Undergraduate work: know your options
Scholarships
Scholarships are financial grants provided by
government, industry or private organisations.
top tips
t!
Relevant work experience with the sponsor
o
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organisation is often part of the scholarship.
1. In a broad sense, know the type of
GO f
work-placement and work-experience
The benefits
activity you ideally would like to
The benefits of undertaking any of the above
undertake (and why).
undergraduate options include:
2. Narrow down your preferred industry
• Career-relevant experience
areas to two or three, and focus
• Résumé enhancement
on these in your undergraduate
• Enhanced knowledge of the industry
opportunities search.
• Networking opportunities 3. Develop an action plan, noting your
• Gaining ‘a foot in the door’ preferred employers and how you
• Opportunity to preview a job/organisation
intend to make contact with them.
• Better grades: you will go back to university
4. Investigate your options early so that
with a greater understanding of your field.
you know what is available when it is
How do I find out about opportunities?
time to apply (which is usually around
• Look through the profiles in this directory and
the middle of your penultimate year.)
on the GO website
5. Look out for on-campus workshops
• Talk to careers services staff and find a mentor
that will help you to prepare a
who can give you advice about where and
professional application.
when to seek vacation work
• Contact organisations that you are interested
6. Seek assistance, application feedback
in working for. Even if they don’t have formal
and personalised tips from your
programs for students, ask whether there is
university careers service.
any opportunity for you to gain experience of
7. Understand the difference between
some kind with them.
the various types of vacation programs
Keep in mind
and employment options and identify
Remember, vacation work and other work
which might work best for you.
experience programs are good for both
8. Make sure that your email address and
employers and job seekers. Employing the your phone voice message presents a
wrong people is costly for organisations so they
professional image to a prospective
like having the chance to preview workers. If an
employer. Also be mindful that what
organisation you have undertaken a placement
you put on the public area of a website
with offers you a job later down the track, it
— i.e. on a “MySpace” profile — can be
read by anyone.
is less of a risk for both parties: you know the
work environment, expectations and whether
9. Don’t leave your application to the last
it felt ‘right’ for you and they know your skills,
minute.
personality and role/organisation suitability.
These tips come courtesy of Lee Miles, formerly of the
Edith Cowan University Careers Service Office.
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