation about Asian identities in the West.
Our conversation covers his perspective on how to expand your network by garnering authentic relationships with those around you, and why you don't necessarily have to have the 'end purpose' of your career figured out when you're just starting out.
For more info...2023-05-0954 min
where? with Sepehr#7: Calvin from Buxton Real Estate | From failing at university to becoming Victoria's #2 agentCalvin Chan is a Director and Auctioneer at one of the country's leading real estate agencies, Buxton Real Estate Group. During his six years with the Group, he has attained numerous accolades - chief amongst them being his ~$200m sales record in 2021 being second in the state amongst all real estate agents under 35 (Source: Herald Sun).
In this episode, we hear about Calvin's intriguing story of how he went from failing seven units at university, to going to China to find interesting work, and finally ending up in the restless world of real estate, whilst still sparing...2023-05-0257 min
where? with Sepehr#6: Eezu from Cecil | How to making a lasting impact in your early careerEezu is a Product Manager at climatech startup Cecil. Amongst her impressive list of roles and achievements, she founded an award winning social enterprise Chicken Soup, which helps ESL students with their English learning journey. She also has experience in impact investing, an early stage fintech and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) roles at WooliesX.
Our chat covers how Eezu grew the courage to evolve from a shy high school student afraid of public speaking, the challenging decisions she has made when choosing whether to work in a corporate or startup, and her longer term career aspiration...2023-04-2547 min
where? with Sepehr#5: Jackson from Caleb and Brown | At the helm of a $30m/yr crypto business in your twentiesJackson is the CEO of Caleb & Brown, one of Australia (and the world's) most well-respected cryptocurrency brokerages for high to ultra-high net worth clients. Since joining the firm as its first employee and COO in 2017 shortly after it was founded, almost three years on Jackson was promoted to CEO, where he is now in charge of the brokerage that serves more than 20,000 clients in 100 countries, producing over $30m a year in profit (Source: AFR).
Our chat follows Jackson's fascinating journey from his love of video games, to being an early Bitcoin investor, to the daunting times of...2023-04-1855 min
where? with Sepehr#4: Ed from Airwallex (ex-Bain) | Making your first big career moveToday's episode features Ed, currently a Senior Strategy Manager at Airwallex, one of Australia's largest and fastest growing fintechs. He started his career at Bain - one of the world's leading management consultancies, and will soon also leave Airwallex to start his MBA at Harvard Business School.
Being the first 'experienced' grad featured on our podcast, our chat features deep insight into comparing the work-life balances of consulting and working in a high-growth startup, what it was like applying as an experienced hire, and picking which risks to take, and when.
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For...2023-04-1154 min
where? with Sepehr#3: Lauren from Commonwealth Treasury | Designing the country's future with the best and brightestToday's conversation features Lauren Song, a Graduate Analyst at the Commonwealth Treasury in Canberra, the government's lead economic advisor. During our chat, we talk about her journey in studying and working in economics which began with her wanting to become a history teacher, and working in a challenging policy role where most others have far more qualifications than her.
If you're interested in working in public policy or are just curious about what it's like to move into a new career that you had no idea you wanted to do, be sure to listen!
--2023-04-0458 min
where? with Sepehr#2: Cara from Steppen | Raising over $2 million for a startup at 23For our second episode, we were lucky to be joined by Cara, the Co-Founder and CEO of Gen Z fitness app Steppen, which has secured more than $2m (AUD) in funding in recent years. She's also completing her Bachelors of Science and Engineering at Monash University.
Our conversation involved a transparent discussion of Cara's failures personally and professionally, and the importance of recognising one's own privilege when giving advice to others. Whether the audience plans to found or go into the world of startups or not, they stand to gain so much from this raw and insightful...2023-03-2858 min
where? with Sepehr#1: Ann from GoodHuman | Moving out of STEM into the world of businessOur first episode is with Ann, currently a Product Manager at human services startup GoodHuman - building their product which streamlines processes for out-of-date service organisations like those under the NDIS. She studied Nutrition and Neuroscience during her BS from the University of Melbourne, then moved into Product as a grad.
During our conversation, we talk about her journey in deciding against pursuing a career in medicine, the importance of bringing your true and authentic self to the workplace, and how you can go about thinking about your long term impact when picking a graduate career.
2023-03-2151 min
where? with Sepehrwhere? with Sepehr (Trailer)2023-03-1900 min