🔍 Inspired by insights from Purvang Dave

Ever heard someone in a meeting say, “Let’s park that and circle back offline”, and quietly thought:

“Wait… was that a yes? A no? Am I doing a good job or being politely ignored?”

Welcome to the wonderfully weird world of Australian workplace lingo, where “no dramas” might signal an impending crisis, and “keen” has at least four different meanings.

At HEX, we believe future-focused education goes beyond technical skills. It’s also about decoding the hidden rules of work, the kind no one tells you but everyone expects you to know.

That’s why we hosted the Australian Workplace: Jargon-Busting Panel, a live event designed to help international students and early-career professionals make sense of Australian office culture.

What We Unpacked

With a panel of sharp minds and an audience full of curious thinkers, we took a deep (and slightly sarcastic) dive into some of the most common and confusing workplace phrases in Australia, including:

🧠 “Yeah, nah” vs. “Nah, yeah” — same words, totally opposite meanings

📌 “Let’s park it” — your idea has been politely benched

💬 “Just a quick one” — famous last words

🔥 “No dramas” — things may or may not be on fire

👬 “Mate” — affectionate or aggressive, depending on tone and eyebrow angle

“The panel was a safe space to talk about things we’re often too embarrassed to ask at work.”

— Purvang Dave, Study Melbourne Ambassador and community member

Workplace Culture, Decoded

For international students stepping into the Aussie workforce, the challenge isn’t just speaking English, it’s understanding tone, context, and unwritten workplace norms. Our goal? To make that transition less awkward and a lot more empowering.

✅ Deconstruct the lingo

✅ Build confidence to ask questions

✅ Help everyone feel more prepared and less alone

Meet the Panel

We were joined by some incredible voices who brought insight, humour, and realness to the conversation:

🎤 Emmanuella Grace – Voice coach and founder of Find Your Voice Australia

🎤 Miriam Deliva – CEO of The Press Run

🎤 Chris Hoffmann – HEX Co-founder and culture decoder

🎤 Ramsey Tawil – Communications pro and sharp-as MC

Moderated by our CEO, Jeanette Cheah, this session turned confusion into clarity with a few “ah-ha!” moments and more than a few laughs.

A Word from Purvang

This blog was inspired by a brilliant reflection from Purvang Dave, a Study Melbourne Ambassador and valued member of the HEX community, who attended the event and captured its energy and message perfectly:

“We can teach you the industry.

We can teach you the tools.

But confidence? That’s something you grow when someone lets you ask the awkward questions.”

You can read Purvang’s full post here.

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Ready for the Next Round?

More events. More decoded lingo. More support for the next generation of global talent.

📅 Check out what’s coming up next at HEX:

👉 startwithhex.com/events

Because you don’t need to fake it ‘til you make it.

You just need a room where you’re allowed to ask.

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