Ep06: Finding Your Path: Peter Mcdonald on Persistence, Working Abroad, and Calculated Risks

Growing up in Perth, Australia, Peter Mcdonald forged a unique career in the global automotive industry with Europe’s biggest brands. With no connections. Persistence and adaptability has certainly helped, it all started with a chance internship with Volkswagon in Germany. The rest is history…

Peter shares how speaking English as a first language in a foreign country was his biggest asset early on. And he opens up on why international assignments can be difficult and sometimes take many years to prove worthwhile. Peter offers a unique perspective for those considering careers in large vs small companies, recently taking a successful leap into the scale up automotive energy technology sector.

Listen now on:  Spotify and Apple Podcasts

Graduate Edge

Josh Mackenzie hosts Graduate Edge, a podcast for people early in their career. He’s spent years working with thousands of young professionals worldwide and the hundreds of companies they work for. What he’s learned: the most successful people aren’t the ones who had it all figured out – they’re the ones who learned from the messy, uncertain moments along the way.

In each episode, Josh talks with people who’ve navigated early career challenges and lived to tell the tale. They dig into the pivotal moments, the failures that hurt, the career crossroads where the “right” path wasn’t obvious, how they found success, and the real lessons that only come from actually doing the work. But here’s what makes it different: Josh pulls their stories apart to uncover what they actually mean for you, and the concrete advice you can use right now.

Whether you’re figuring out your first professional job, navigating a major transition, or just trying to make sense of this whole “being a professional” thing, this is your space to learn from people who’ve walked the path before you – without the highlight reel, just the honest truth.

Subscribe and follow

New episodes drop regularly – don’t miss an episode, subscribe on your favourite podcast platform:

Spotify | Apple Podcasts


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Emma Sandford

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