News & Stories

Never give up on finding your dream job

How Gourav found his dream accounting job in Tasmania.

Study | Partners

Work Ready Program

The Work Ready Program combines your Master of Professional Accounting or Master of Professional Accounting (Specialisation) degree with a guaranteed corporate internship placement, regular mentoring, work experience, networking and training opportunities as well as financial support to help you settle in during your first year of study.


Gourav Mishra overcame many challenges to land his dream accounting job.

Gourav arrived in Brisbane, Australia in 2015 from a small town in North India. He had some experience working as an accountant for a small retail firm and had completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree.

While further studying Professional Accounting, he found it difficult to get accounting work to fit around his studies and visa conditions.

I could not find an accounting job during my studies, mainly because I was only allowed to work part-time and there were not many opportunities for part-time employees. So I started working as a shift manager in an Italian restaurant.

He then moved to Tasmania with his family in 2017 and continued studying full-time. Gourav needed to find new ways to generate an income. He found it easy to get work as a taxi driver. Gourav then followed his dream by doing a short tax course and volunteering as a bookkeeper with Launceston Tornadoes where he gained XERO skills.

I never gave up and kept trying until I found my current job. They did not require permanent residency and have always supported me in every way.

Gourav made a list of accounting firms, along with their contact details in Launceston and surrounding areas. He then sent every one of them a separate email explaining his expertise along with his resume.

This is how I got an interview with Preece Accounting. I also personally visited many firms and dropped my CV.

His advice for other people in a similar situation is to never give up, work on your communication skills while you’re studying, try to find part-time work (even if it’s not in accounting) and volunteer to get an idea about real-world working conditions.

I would definitely recommend students to pursue a career in accounting. Especially if they are studying in regional areas. There are many benefits in studying accounting in regional areas. I have noticed that employers in Tasmania prefer recent graduates who have studied at the University of Tasmania.

Learn more about studying Professional Accounting and the Work Ready Program.