The pathway to acquiring a great internship, and subsequently employment can be long and challenging. It is important to stay motivated, and more importantly stay positive about the entire process. Understandably, it can be tough to remain persistent when things aren’t going you way, although to ensure you have the best possible chances, consistently remind yourself that the right opportunity will arise. When this occurs, it is of vital importance you make the most of it and appear enthusiastic and passionate about your industry.
To get Australian work experience, it can be quite overwhelming and daunting. Like many others, you see that employers request experience for the position, yet to get experience, the best possibility is applying for an internship.
As such, here are 6 ideal traits when applying for internship roles:
- Take pride in your personality. It is important to remain pleasant and easy to work with throughout the entire application process. Create a memorable moment with those at the organisation by being relatable. Do your best to turn an interview into a conversation; employers are looking for well-rounded candidates.
- Be a connector. Challenge yourself to build great relationships, although more importantly, make sure the relationships are genuine and comfortable. Start to enjoy meeting new people in your preferred industry and beyond, as you never know what opportunity may arise when you get to know someone.
- Quick to respond. Replying in an untimely fashion can be just as bad as not showing up to an interview. In the scheme of things, you don’t want to be lost in a ‘to-do’ list, so be quick to react to any calls, emails and correspondence to ensure you have the best possible chance. Make it easy for the organisation to hire you.
- Be Tech Savvy. In this day and age, as a potential intern, you will most likely be a point of call for anything tech. Understand how to navigate your way around cloud platforms, social media and computer interfaces.
- Diversify yourself. Employers aren’t looking for interns with only impressive academic results. Undertake new ventures in your local community or beyond, as you will then be able to create a genuine relationship and more importantly, improve your interpersonal skills. Joining a volunteering organisation, a walking club or even starting a new sport… it all helps!
- Embrace opportunity. Understand the importance of making the most of every moment; this is something you can practice at any stage, and in any environment. Step out of your comfort zone and realise the potential of new ventures, new relationships and new environments. This is experience you will be able to draw on in job interviews and help you stand out from the crowd if you are lacking work experience in Australia.
For example, say you had just graduated from a Melbourne university, majoring in accounting. Like many other accounting graduates you are considering undertaking your CPA program almost immediately, although you recognize this won’t be enough to secure a role in the accounting industry. That’s why if you have no relevant work experience in Australia, your best bet is to look actively for an internship program in accounting. To ensure you have the best possible chance of securing that ideal internship, adhere to the six key traits in preparation for your internship search.
In summary, be proud of who you are when applying for internships, relish the chance to create genuine relationships in a quick and timely fashion, understand the latest in tech, diversify your interests, and ultimately embrace the opportunities in front of you. Good luck!