Student testimonials
Madeleine Cronin, UniSA Bachelor of Arts (Communication and Media Management) graduate
Madeleine
Cronin just might be the most envied girl in Australia. The 22 year old is
packing her stilettos and trading the sleepy Adelaide Hills for the bright
lights of New York City, having just scored an internship at Teen Vogue.
Over a New York summer, Madeleine will get a taste of life as a member of the Fashion and Production teams at one of the world's most popular magazines - an opportunity most girls would hand over their Chanel for. It could be straight from the script of the Devil Wears Prada, but for Madeleine, the chance to live her dream working hands on at one of her favourite magazines is very real. "I've read Teen Vogue since I was 15," she says. "I've seen the Devil Wears Prada and I love MTV's The Hills and The City - I can't believe I'll actually be there, living the life I've only seen on screen until now." It won't be the first time Madeleine has stepped into the role of intern. The recent UniSA graduate has already completed a two month stint at The Adelaide Hills Magazine, an opportunity that came with a little help from UniSA.
"While I was studying, I registered with Career Services and I would receive weekly updates of new opportunities for part time jobs and internships," she says. "When I saw that there was an internship available at The Adelaide Hills Magazine, I went for it. I had always wanted to work at a magazine, and seeing as this one was so close to where I live it seemed like the perfect opportunity. It was a great experience. It's a relatively small team, so I got to work on many different parts of the magazine, from a cover shoot to developing story ideas." Inspired by how much her internship had taught her, and having graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Communication and Media Management), Madeleine took to the internet to seek out an opportunity overseas. "There are a number of websites where you can search for international internships. The Teen Vogue one was technically open only to American students, but I didn't let that stop me from applying," she says.
Jing Zheng, UniSA graduate
Jing
Zheng, UniSA Graduate shares his story of finding work and support provided
by Career Services.
First thing I did was check the UniSA Career Services website to get ideas and information on how to apply for jobs. I looked at the information on how to write a resume and covering letter and gained ideas for job searching; I also looked on other websites such as Career one and Seek to get extra information.
I also attended the Weekly Resume Writing Workshop to get the template and ideas for putting together my resume with assistance from the Career Adviser. Once I had developed my resume I started coming to Career Consultations at the Learning and Teaching Unit at Mawson Lakes so I could use the one on one time with the Career Adviser to have my applications checked before sending them off. I did this for each job. I also talked through the requirements of each job so I was clear on what they were looking for - because I am an international student I sometimes had difficulty expressing myself and the Career Adviser helped me with my English language and understanding the employer expectations.
I did further research into jobs by checking examples of applications and got involved in online discussion forums to further investigate jobs: in particular IT based forums to gather info for jobs, share experiences and identify which companies were recruiting. I also checked Seek regularly for all new jobs and to register with companies currently recruiting for positions, as well as checking the UniSA website for graduate positions being offered.
Another thing I did was to borrow resources from the library: books and DVD's for getting more information about how to get a job - the dos and don'ts. I thoroughly researched all companies and roles prior to applying and read annual reports/strategy plans or any other information available which helped me understand about the organisation I was applying to.
When I was asked to attend interviews I came in for Career Adviser Student Appointments to practise my interview skills and did mock interviews so I could learn what sort of questions I might be asked and also practise my answers- since I was applying for jobs locally and interstate I had both phone interviews and face to face.
And the most important thing is to be strong and believe in yourself. For example, I felt my self-confidence was slipping away as I kept receiving negative feedback. Then I took a step back and did some analysis: I had maintained distinction average in my undergraduate and postgraduate studies; I worked part time in McDonald's and the Oyster Shop, as well as my full time position with UniSA; I knew had valuable transferrable skills; in one word, I am good. So I just kept applying for new jobs.
My key tips for looking for work are:
- Find out everything you can about the job and the company before you apply
- Get a Career Adviser at the Learning and Teaching Unit to help you with your application
- Practise your interview skills and try to imagine what questions you will be asked so you can practise your answers
- Use the internet to research jobs and get involved in discussion forums for information and networks.
Emma, UniSA graduate
UniSA Career Services delivers Career Development presentations within programs, enabling students access to this material as part of their academic curriculum. Here is what one of our recent graduates had to say after completing Global Issues for accounting.
'As I'm sure many students felt when they saw a topic on Career Management within the subject 'Global Issues for Accounting', I thought it would be one of those filler topics that I need not pay much attention to. I am an external student who has been working for many years and thought there wouldn't be much I didn't know about the subject. So while half listening to the podcast on the topic, one sentence jumped out at me which was that there would be an exam question on the topic. I paid attention and I'm glad I did. Before exams I had the chance to apply for a job in accounting and so decided to use the material to re-vamp my cover letter and resume. I really feel that the information provided by Career Services enabled me to stand out and win the job before completing my degree. Thank you for incorporating this topic into the course. I hope other students have the same success.'