From International Student to Community Builder | Shriyansh’s Journey of Navigating Change

In this episode, I chat with Shriyansh, who talks about his journey as an international student coming to Australia, learning to adapt to change, and ultimately realising how important it was to stay true to himself. Shriyansh also started Walks with Shriyansh, an initiative helping people build genuine connections through walks, taking away the pressure of traditional networking.

We discuss the power of a positive mindset, adapting to change, stepping outside your comfort zone, sharing your opinions, and why being yourself is often your greatest strength.

This episode is for anyone who is trying to navigate their journey as an international student or has already been through the journey and wants to reflect on what it means to build meaningful connections in Australia. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hello everyone and welcome to the Migrant Mind. My name is Dr. Story Talk and Ratna and Alfie Holmes and Dr. Dr. Let's Dive into today's story. Hi everyone and welcome to another episode of Migrant Mind. It has been a while since we've had a guest on the podcast. And so now we've got a very, very special person today. Shrianj, over to you.

SPEAKER_00 0:26

Thank you, Sherika. Very, very flattered to be honest on a Saturday morning to start up like this. But yes, thank you for the invite. Thanks for having me here. Um so my name is Shrianj. Uh two identities on LinkedIn. Uh since I've been consistently posting for, I don't know, close to two years-ish or slightly more than that. So I call myself the Tuesday guy uh who posts every Tuesday, 11 a.m., uh with daylight savings or without daylight savings. And then I do another thing on Fridays at 11:30 a.m., which is my walk with Shriyan series. Uh, it's just about networking, um real human connection, just talking to people, no agenda at all. And it's just my small way of giving back, and if it helps any of the fellow students to not repeat the mistakes that I made. Uh, outside of that, I am a very spontaneous person. I travel a lot. Uh, if I were to tell about my last seven months, I have done six trips, one each month. Apart from that, um, I work in finance. I like to and lead a very active lifestyle. So that I like and enjoying life as it comes through. Lately, what I've uh learned in the past year or two is about mindset and how I need to intentionally keep it such that it helps me to bring the best out of me and it helps the people around me. Um that's something that I inculcated in my habits, in my lifestyle, just to look at what's working, what's working right, and keeping the negativity aside so that I myself can be slightly more happier than what I was. And I leave the rest to just, you know, I'm trusting the process, I'm doing what I need to do. Whatever is in my control, I'll keep it to that. Whatever is not, I still get stressed about it. But I'll rather have a nicer attitude towards it than just be like, oh, it's not working, so I will just not do anything about it.

SPEAKER_01 2:27

I love that way of looking at things in life, and I think it's a very important message to listeners and to just people in general to be positive and and change the way you look at things. Um, I was reading a book recently, there was this line that kept coming up about how you can you can change the way you react to things, but you can't change other people's behavior. And I think that's so important.

SPEAKER_00 2:52

Absolutely. I 100% agree with that good.

SPEAKER_01 2:57

Yeah. And when you kind of think back to when you first moved to Australia, what was that like for you? So moving and facing all of the challenges you would have faced, just like most international students.

SPEAKER_00 3:09

Well, I was mentally prepared for that to happen, to be honest. There were a lot of obstacles and hurdles that I had to go through before moving in here. Um, and I knew that I did not have a backup plan. So I have to create one, and then just a series of events kept following through. I never had the right set of peers that I would have liked. Um, not saying the ones I had were uh bad, but it's just the kind of people that I would want to surround myself with, and the version that I had in my head was not the reality. So it was literally filtering things out, filtering jobs out, filtering people out, houses and what I need to do. There were so many areas that I had to compromise when I moved in. Uh, I used to live in a seven people uh share accommodation. Uh, luckily, we had every single person had their own rooms. But transitioning from that and then getting back into studying after working for a bit, and then just learning how things work here. And I was so confused. I'm like, oh, the sky looks so nice. And on the outside, everything is like picture perfect, you know, like nothing can go wrong. The buses are running on time, there's dedicated things for everything. You can't jaywalk, you can't do this, no one litters. Uh, like everyone is following rules as well. So that was really good to see. One of the things that I really liked is um the number of people that I see around me, because I have grown up and lived in Mumbai my whole life. And if uh people who don't know, Mumbai is uh like one of the most populated cities of India. Luckily, the place where I grew up is not as crowded as the other parts of Mumbai, but I was just used to seeing people everywhere, like you know, and on an off uh non-working day at a random spot, you'll still find people because there's literally some person somewhere just existing. And then I cut down to Australia and I'm like, oh, it's 6 p.m. And what is happening? I remember when I was on my way from airport to my Airbnb, I landed around 9:30, 10 p.m. and I got out by 11-ish. And I'm like, I've heard so much about Melbourne, it's like one of the best cities and whatnot. And there are no cars on the road, there are no people on the road. And when I exited the cab and I looked around, I'm like, if someone were to come here and kill me, no one will even come to know that I was here at this time.

SPEAKER_01 5:40

Wow, yeah. I I was thinking back to the first moment when I was initially here and felt that pin drop silence. And I was like, wow.

SPEAKER_00 5:52

What is that?

SPEAKER_01 5:55

Yeah. How did you manage with that sudden change in the loudness and the surroundings of people everywhere?

SPEAKER_00 6:05

Nothing at all because I was preparing myself mentally for a long time. I had a set goal in mind on what I wanted to do in the future, and then when I achieved that, all I knew was that it was never gonna come easy to me. I don't think I would have known about the term mindset back then. But the more people I kept interacting with who had something to add value to my life, constantly talked about this term mindset, and then slowly, slowly it inculcated in me uh during my journey in Australia as a student, then transitioning ahead. So throughout my student life, I've done 16 part-time and odd jobs just to survive, and I had a fixed goal in mind, like this is what I want to save every month. I don't care what I'm gonna eat, I don't care what I'm gonna wear. I'm happy with the one pair of shoes that I bought with me. It's very easy today to look around you and just get influenced or look at other people and like, oh, he has got something else, but I don't. So I'll rather do this and get something that he has or she has. But uh, I came from a background wherein I had seen uh if I like something and I point towards it, before my finger reaches the thing, I'll have the thing to have everything lost and then to kind of uh see my parents build through things again. So that that journey has uh been different as a child because you don't know what you're seeing, you don't know what you're experiencing. But later, when you adult adult and it hits you that the amount of efforts it would have taken. And um, I think the journey overall has just taught me that you need to look at other things as well rather than just focusing on the outcome that you are extremely fixated about.

SPEAKER_01 7:53

That's so true, and I think a lot of international students will relate to this, especially if you've grown up in a culture where everything is done for you and everything is handed to you all the time, whenever you want it, you take it for granted and you don't realize how much work goes into you getting those things or those things being done. Even if it's something as simple as cooking or laundry, those things would have been done for you, just like they were done for me, right? When you're back in your home country, it's not like I'm here and it's like actually, hold on, I have to put the washing machine on myself, no one else is gonna go and the clothes are not gonna magically get washed and appear in my closet the next day.

SPEAKER_00 8:33

True. You know, there were like so many times when I was cooking a meal and I thought I had something in the house, but you know, like, oh, I'm gonna cook this and I think I have got bell peppers, and then I come home, I'm like, oh shit, I don't have that. And I'm like, what do I do? Do I take the tram again, go to the grocery store, come back? Because that's gonna be at least even if MAP says it's a 20-minute thing, it takes about an hour. I don't know how it works, but then I just got used to, okay, what am I cooking? I'm cooking something with rice. I just need to have the main ingredient, the side ingredients can be figured out later.

SPEAKER_01 9:05

So yeah. That's also very relevant to what you said before about being open to change, right? Because you we grew up knowing one particular way of doing things and having things done for us, and then you come here and there's this sudden shock of, oh, I've got to do everything myself. And then you've got to adapt, right, to whatever works. Like you said, you'd want to cook something and realize you don't have the ingredients. You have a choice to make. You either take the one hour and go out and get just that one little bell pepper, if that's what you need, or you find another easier way that works for you, right?

SPEAKER_00 9:38

True.

SPEAKER_01 9:39

Yeah, that's a good example.

SPEAKER_00 9:44

Um, and I would say if there are students out there, that's one of the skills you need to showcase and give examples about, or how you can adapt and uh to the changing environments, what you do about it, show your show your attitude if if the employer who has been in your shoes and if you if they see through the intent that that you carry the right attitude, that is something that could get you hired rather than just doing that degree and showing, like, you know, I'm assist or this is what the degree says, and I can do that.

SPEAKER_01 10:16

This is so true, and it's a strength that I think a lot of people disregard, like international students sort of think, oh, it's not a big deal, I moved here. But if you compare yourself to someone who didn't have to go through that change, you've got courage. You're you were brave enough to do it, and you were brave enough to basically start from scratch and figure out what it's like to be you in a completely different environment, which you know, other people don't really have to do sometimes.

SPEAKER_00 10:41

The journey teaches you so much and it's so underrated because only when you grow out of it or move on to the next phase of your life, that's when you realize it.

SPEAKER_01 10:49

But I also think it's so important that people actually take that time to reflect. Um, because you forget you we are so stuck in running the rat race in life all the time. We don't actually pause and think about how far we've come, what we've learned through that journey, and it just keeps going on and on and on, right?

SPEAKER_00 11:07

True. It's never gonna stop. It's just how I think I'll come back to what you said. It's how one would react to what is happening with the situation rather than just doing the other way around.

SPEAKER_01 11:20

Yeah, I agree. That's true. Yeah. So speaking of things that you're doing, you sort of said you're the Tuesday guy, but you also said that you do your Friday walks. Unpack that for us because you said you've been very active on LinkedIn for about two years now. Absolutely. What sparked that interest?

SPEAKER_00 11:38

So uh when I moved to Australia, I was like, well, let's do this, let's do that, heard from a lot of people, heard from seniors, professors, what are you supposed to do? Attended networking events. Uh, I realized that uh when I moved in, I was an introvert. Uh, I would not really be very comfortable in a room full of people or talking to people. I haven't even interacted with a lot of my batchmates yet. But if I look at myself now, I can just be like, oh Sharika. Uh and then I can just continue the conversation because that is something that I have built over time by investing my skills into doing things that I was not comfortable about. Um couple of people I met on the uh sorry, saw on LinkedIn, they were really adding a lot of value. So I had a couple of catch-up calls with them, this and that, and then someone suggested me that uh, you know, why don't you post? And I was like, I don't have much to post. What am I gonna talk about? And then I realized one one random day I landed an internship, and then I saw that a lot of my batchmates have not done that. So I think it started somewhere around that uh period, and then I would be very honest and open about my raw opinions. I remember in a couple of networking events when I met uh fresh international students, they would often be like, and I had the answer to some of those things because I had I had walked in their shoes uh a year or two back, and then I realized that okay, there are people who relate to this. So I thought I'm just gonna try this wherein I'm posting my opinions, and I did that, and someone told me about being consistent. 2024, I was very inconsistent. I would just post when I have the time. 2025, I remember it was a Tuesday, last uh last Tuesday of the first week in January. I'm like, cool, I can't delay this any further because then week one will happen. And then it just started, and it was at 11 a.m. I'm like, okay, let's do this, keep on doing this. And the amount of efforts it took me to think and write back in 2025 was so high, I would spend around 45 minutes to one hour, and then I would not keep pictures on it, and then later I realized while posting, oh, if you add a picture, then it attracts or grabs attention. And the more I kept doing that, a couple of people were reluctant to comment there, but I had uh some in my DMs that, oh, this is so true. And you spoke about money, you spoke about return on investment, and no one does that. 2025 went really good, and I'm like, okay, let me be a little more uncomfortable. Um, and then I started this uh walk series that came into picture I would say last quarter of 2025, and then it was just like I I don't need anything from you. I'll I'll just you know uh reach out to people and like I find this cool, I like this. Would you be open for a walk? Uh, three things I walk at a fast pace, let me know if it is too much. We don't really need to walk walk the entire thing. We can sit down if you feel like it, we can grab a coffee. Uh, I'm very open to that, but I'm also conscious about the social spending that people have to do. Because when I was a student and I'm like, I'm going for this, it's always like, oh, I'm meeting someone, but it's like a seven dollar cost, no six to seven dollar cost. Why am I spending? Like, you don't get anything out of it, is what you think. And then that's why I'm like, I've got no agenda with you. You're anyways gonna scroll on your phone or waste your time somewhere else. Let's go out in the nature, get to walking, and then just interact. Like, that's that's it. And like, so you are reaching out just because you want to spend time to talk to them. Like, that's that's absolutely it.

SPEAKER_01 15:23

That is so cool. I saw it on LinkedIn and I thought it was such an interesting, different thing to do instead of um you know going to massive networking events as well. I think it's especially because you said you're an introvert as well, so it might be a bit more of a comfortable thing for other people who are too scared to go and go into these massive networking events and have to make small talk with random people and they're kind of scared. It gives them such a safe space to have a conversation with you.

SPEAKER_00 15:52

Absolutely. Realize it. When I went to networking events, so many times when it's an evening, everyone has got something in their hands. If I don't feel like it, why am I gonna do that? But it's also seen as if you don't have something in your hand, like a glass or a bottle, other people will be like, possibly not talk to you. I'm not saying this, this could be just what I thought of it back then. And then you don't really have an icebreaker. At least I can go up to Sheriga if I see something. I'm like, oh, we're having the same thing. That's a startup. With walks, it's so informal. I can just go out in my shots during some hour, two kart mandos and whatnot. So that that really relaxes you and the people as well. And now that I've gotten so used to it, I don't even see it as something that I um something I would not be comfortable with because I've done those conversations so many times. I think after a point of time, if you find someone with similar energy, it just picks it, and then it's up to one of you two on where you want to lead that energy to or how you want to lead that conversation. Um, so I learned this technique uh which worked for me. During interviews, there's a certain way that you can guide and lead the conversation, that it works in your favor. One of the things that I learned was uh to guide and lead the conversation in a way that would work for you. So, in one of the interviews, I was uh it was set to be a 30-minute uh interview, it went on roughly over 47-48 minutes. We spoke about the rule for not more than two minutes, and I kid you not, for 15 to 17 minutes I was telling them how to cook Indian food.

SPEAKER_01 17:40

So what was the secret?

SPEAKER_00 17:42

Um, it was very difficult to do that, and if if you or I were to guide someone, it possibly could not come very naturally to them as the kind of person they are, their personality, or how hunger they are to change themselves. But it's a process that takes time. If you stick to it, if you stick with it, uh eventually you'll get there. But it's not something that I can tell you, here's my three-month course, if you work with me, and then you know I can promise you on the 91st day you'll crack an interview with the confidence that I worked in. When I was uh at a low stage in my life, I would just go and watch the series Suits. I would look at Javi Spectre, and I would imagine myself as Harvey Specter walking into the rooms giving those interviews.

SPEAKER_01 18:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:34

That's something that worked for me.

SPEAKER_01 18:36

So, based off of what you said about how you can tailor an interview, because I think that's gonna interest a lot of people listening. You said um there's a way you can kind of change the course of the interview to be more in your favor, and it's a very difficult process, though, right? To get there. What's a good starting point for international students who are struggling to land that first post graduation job or their first real big person job interview?

SPEAKER_00 19:08

I would say it's a process which starts way early when you are in that degree. It starts somewhere in your mind. The preparation never really stops. It's what whatever amount of efforts that you have put in throughout the process is gonna reflect. Luck and timing plays a huge part. I will never deny that. I know some of my friends who got a uh job in their first ever interview, and they did not even know what they were exactly supposed to be speaking or talking because that's something that I learned after giving 20, 30, 40 interviews. Learned from my mistake, I realized what I did, I did not repeat it. Fumbled a lot, wasn't confident, was so nervous, was anxious. By the time it went to the 20th interview, I was like, what's there to lose? I'm gonna lose this one as well. My mindset was just like I'm gonna go and do this. But I think if I narrow it down to one thing, is keep your uniqueness where it is, just frame it in a way that you ensure it's gonna work for you. Being true to yourself, carrying your uniqueness and tailoring in a way that it reflects uh your personality as a whole in that question. But again, I will uh take some of my words back and I will say this that all these are fancy terms, maybe even jargons for a student, it might be too confusing. So be prepared to get a no. When you moved here, you might already know that you might will face some obstacles, and you have uh done enough to showcase uh that's the reason that you're still living here. But are you here to survive or are you here to thrive? That is something that will be on you, and I think I can end it on that note.

SPEAKER_01 21:11

I love that, and I think there's two very important messages there, which is preserving your own magic. So be you no matter what anyone else is doing, and also be prepared for all sorts of challenges in life.

SPEAKER_00 21:24

100%. Uh, there's a human tendency that you will compare it to someone else. It's very natural when you're young, um, when you look at other people around you who are just landing something, getting something, earning their first paycheck. Don't let that define you, yourself, your self-worth. If it's meant for you, if you put the efforts, it will come in some way. I don't know when. I can't say that, you can't say that. But just uh if you have got the hunger, you will ensure that there was food on your table.

SPEAKER_01 21:57

Definitely. Thank you so much, Shrianj. I'm sure this is a very powerful episode that a lot of international students in particular are going to enjoy. And for those who have been through that journey, it might give them a chance to reflect on the whole period of moving to Australia after and everything that they went through. So we appreciate you coming on the last analytics and we just do on the listeners to connect with the house as well. And then we can do what it was.