Cara Zhao has found her career niche as a marketing specialist for luxury brands – and she still regularly uses the skills she learned in her Master of Education.
Pathway to postgrad
Cara knows from personal experience that the University of Melbourne’s Master of Education is a versatile degree that can take you anywhere, within and beyond the education sector.
“Education as a broader discipline can influence how organisations develop people, communicate, and lead,” Cara says.
Many principles of educational management are highly relevant beyond the classroom, particularly in professional environments.
Cara chose to study at the University of Melbourne for academic reasons, drawn by the University’s strong reputation both within Australia and globally. She travelled from her home in Shanghai to Melbourne, and ended up falling in love with the city, too.
“I loved Melbourne. It is a sophisticated and culturally rich city with a wonderful quality of life – and excellent food.”
Studying at Melbourne
As a UniMelb student, Cara valued the combination of “academic quality and quality of life”. She found the cost of living reasonable, and took advantage of study breaks to return home for visits and to explore more broadly within Victoria and Australia.
For me, Melbourne offered an excellent balance between academic development, career opportunities and life experience.
Academically, she thrived on the experience of collaborating with her classmates, whom she describes as “highly capable, collaborative and genuinely committed to contributing”.
Due to her classmates’ professionalism and wide-ranging experience, group presentations turned out to be one of the most valuable aspects of the course for Cara.
“Randomly assigned groups gave us the opportunity to work with people from different backgrounds as equals, divide responsibilities and build something together. As someone who is naturally more introverted, I was encouraged to speak up and challenge myself.”
I still draw on that experience today when presenting and contributing to meetings at work.
Cara was completing a full-time marketing internship with the luxury brand Cartier while studying her Master of Education, so her days were long: “demanding, but incredibly rewarding”.
Succeeding in Shanghai
After graduation, she returned home to Shanghai and scored a coveted role as an e-commerce and marketing specialist with Kering, another luxury goods company that owns brands like Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and Balenciaga.
The role would typically require several more years of professional experience, so I believe my postgraduate education played an important role in helping me make that career transition.
She also runs her own online jewellery business, Viigloo.
“While I am not working in education, I remain very grateful for the education and perspective that UniMelb gave me. The greatest value has been the way it shaped my approach to work.”
Currently on maternity leave, Cara looks forward to balancing motherhood with career growth.
“Going forward, I hope to apply what I have learned first in raising and educating my own child, and then continue developing my expertise in marketing and operations.”
Cara’s advice to young professionals:
Don't worry too much about where you start. Choose work that genuinely interests you, and once you find the right direction, develop real depth.
“Your first job does not define your career. I started in the new energy vehicle industry, moved into consulting, and eventually found my way into fashion and luxury. Each experience helped me understand what suited me — and what didn't.”
"I believe the most important thing is to remain curious, keep learning and give yourself permission to change direction when necessary. Over time, experience and skills become your strongest professional assets.”
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