Internships, work experience and WIL

Internships, work experience and WIL

Gain valuable professional experience, develop your skills in a workplace setting and make industry connections.

Internships and work experience

What is an internship or work experience?

Internships and work experience are formal experiences where you can develop your professional skills in the industry aligned to your studies.

These experiences look great on your resume and show that you’ve gained real industry experience before you’ve graduated from your qualification.

You can complete these experiences outside of your course and they will not be assessed for credit towards your qualification.

For more information about work experience and internships, including whether these opportunities should be paid or unpaid, visit Fair Work Australia.

Where can I find internship and work experience opportunities?

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Work Integrated Learning (WIL)

What is WIL?

WIL is a learning activity where you use your academic learning in a real-life situation, with a real industry or community partner. 

Higher Education and Vocational Education students can complete a WIL activity, which is formally assessed for credit towards your qualification. 

The type of WIL activities you undertake depends on your program and study discipline and can occur on or off campus. They may be in the form of: 

  • Work placements such as clinical placements, internships, cooperative and field education, vocational and professional practices 
  • Projects with industry and community-based organisations 
  • Art projects with exhibitions 
  • WIL simulations such as activities where you practice using industry technology, equipment or activities that are too risky or not possible to complete in an industry setting e.g. moot courts 
  • Offshore and online activities

Benefits of WIL

A WIL activity gives you the opportunity to:

  • Learn new professional skills and put theory into practice
  • Add professional experience and skills to your resume
  • Develop transferable skills, such as problem solving, teamwork and communication
  • Understand work culture and specific competencies of professions and industries
  • Establish a network of contacts – potentially resulting in you gaining a job role

Through a WIL activity, you can evaluate whether you enjoy working in the industry and if it’s a career path you want to pursue. Maybe you’ll love it or maybe you won’t, but that’s ok – WIL is an opportunity for you to ‘test drive’ the industry.

Finding a WIL activity

Depending on your course, you may be required to secure your own WIL activity, or you may be allocated one.

If you’re unsure about this, check your course guide or contact your WIL coordinator.

Check out the links below for more information.

Your WIL activity

Once you secure your WIL activity, you must complete several preparation tasks and be aware of the important requirements of WIL.

WIL contacts and supports

Find how to contact your WIL coordinator, who to contact in an emergency, or how to access InPlace support.

Business and Law Internship electives

Use your spare elective to gain invaluable real work experience as part of your academic studies through undertaking a WIL internship.

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Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

More information