Pakistan | Abdul Quddus Khan

Meet Abdul

Abdul Quddus Khan joined UTS from Multan, Punjab, Pakistan in  2017.

“There were quite a few reasons why I chose to study my major at UTS. Number one being that UTS prides itself on producing strong career-ready graduates, especially after seeing most of my friends secure professional jobs after graduation.”

Other features that attracted Abdul to UTS included the campus’ convenient location near Central Station and the Sydney central business district (CBD), flexible class times, and a multicultural student body from all over the world.

Abdul took advantage of student services and networking opportunities to help him with his studies, English language skills, and jumpstart his career. He participated in the UTS Accomplish Award Program that helps students understand the Australian job recruitment process. During the program, students gain industry-specific knowledge and practice skills to help themselves stand out amongst the competition and market themselves to recruiters.

“I had the opportunity to participate in programs like Accomplish Award, where I enhanced my skills and understanding about employability and learned resume and cover letter writing tips. I attended the UTS Career Fair and several professional networking events which introduced me to a lot of relevant industries for engineering and job prospects.”

For his degree, Abdul chose the Master of Engineering (ME) Master of Engineering Management (MEM) that gave him the opportunity to pursue a major in Energy Planning and Policy, enabling him to gain both technical and management skills and complete two courses in two years rather than three years individually.

“My engineering degree focused on real industry learning. I gained skills in both hardware and software while working on projects where I designed and built electronic systems. Some subjects were particularly interesting especially the management ones. At the end of my degree, I came out with practical engineering skills. I learned about project management, and that has helped me immensely in my current role as electrical engineer.”

While pursuing his degree, Abdul worked part-time as a Customer Service Representative.  After his graduation, Abdul was able to secure a job with WSP in Sydney—one of the world’s leading engineering professional services consulting firms—as a graduate engineer.

“I started my graduate program with WSP in 2019, and then got promoted to Electrical Engineer in 2021. I really enjoy the collaborative nature of the company. I am always working with architects, project managers, mechanical, and civil engineers to create solutions for our clients. Supportive team members, flexible working arrangements, and diversity makes WSP the best place to work, so I hope to see more of UTS alumni with me in WSP in the near future.”

As an electrical engineer at WSP, Abdul’s projects have included designing electronic systems to integrate contactless public transport payment with commuter carparks for transport NSW and the redevelopment of heritage buildings into modern, mixed use spaces in Sydney’s CBD.

From Pakistan to Sydney, Abdul’s UTS experience was just the beginning of his career journey. To fellow international students, Abdul offers this advice:

Never give up. Take small steps or one step at a time but never stop, for example failing a subject never means that you’ve failed in your degree similarly not getting an interview call or getting a rejection never means that you’ll not find a job! Always take up failure as an experience and try to do better next time with that experience. Ask for feedback from the employer you get rejected, this way they remember you and you get a chance not to do those mistakes again in your next interview! It’s a myth that international students don’t get professional jobs in Australia, don’t believe in these myths and never give up!