Mika Yoshigaito

Many would describe MikaYoshigaito as a free spirit.

Seven years ago the unconventional Japanese woman quit her job as a manager for an Osaka finance company and headed into the dark depths of the Asian continent. Three years and 15 countries later she arrived in Auckland determined to master the English language.

During her time in the City of Sails she studied English, sat her IELTS exam and then gained a double diploma from NZMA. For just ten additional weeks of study, NZMA gives its National Diploma in Hospitality Management students the opportunity to also gain a National Diploma in Business. The qualification usually requires one year of study however much of the business content is covered in the hospitality programme, enabling students to gain both qualifications in a relatively short time period. Not surprisingly, it was an opportunity that Mika was keen to utilize.

During her studies, Mika held down two part-time jobs, one as the International Student Coordinator for NZMA's marketing department and the other as a food and beverage person in one of Auckland's top hotels, the Stamford Plaza.

Mika was snapped up by the hotel when they saw her gold-medal winning performance at the 2002 National Culinary Fare. Shortly afterwards, they approached Mika's tutors offering her part-time work

"I enjoyed working there very much. Everyone was very friendly and it was a very global workplace. I worked with Indians, Kiwis, Europeans, Brazilians it was great! A lot of Japanese students come to New Zealand and find part-time jobs in Japanese restaurants but if they got a hospitality qualification it would be easy for them to get a job in a mixed culture workplace. That way they could improve their English more and learn more about other cultures."

Once Mika graduated she worked for a stint as a full-time Student Advisor for NZMA before jet setting across the Tasman to start a new life on Australia's Gold Coast. IBM Australia was impressed with her qualifications and work experience and immediately offered her a job. She now works in HTC (their Hardware Technical Centre) and is responsible for providing technical support to big companies such as banks, schools and insurance companies throughout Asia. She says her diploma studies have prepared her well for the challenging role.

"Studying at NZMA was a great experience for me it has given me the experience and knowledge to perform confidently in my role at IBM."

Mika is enjoying her job and is also loving her new lifestyle. The Gold Coast is the perfect place to indulge in her passion surfing.

"The Aussie life is great! I go surfing every morning before work and we've just bought a little house that's five minutes from work and very near the beach. Things are going very, very well!"