How were you originally connected with CareerDC?
I actually did an internship myself at CareerDC while I was studying, this was a great learning experience and after I completed my internship I was offered a permanent position to stay on with the team. Now I have progressed to become the HR Officer and Internship Coordinator at CareerDC over the last four years.
What does a typical day at work look like for you?
In the morning I will go through all my emails and try to respond to as many as I can, most of the time it will involve contacting other parties (students and host organisations for example). Throughout the day I have meetings, am following up interview results, completing internship documentation for my own clients, and then also managing the HR team. This will involve going through updates with them on progress, tasks-lists etc. and making sure we are doing our best to help all our clients.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
To be able to provide students with practical industry experience where they can apply skills and knowledge learnt from studies, learn about Australian work environments and develop a network of industry contacts. It’s so rewarding when I receive feedback from our clients on how much they are enjoying their internships!
Why do you think international internships are important in the world today?
The world has become so much more accessible and this has also turned into a vital part of business. Most people enjoy travelling to other countries for holidays, however doing an internship gives you, not only the travel experience, but also the opportunity to live in the country and really understand what the culture is like, improve language skills and at the same time develop your career, understanding how business differentiates from country to country. There are so many reasons to do an internship abroad!
What characteristics do you think define a successful intern?
Someone that is motivated and takes initiative to not only complete the tasks given but suggest ideas for improvement or provides a different perspective on things. Another thing I have noticed from my personal experience with interns, when the intern is interested in understanding the business as a whole rather than just sticking to the tasks they have been given. Asking questions in order to understand more and provoke out-of-the-box thinking is a great.
Why should prospective interns choose CareerDC over other internship providers?
At CareerDC we guarantee to find internships for students, even if they are unsuccessful in interviews we will keep looking until a placement is achieved. Not only do we find an internship, we also update student CV’s, provide interview training and provide internship support throughout the process.
What is the hardest part about your job as a HR Officer?
Managing all clients to make sure their internship search is progressing would be the most challenging task, especially during the busy periods. I take pride in making sure all clients are looked after and we want to achieve the best for them so working with tight deadlines can be difficult at times, but once we succeed it’s very rewarding!
In what ways does CareerDC support interns before, during, and after their internship?
- Before the internship: we update their CV’s, prepare them for interviews, once placed we assist with documentation.
- During the internship: we like to check-in with the interns and company supervisors and the interns are able to contact us anytime they need.
- After the internship: we ask for feedback on the experience, organise documentation such as reference letters from the host companies, and also add them to our database for any graduate positions that come up.
Is there anything exciting in the works that we should look out for in 2018?
CareerDC is expanding! We already operate in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the Middle East, however we are trying to add more countries so we can help students everywhere!
