Four ways to set up your career while you study

Four ways to set up your career while you study

Isn’t it frustrating when an entry-level job asks for experience? This can feel like a barrier between you and achieving your career goals.

Isn’t it frustrating when an entry-level job asks for experience? This can feel like a barrier between you and achieving your career goals.

Isn’t it frustrating when an entry-level job asks for experience? This can feel like a barrier between you and achieving your career goals.

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You’ll be happy to know that one of RMIT’s primary goals is to give students the experience employers are looking for.  

At RMIT, you get more than a qualification and the means to work in your favourite industry – we also nurture and support you to accomplish your career goals. 

No matter what you study at RMIT, you’ll have the chance to gain résumé-ready real-world experiences. On top of that, our career services can help you with everything from application writing to job interview practice. 

Here are just a few ways that you can set yourself up for success while you study at RMIT. 

An RMIT student standing in front of a white board where they are writing about their future career

#1: Get personal career advice and guidance  

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Sometimes, the best way to start your journey is to seek the wisdom of others. As an RMIT student, you’ll have access to a slew of information and advice through our Career Connect service.  

Bachelor of Fashion (Design) student Niamh found Career Connect staff’s guidance useful as she began considering the steps towards her career goals. Their guidance broadened Niamh’s perspective and gave her a better understanding of what employers were looking for in applicants.  

“Some of the tips that stuck with me would probably be to be unique and avoid generic statements, that was a big takeaway for me. It’s not enough to say that I’m looking to grow my skills and experience in this area, they really wanted [to know] what’s unique about you.” 

No matter what you’re studying, RMIT also runs many career workshops and events throughout the year. These are a great chance to speak to employers and industry leaders to find out exactly what you need to do to build a career path. The biggest careers event of the year is the RMIT Careers Fair. In previous years, employers like ANZ, Fujistu, Seek and L’Oreal, among many others, have attended and spoken with students. 

Students walking on a campus pathway

Your future starts at Career Connect

If you're worried about how to start achieving your career goals, you'll find all the support and guidance you need at RMIT's Career Connect.

#2: Get application assistance and practice 

Through Career Connect, RMIT career consultants like Anita Zagami help students and grads with career planning and can even coach you through job applications.  

“We provide support with students who might have an interview coming up”, said Anita.  

We will do a mock interview with the student, we’ll look at the job ad and the selection criteria, and we will predict questions.

Bachelor of Business student Yuwen was looking to improve his professional persona when he decided to reach out to Career Connect for advice.  

“In complimentary to my study, I wanted to explore resources on campus. My first contact was to have someone look through my resume and to get some insights on how to move forward and present myself professionally.” 

#3: Take part in an internship or real-world experience  

One way to test the waters of your future career and show that you’ve got what it takes is to undertake an internship.  

There are many opportunities to do this in any number of RMIT’s courses, take for example, Bachelor of Science (Applied Mathematics and Statistics) student, Emily Tattersall. 

“One of my highlights from my [study] was being able to complete a summer internship that allowed me to gain exposure to industry, work on a start to end consulting project, and network with industry leaders.”  

“I also had the opportunity to be a cadet on a Big Build construction project throughout my final year, which meant I could apply my knowledge from the degree to real-life problems and develop industry relevant skills.” 

In addition to internships, real-world experience and industry connections can elevate your employability even further.  

This was the case for Bachelor of Arts (Creative Writing) student, Daniel Car. 

My study gave me hard skills in editing which led to internships and eventually to editing work with various publishing houses.

“I also built the first iteration of my professional website and social media pages as part of the course. RMIT left me with connections to industry professionals who I can contact with queries and who are always willing to support me.”  

Two RMIT architecture students working on a project together

#4: Choose a volunteering experience that matches your passions  

Another way to develop job-ready skills and show that you are willing to go above and beyond is to volunteer. 

At RMIT, volunteering opportunities range from peer mentoring to becoming the leader of a student club. 

Bachelor of Science (Food Technology) and Bachelor of Business (Management) student Shenelle Balasuriya speaks highly of her experience volunteering as a mentor at RMIT.  

“RMIT provides a peer mentoring system, where students simultaneously can give and ask for help. I’ve enjoyed every bit of being a peer mentor for others. Not only does it allow me to refresh my knowledge on past courses, but more importantly provides me with a real sense of fulfilment by helping others.”  

Shenelle’s experience is just one of the many forms of volunteering available at RMIT, you will also find opportunities to take part in industry events and sustainability initiatives, just to name a few more. 

At RMIT, we’re here to help you accomplish your career goals and achieve your potential – we can’t wait to see what you do during and after your studies! 

 

Story: Jacob Johnston  

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