Economist

Zoya Dhillon moved to Australia from India when she was 13. When it came time to choose subjects for Year 11, economics was a bit of a mystery. “I wasn’t quite sure, but I was curious to learn,” she recalls. “I had an amazing teacher who made it accessible and clear. I loved economics because it was like a theory of common sense that explained so many decisions and events I could observe day to day.”

For her university studies Zoya again chose economics. “I could see an economics degree would have value after I graduated,” she says. “It’s not limited. You can take economics anywhere you want and do anything with it – you never get bored.”

After university Zoya completed a few internships, before realising she wanted to work as a professional economist in the public sector so she applied for the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) graduate program.

While she enjoyed microeconomics at university – understanding the behaviour of individuals, firms and markets – she currently works in macroeconomics, looking at the economy on a national or global scale.

“In my current role as a senior analyst in the financial stability department at the RBA, I analyse the financial health of Australian households, which ultimately impacts the health of the financial system and the economy,” she says. “Unlike some areas, where the things you learn at uni are soon redundant, I’ve been able to directly apply the things I studied in my economics degree.”

To get there: bit.ly/RBAEducation

Zoya’s pathway from an economics degree

> > Bachelor of Economics, University of Exeter

> > Graduate economist program, RBA

> > Senior Analyst in Financial Stability, RBA

“I could see an economics degree would have value after I graduated. It’s not limited. You can take economics anywhere you want and do anything with it – you never get bored.”

This article originally appears in Careers with STEM: Economics 2019