Built by an international student, for the next one.

DHAKA · BEFORE AUSTRALIA

I thought it would be easy

Before I came to Australia, I was already working in tech. In Bangladesh I was a mobile developer at Binary Craft, while studying Computer Science and Engineering at North South University. Even before university, I was freelancing on Upwork, building websites and apps for clients overseas.

Straight after finishing my degree, I moved to Australia as an international student to do my Master of Information Technology at Macquarie University in Sydney. I had big plans. With real industry experience behind me, I honestly thought settling in and finding work would be easy.

SYDNEY · THE FIRST MONTHS

It wasn't easy

The job market was far harder than I expected. My student visa limited the hours I could work, and I struggled to get interviews. The few part-time roles in my field often asked for Australian citizenship or permanent residency.

Even the small things were new. Where do you buy a SIM card? What does an Australian CV look like, and where do you print one? Do you really walk from shop to shop handing it in? What is a GP, and which app do you use to book one when you're sick? I had to learn all of it by making mistakes, with nobody to ask.

I also learned that some businesses take advantage of international students, paying below the minimum wage or asking for unpaid "trial" work, and I went through some of that myself. Between visa questions, casual jobs and settling in, it was hard to stay focused on my studies and on why I'd come here in the first place.

TODAY · WHY I BUILT STEPWISE

The guide I wish I'd had

Rules and visas keep changing, but students and migrants will keep coming to Australia, and they'll keep facing the same first weeks I did. So I built StepWise to be that guide: a step-by-step plan for your move, help at the airport, a checklist for your first week, an Australian CV builder, tools for share houses, and everyday tips linked to official sources.