Josh Preston
What subject did you study during your time at NTU?
BA Hons Business Studies (4-year course)
What is your current job?
Sales Manager for Qantas Wine.
What was your most memorable moment during your time at NTU, that helped you with your career development?
I remember a lecturer called Vince. He was very ‘straight down the line’ and told it how it was. For lots of people that was too much, but I felt his style of teaching was honest, straight to the point and really prepared me for working in the corporate cut throat world of sales management.
My top tip for the Class of 2020 in one sentence:
My top tip is to focus on your studies and embrace everything that comes with studying a degree - digest it all, learn about yourself and what your own key selling points are for your future employers. Once you know what your strengths are, it’s easier to select a career path that’s going to suit you.
What did you find most challenging about graduating in 2008 (e.g. effects of recession on career plans)?
After trying to get a job in the UK but not succeeding, I decided to use the time effectively to travel the world.
After being in the US and NZ for six months, I settled down in Australia for what I planned to be 12 months as initially planned. The GFC recession hadn’t hit too hard down under and I loved everything that Australia had to offer. Two children, a wife, two properties and 12 years later I still live in New South Wales, an hour north of Sydney. I have an excellent reputation in the sales management sector across multiple industries in Sydney.
Do you have any advice for current students or new graduates to improve their employability prospects?
Learn as much as you can. There were so many parts of my education where I thought to myself ‘I will never use this’ - how wrong I was. NTU has an excellent reputation for educating students to be ‘work ready’, so they are teaching you the syllabus for a reason!