Vishval Patel, 26
Melbourne ➜ Jakarta
Born in Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India, before migrating to Melbourne with his family at age 15, Vishval Patel was working as a finance analyst at Telstra when he decided he needed a challenge. First up, completing the CPA Program while working full-time. Patel then sought an opportunity through Telstra leadership and when a job with Telkomtelstra, a new joint venture (JV) between Telstra and a local telecommunications service provider in Indonesia, came up, Patel took the jump: new country, different language, start-up company. From Jakarta 13 months later, he tells us it’s the best career climb he could have made.
I studied while working full-time at Telstra. The CPA Program helped me see myself as a strategic, value-adding partner in business, not purely a technical accountant. It also aided me in understanding where the leadership team is trying to go. You start thinking, “How do I help you get there?” Within a year of achieving my designation, I was promoted within Telstra; another year later, I was on the plane to Indonesia. The best thing about living and working in Jakarta is how welcoming it is considering there are [more than 10 million people] in the city. Indonesia is extremely beautiful and I’ve visited a lot of islands on weekends. I’ve enjoyed exploring the culture and learning the language. Professionally, exposure to the pace of the Asian market – the Indonesian economy is growing at five per cent annually – is an incredible opportunity. I think this experience will be valuable to future employers as Australian companies seek to expand in the Asia-Pacific region.
The biggest hurdle I faced was not knowing anyone at first. But Jakarta has a great expat community. I play badminton and have joined groups. I’ve connected with people from all over the world and because they’re also here to travel and pursue similar goals, I’ve found like-minded friends easily.
The upside of being an expat is it’s a great networking opportunity. Collaborating with people from different backgrounds teaches you to communicate more effectively. Also, because people have their own international networks and move on to new places, I can tap into their wider circle. I am keen to go to another country and capitalise on the experience that I’ve gained in Indonesia.
My current role is responsible for reporting and planning. Telkomtelstra is an end-to-end managed solutions provider for enterprises in Indonesia. A start-up is exciting – the company is only three years old and growing rapidly. I’ve been exposed to the full profit-and-loss statement – I look at the top and the bottom line. I am able to communicate with the C-level executive team regularly.
I work best when I’m thrown in at the deep end. When I first started at the JV, the team was working on an annual operating plan for this financial year. It was a sharp learning curve because I was new to the country; I was new to everything. But it turned out to be the best way to learn.
The key to the future is to have a growth mindset. Industries are changing rapidly, being disrupted, and gone are the days when you’d get your degree and be set for life. Pushing myself in my career and in my personal life contributes to constant learning and growth. I think of it as future proofing.