Mandakini Devi
What subject did you study during your time at NTU?
Masters in Fine Art.
What is your current job?
After working as a full-time artist/consultant in an architectural firm for two years, I have decided to pursue a career in teaching and establishing an independent studio practice.
What was your most memorable moment during your time at NTU, that helped you with your career development?
While I was a student at NTU, I interacted with students from parts of the world that I had only read about. The multi-cultural ethos that I experienced during my Masters, continues to enrich my perspective in my professional and personal life.
My top tip for the Class of 2020 in one sentence:
Once you give a commitment you must fulfil that commitment with honesty. Money is important but it should not disillusion your integrity, and you should always value your degree.
What did you find most challenging about graduating in 2008 (e.g. effects of recession on career plans)?
The recession did not affect me directly as I used that time period to study further and gain new skill sets. I also chose to do internships - even though they did not remunerate me accordingly, my intent was to gain insights on the challenges faced by professionals working in the creative industries.
Do you have any advice for current students or new graduates to improve their employability prospects?
It is highly important to act and do more, especially in the current climate of uncertainty. Thanks to technology we have been able to retain our productivity and communicate globally.
I would urge students to engage with the technology of the internet and digital media in more experimental ways that focus on culturally driven knowledge resources.