Written by If someone asked me about my career goals as a fresh graduate, I’d have probably been quite fluid about the actual industry or role, but one thing I was 100% sure of was that
I wanted to live and work abroad. That was my big goal.
Meet Puja
Director Production
IQPC Sydney
In 2007 I started my career in the events and conference industry and although I loved the company I was working for, I knew that I needed to explore opportunities with companies who had international offices in order to get a step closer to living out my ambitions.
I first joined IQPC and the London office in 2010 as a Divisional Director, responsible for setting up a brand new conference division. The London office is a big office with great energy. You feel it the minute you step off the elevator – there’s a real buzz in the air, the kind you get when there’s big projects in the works. This was an exciting time for me to get a real sense of what IQPC was all about and just how ambitious you could be, I witnessed this first hand when I helped launch the company’s first events into the Russian market! That was certainly an experience I’ll never forget.
After just less than a year with the company an opportunity came up in IQPC’s Dubai office to run a team and by April 2011 my bags were packed and I was ready to go…
…leaving on that Emirates jet plane with no idea of what to expect.
Dubai wasn’t a place I had ever envisaged myself moving to, I didn’t know much about what living and working there would be like, but the lure of sunshine and a tax-free lifestyle was enough to give it a go.
It turned out to be the best decision I ever made.
Working with the Middle East market was completely different to anywhere else. I quickly had to understand local customs and etiquette, as well as industry dynamics. But this was the thrill of it. Being outside my comfort zone and in the thick of a completely different part of the world taught me more than I could have ever imagined.
Aside from getting used to the work side of things, I had to adapt to living in a completely different country. The logistics were pretty straight forward; I found an amazing apartment within weeks and quickly got into the swing of expat life of beach and brunch weekends.
I ended up meeting two, of my now best friends, who were already working in the Dubai office and went on some pretty amazing holidays to places like Nepal, Thailand and Oman. Even outside of work, Dubai is a really expat-friendly place, so building your social network was easier than I’d expected.
So what started out as a leap of faith, turned into 6 fantastic years at IQPC Middle East
And now as I’m writing this post I’m currently 4 weeks into my latest adventure to the other side of the world – Sydney!
I’ve always been attracted to this city and the amazing outdoors culture of Australia. So when the opportunity to Head up the Production Department in Sydney came up, well, I jumped at the chance! And so far, I love it.
So if you’re where I was, looking for a great company, a great career and the chance to realize your ambitions of living in the coolest cities in the world; well look no further, you just found us!