Stefanía Serna Quintero
“Passion and Persistence are key to succeed”
Stefanía Serna Quintero
Country of origin: Colombia.
Occupation: IT Project Manager, Singer, Songwriter and Band Manager. State of Residency: VIC. Favourite place in Australia: Cairns. Upon arrival: Surprised by the love that Aussies have for the Latin Culture
By Trini Abascal
Stefanía is an IT Project Manager at e-GoodManners (one of the Australasian most trusted supplier of Lead Management & CRM Solutions for the automotive industry). She has been working within that industry since 2015. She is also an artist (a singer, songwriter and band manager). She proudly manages two recognised bands in Melbourne: Calle Luna (salsa and cumbia) and Queen of Hearts Mariachi (first female mariachi in Melbourne).
TELL US YOUR STORY
Queen of Hearts Mariachi
In September 2012, I arrived in Brisbane. It was always my dream to find my own way outside my homeland. My aim was to improve my English skills to start my postgraduate degree in Project Management. I had two engineering degrees from Colombia, but I felt I wanted to be in a management role to have the possibility of connecting with people and have a more holistic view of businesses. So, doing a Project Management Master was very suitable for that.
While I was doing my master’s degree, one night I was out in a great Brisbane night club where one of the most recognised Latin Bands in Australia – Chukale - was playing. I decided to approach the singer of the band and they gave me the chance of singing a song on that night. Since then, I haven’t stopped performing in Australia. That gave me the opportunity of traveling across Australia (in Darwin, Perth, Cairns, NSW, and towns in Queensland) alongside Chukale.
While I was performing, I started volunteering in 2014 for the Project Management Institute (PMI). Once I finished my postgraduate degree, I enrolled to work at AP Eagers, the biggest Automotive Dealer Group in Australia. My main role was leading a project to integrate diverse dealer management systems with the mandated AP Eagers Lead Management System.
In 2015, I moved to New Zealand (NZ) looking for new personal and professional experiences. I must say, it was the first time in my life that I felt entire lonely but absolutely empowered to achieve what I planned at that time. It was a reset in my life and after 8 months of struggling, I had the opportunity to work in an IT company in Christchurch which provides IT solutions for the Dairy industry. After a year of living in NZ, I came back to Melbourne in May 2016 as I was sponsored and appointed to be the project manager of Vital Software – a very well recognised data integration software within the Australia/UK automotive industry. The first year was very challenging as I had the leadership of a CRM implementation. I was totally focused on my IT role. However, after a year I felt the need of enrolling again in the music scene. As a result, I started doing networking and connecting with musicians and entertainment managers in Melbourne. They enrolled me to be part of a female Latin band called “Ella Trinidad”. Six months later I was starting my own salsa/cumbia band alongside other friends – the name of the band is “Calle Luna”. Recently, I launched my latest project “Queen of Hearts Mariachi” alongside Elizabeth Obando – a very well know musician in Melbourne and one of my closest friends.
In retrospect, when I came to Australia, I never imagined that I would’ve be able to work as a professional in my field and at the same time continue doing my passion- singing! I must say that I was not aware that Aussies were so into Latin culture. There’s no doubt that my art has given me the opportunity of connecting with a multicultural environment in Australia and demonstrated that Colombians living overseas can break diverse paradigms.
CHALLENGES
Visa process - I must say I was not properly advised about migration challenges when I was in Colombia. As a result, I had some challenges to get into a visa which was a pathway to stay in Australia permanently. That was a big challenge! However, my commitment to my work and networking allowed me to find a professional sponsor. This was my pathway to the Australian Permanent Residency.
Job hunting - Process hiring in Australia is slightly different to Colombia’s. This process was initially a bit complicated as I had to use different strategies to be successful: I started enrolling in networking sessions back in Brisbane, asking for coaching at the university, and knocking doors. The process was a huge learning for me – I learnt that success is part of constant work and not losing hope when receiving negative responses from recruiters or HR departments.
Slowing down - In Colombia we are used to live in a constant pressure. In Australia you learn that you need to slow down. There’s an established system that you need to adapt to. The system works, you just need to learn how to succeed on it. After living in Australia for several years, I learned that you could live a peaceful life by setting simple priorities. Australia is not just an opportunity to get a better financial life, it is the opportunity of living in a multicultural society. If you slow down, you will be amazed to find out that you are surrounded by a supportive society with a clear direction and strong values.
CONTRASTS
Social structure - I love Australia because it is just easy to live here. I mean, people do not care about who you are or what you dress. People care about what you bring to the community.
Sense of community - In Australia, I feel a sense of community that I could not find back home. Although I miss many things from my homeland (and especially from my region- Valle del Cauca), I can say that I live here with a peace of mind that I was lacking back home.
Multiculturalism - When I first got to Australia, I started making friends from different nationalities, having a strong and special connection with people from the Middle East. This has been an unforgettable experience which changed my personality drastically. My sense of empathy became stronger and I started learning about traditions that I never imagined experiencing them when I was in Colombia. I feel lucky to have this opportunity in my life.
PIECE OF ADVICE
Do your research - Gather proper information before coming to Australia. Make sure you know what you’re looking for and from there, what are the things that you may need to achieve your goals. I am a planner by nature so I believe that a proper planning leads to great outcomes.
Be persistent - Have dedication, persistence, and focus. Stay away from situations or people who can disperse you from what you want to achieve. Remember, every tough situation is temporal; so if you work hard, with a clear plan, you will get what you look for.
Prepare yourself - In the work-space you need to have a proper balance of soft and hard skills. If you want to be active part of the Australian society, then you need to work hard and intelligently. I always use an expression which could be a bit controversial “learn how to sell yourself”.
Stefanía alonside the other members of the “Calle Luna” band
IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS…
Stefanía would like to continue working as a Manager, maybe in more executive roles as Portfolio Manager - as she has a genuine passion for technology. In addition to this, she will continue working as an artist, focusing on creating her own brand and spreading the Latin Culture across Australia. Her short-term plans are releasing the first albums of Calle Luna and Queen of Hearts Mariachi by the end of 2020.