WHEN CREATIVITY PAYS
STUDENTS are becoming more creative in a bid to showcase their skills before graduation, as traditional avenues of workplace experience dwindle.
Bond University career development centre director Kirsty Mitchell says automation is reducing the part-time work opportunities usually undertaken by students to gain employability skills.
“It is getting really hard to get a (student) job,” she says.
“Students are having to think quite broadly about how they’re going to get a portfolio of experience.
“Some of them are looking at blogging and vlogging … to capture their learning experiences and to show their understanding of a subject.
“They can use (a blog) to reach out to people in the field and interview them, which expands their network.’’
Mitchell says students looking to develop workplace skills, and then demonstrate them to future employers, should not be constrained by traditional employment models.
Nor should they rely on internships and cadetships, which are becoming increasingly difficult to secure.
“Customer service, teamwork, showing initiative, being able to deal with conflict – there’s a broad range of experiences where people can learn those skills,’’ she says.
“Teams are teams. The behaviours of a sporting team are the same as the behaviour in the workplace, which are the same as in a volunteering organisation or a not-forprofit.’’
Invoice2go chief executive Greg Waldorf says starting your own business provides valuable experience.
“Starting your own business can be a way to not only gain hands-on experience in a new field but it also shows that you’re truly a learner who can handle responsibility,’’ Waldorf says.
“As an employer, there’s something very attractive about candidates who have an entrepreneurial mindset because it means they can step up and teach themselves quickly how to adapt and overcome challenges or mistakes.’’
Engineering student Monica Lazzaretti says looking for opportunities early is the key to success.
Lazzaretti secured a cadetship with Woollam Constructions part way through her degree and believes the experience will give her a strong advantage over fellow graduates.
“I think what many people, including many of my peers, don’t realise is that the race for a post-uni job is starting earlier and earlier, and that people who don’t go out there and try to get some work experience will really struggle when they graduate,’’ Lazzaretti says.