Mia Shenken found herself so drawn to property that she would attend weekend auctions for fun when she was in high school. It was an interest that paid off.
"Leaving high school, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do,” says Mia. “Other students were going into broad degrees like commerce, medicine or arts to play it safe. I took the risk of studying something specific and chose construction management.”
It was worth the risk. Through her study, Mia found her niche lied in property valuation so she selected the Bachelor of Applied Science (Property and Value) (Honours).
“In first year all the students from property, construction and project management study together, and I developed an understanding of property and realised I was more interested in that than in construction management."
Learn how Mia channelled her interest in property into a career, and used RMIT resources to break into a competitive field.
Learn how Mia channelled her interest in property into a career, and used RMIT resources to break into a competitive field.
This video shows MIA SHENKEN sitting in the foreground in a room at RMIT University. There are shots of her talking to camera, looking out over Melbourne city, in Ngarara Place gardens, and walking through a busy office.
Duration: 2:01
Subtitle: Mia - Bachelor of Applied Science (Property and Valuation)
Audio: Upbeat melodic music plays.
Mia speaks:
Growing up, I seemed to have an interest in property. I don't know where it came from. I guess, it started when I would read the real estate sections of the newspaper. Leaving high school, I didn't really know what exactly I wanted to do. I knew I liked buildings, but I didn't know what sort of career I could make out of it. And so, the closest thing that aligned with my interest was construction management. That is where I actually developed an understanding of property and I realised that the property and valuation subjects were what I liked the most.
At RMIT city campus, my favourite spots would be those with heritage appeal. So, the Old Melbourne Gaol and Ngarara Place, which is a beautiful spot with some native plants and it's just a nice way for the university to recognise Indigenous culture.
So, I'm currently working with the GPT Group as part of their scholarship. It is also a graduate program with three rotations throughout the business. The GPT scholarship is only available to one RMIT student per year, so I was stoked when I got the position.
Getting the job was not an easy feat. It took many, many failed interviews to get to where I am today. And it actually helped to have a program at RMIT called Women at RMIT that supports females in industries where they are underrepresented. So I was paired with an industry mentor that really helped me develop more confidence, especially with my interviewing skills. So, you could say that that program was almost instrumental in helping me secure that position.
Currently, as part of my Honours degree, I have to write a thesis. At GPT, it is very useful to have industry professionals surrounding me who can provide some real-world knowledge and provide their own insights into what I can do for my thesis.
What's next for me is immersing myself in the property industry and making a real, tangible impact.
[Closing credits]
Title: What’s next…
Visual: RMIT University logo
Text:
www.rmit.edu.au/school-lever
CRICOS provider number: 00122A
Registered Training Organisation number 3046
“My interests cover a lot of areas so I wanted to keep studying something broad, and property covers economics, construction, design, lots of different elements."
With its iconic architecture and many construction sites, studying from the heart of Melbourne at RMIT’s city campus has been inspiring for Mia.
“What I love about property is how tangible it is. If I were a property developer, I could point to a building and say, 'I helped shaped that building’.
“One of my favourite buildings in Melbourne is the Barak Building by ARM, otherwise known as Swanston Square. I love the facade and the fact that it points directly down the thoroughfare of Swanston Street to face the Shrine of Remembrance.”
This year Mia was selected to participate in a one-year internship at real estate and property investment firm GPT Group. She secured the highly competitive position with the help of an RMIT mentor.
“It really helped that RMIT has mentoring programs. I was paired with a mentor through the Women@RMIT program, which is for people in industries where women are underrepresented.
“I needed help with confidence and interview skills and my mentor helped with that and she was instrumental with my success. The GPT scholarship is only available to one RMIT student per year, so I was stoked when I got the position.”
As part of the internship, Mia will work through three rotations in separate parts of the business. So far she has completed rotations with office management and shopping centre management departments, and is soon to start with a sustainability management team.
When she’s not studying, Mia can be found at her favourite campus locations including the beautiful Ngarara Place, an Indigenous garden on the RMIT City campus
Her words of advice for new students are to forge relationships with teachers early and to come prepared with as much knowledge as possible.
“As a new student at RMIT I wish I had read more industry insights and market reports to get a broader understanding of what’s happening in the industry,” she says.
“I would also recommend getting to know the teaching staff early on because they’re a wealth of knowledge.”
Acknowledgement of Country
RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.
Acknowledgement of Country
RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.