Santy Ramasamy, regional recruitment manager of Southern Cross University Perth, says she enjoys running an office with open doors, constant feedback, and lots of energy and activity. And why not? She is committed to building something larger than just recruiting international students, and thus, puts aside personal gain for the well-being of the group.
She highly values education and emphasizes the importance of completing a degree program. She relates that her Master of Business Administration degree has prepared her well for the challenges that she faced in her various roles as she built her career in international education. She adds that the insights that she learned in her MBA greatly contributed to her professional development skills in management, sales and marketing.
Santy describes herself as someone who thinks positively and can execute on difficult tasks. “I’m not an individual who needs to be micro-managed. Rather, when given a specific task, I can figure out the best ways to solve the problem in an autonomous manner,” she quips, and qualifies that “Every day I work to improve myself and my skills which is part of maturing and becoming better at what I do.”
When asked how she got to be where she is now, Santy is quick to point out that she loves what she does and thrives in fast-paced, challenging environments. She sets high goals for herself and her department and works with people who share the same passion for doing their best. “I am very self-motivated, determined and honest. I try to surround myself with people who share similar passions.”
On meeting students’ needs
Santy believes that service is a major contributor to student satisfaction. If students aren’t receiving a level of service that meets or exceeds their expectations, they won’t be there for very long. She’s consciously aware that people do talk and share information. That’s why she makes it a point to know and understand how Southern Cross University’s programs fit the requirements of incoming students and advise them accordingly.
Santy cites the important role of education counsellors in assisting international students with their choice of an institution that’s right for them. With their support, she helps students create a deeper, more meaningful connection with their preferred institution and build up a bigger picture of what life at the Southern Cross University Perth campus is like before they enrol.
Students want the assurance of a job after they graduate. Thus, Santy says that the key to enrolment growth and competitive strength in today’s higher education market is to offer the right programs to the right students. “I use this in my marketing and recruitment strategies for decision making to boost enrolment, leading to more positive outcomes for both students and institution.”
She conducts periodic training for education agents by providing them with accurate and up-do-date information about what makes Southern Cross University Perth more desirable than other higher education providers in Perth. She also touches base with them on a regular basis, either by visiting them in their area of operations or through email and phone. “Our highest-performing current agents are very helpful in understanding and attracting the most successful future students,” she concludes.
On maintaining work-life balance
Santy’s workday is very structured because she usually has four or five meetings/appointments a day. She likes having at least one hour of uninterrupted time in the early morning to plan her day, which normally starts at 8.30 a.m. She tries to get out for lunch at least once during the week to clear her head. “I have a personal rule that stops me from reacting to a problem until I feel calm about it. I think, then act.” She qualified though that this did not happen overnight, “I learned to do that over time.”
For stress relief, she says she has taken to going to the gym 4 to 5 times a week “just to release whatever tension I have at work. On the weekends,” she continues, “I like to have a plan, but not necessarily a set schedule. That in itself is a relaxing change of pace for me, but I feel I’d be wasting time with no plan at all.” Santy likes traveling and exploring new environments. She learns a lot about people and diverse cultures in this way. This, in turn, also helps her in relating to students and education agents all over the world.
