Celebrating graduate Jocelyn's global journey of growth and success

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Celebrating graduate Jocelyn's global journey of growth and success

After living and studying in Singapore and Melbourne, Jocelyn is ready to use her technical and life skills to build a career in business.

Despite being someone who “disliked change and preferred stability”, Jocelyn Permana knew she wanted to complete her tertiary studies outside her native Indonesia.

“I wanted to be outside my comfort zone, to live away from my family and learn to be independent,” she says.

Initially, Jocelyn moved to Singapore to study a Diploma of Business Management at the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM), one of Singapore's leading private education institutions. She thrived in her studies, winning the Mapletree Gold Award, an award given to the top graduate of the cohort.

Jocelyn completed a diploma at the Singapore Institute of Management before moving to Melbourne to study RMIT's Bachelor of Business.

It was at SIM that Jocelyn first learned about RMIT. SIM and RMIT have a partnership dating back to 1987, and SIM students can undertake select RMIT degrees in Singapore.

But Jocelyn decided she would rather have the full RMIT experience and study a Bachelor of Business in Melbourne.

She was excited to move to another new country, but it wasn’t without tough moments.

“Adapting twice, in such a short span of time, was challenging," she says. “But challenges can be opportunities.”

Finding community as an international student

At both SIM and RMIT, Jocelyn prioritised building friendships and community.

“In Melbourne, being involved with events like SPARTA (Sports Tournament) and the Indonesian Film Festival allowed me to build friendships with international classmates,” she explains. “These became my support system and made both cities feel like home.”

As an international student, Jocelyn encourages others to seek out opportunities to enhance their university experience.

For international students, my advice is simple: don’t be afraid to explore, join communities, and put yourself out there. The connections you build will make your time abroad so much more enriching.

Jocelyn Permana participating in the Indonesian Film Festival during her time at RMIT.

Jocelyn participated in the Indonesian Film Festival during her time at RMIT.

Building skills outside of the classroom

Jocelyn says that working part-time while studying has also been a defining experience.

“In Singapore, most students don’t work while they study,” she says. “It might sound strange, but being able to work while I studied was one of the things that made me want to move to Melbourne!”

During her degree, Jocelyn worked in luxury retail and also started her own freelance photography business, specialising in graduation, couple and portrait photography.

Professional photography

Jocelyn started her own freelance photography business during her degree.

Working has allowed her to develop other important skills, alongside the technical expertise offered by her degree.

My part-time work and running my own business have given me a strong foundation in communication, client services, sales and project management. This background has made me versatile and able to apply myself across multiple fields.

Jocelyn has already had the chance to use these skills while completing her Applied Finance capstone course. In 2025, Jocelyn competed with a team of students in the CFA Institute Research Challenge, a global competition that provides students with intensive financial analysis training and tests them on their knowledge. Although the competition focuses on technical financial skills, her work experience allowed her to build relationships with her team members to ensure they could navigate the complex problem-solving tasks presented to them.

“My team produced an equity research report on REA Group. Through it, I learned hands-on skills in equity research, valuation, and presenting investment recommendations.”

While reflecting on her experience, Jocelyn highlighted the importance of consistency when approaching everything you do during university, not just your studies.

For me, the most valuable lessons at university have been outside of textbooks and exams. I’ve learned the importance of resilience, being tough, showing up, and giving your best effort even when things get difficult.

Jocelyn Permana participating in the Indonesian Film Festival during her time at RMIT.

Jocelyn with her team after participating in the CFA Research Challenge.

Next steps after graduation

After graduation, Jocelyn wants to work in the finance industry, ideally in roles that combine her affinity for marketing and customer service with the technical skills learnt during her degree.

“Many full-time roles now expect more than just technical skills. I see that not as a limitation but as an opportunity: my diverse background shows that I can learn fast, deliver results, and bring a fresh perspective.”

“Ultimately, I want to build a career where I can leverage both my academic background and my practical experience to create value for the organisation I work with.”

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Find out more about Jocelyn on her LinkedIn and Instagram.

Celebrating our 2025 graduates

To read about more exceptional RMIT students graduating this year, go to Celebrating our 2025 graduates.

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