Moving countries in your 30s is often portrayed as exciting and full of opportunity, but what does the reality actually look like?

In this episode, I'm joined by Ana Asanovic to share her journey from Serbia to Australia as a mature age student, to further her education in Communications and take her career in a new direction

Driven by her award-winning travel blog, passion for storytelling, and desire to create meaningful impact, Ana explains why she chose Australia over other destinations and what it really takes to start again professionally and personally later in life.

Together, we explore the often unspoken realities of migration, from loneliness and building friendships as an adult, to navigating the Australian job market and overcoming barriers like the “local experience” requirement, accent bias, and explaining transferable skills.

Ana shares her honest experience of rebuilding her career from the ground up, including completing unpaid internships, working part-time roles on a student visa, and leveraging networking to progress into senior communications positions.

The conversation also highlights the accessibility challenges within professional networking spaces, and Ana’s advocacy work around connection and belonging, including contributing to published works, and creating a marketing and communications co-working day designed to foster genuine community for remote and hybrid professionals.

This episode is a powerful reminder that career paths are rarely linear, and that finding the right advice, aligned values, and supportive community can shape not just your career but your overall experience of life in a new country.

If you’re considering migrating, changing careers, or rebuilding your professional identity, this conversation offers both practical insight and reassurance that you’re not alone.

To connect with Ana:
linkedin.com/in/ana-asanovic

https://anaasanovic.au/

Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome and Acknowledgement
00:28 Life in Serbia Translation Career
00:47 Travel Blogging and Creative Shift
03:40 Why Australia and New Direction
07:06 Early Migration Challenges
08:47 Making Friends and Finding Community
15:09 Australian Experience Job Barrier
24:25 Starting Over Internships and Accents
31:17 Networking Access and Event Costs
34:14 Loneliness Advocacy and Coworking
42:35 Lessons on Values and Career Advice
47:02 Closing Thanks and Takeaways

Can you also find episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EmmaGrahamCareerCoach/videos

Your host, Emma Graham, Career Coach and ex-recruiter, is here to help you with:

💡 Gain clarity on what’s important to you
💡 Confidently communicate your value
💡 Build a personal brand and a strong network
💡 Take a strategic approach to your next move
💡 Navigate the job market effectively
💡 Build career confidence with a repeatable success blueprint

🌐 Explore my coaching programs and free resources:
Website: https://www.egconsulting.au/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/emmajgraham
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmagrahamcareercoach/

🎁 Free Resources:
📄 CV Development Guide: https://www.egconsulting.au/cv-advice
📄 LinkedIn Profile Optimisation Guide: https://www.egconsulting.au/linkedin-profile-guide

📅 Book Your FREE Career Strategy Discovery Call:
https://calendly.com/emmagrahamconsulting/discovery-call