Kick-start your career with internships and grad programs

Kick-start your career with internships and rang programs Kick-start your career with internships and grad programsPosted October 13, 2011, by Andrea Riddell Like training wheels for a bike, internships and graduate programs guide and train you into your first real job. They can be the golden ticket to your dream career. If the technical skills you have learnt at university are itching to be put into practice, then internships and grad programs can be the perfect starting point. Internships and grad programs fall under the work experience umbrella. While there are no set definitions for either term, internships usually refer to work experience done during study, whereas a graduate program refers to companies taking on graduated students with the expectation to hire. Both types of experience are usually for a set period of time. All work experience placements, whether with a law firm or a local newspaper, offer hands-on experience in a professional and real setting. In many professio ns career-related experience counts for more than grades and degrees. And if you impress the right people during your placement, you may just land yourself a full-time, paid sttte within the company. How to apply Applying for internships can be as simple as throwing out a line to the prospective business with an email or phone call expressing your interest. Businesses with structured programs, such as grad programs, usually have an application and interview process. Check the careers section of their websites for details and closing dates. Many businesses have partnerships with universities and offer internship or grad orts directly to students studying the related course. Talk to your course coordinator to find out what placements are offered. Apply for work experience as if you are applying for a paid position. Make aya you specify your qualifications and your particular interests. Know a bit about the company and state why you are applying for a position with them in particular . Media and advertising agency OMD requires students to fill out an application form before being selected for an interview. The interview is an aptitude discussion to find out what they know about us and to just basically check them out because some students may look good on paper, but get them on the phone or get them in person and theyre actually quite different, says Carolyn Maloney, Director of People Management at OMD. Once the students are interning, an evaluation process helps to narrow down candidates for full-time work. Internships and grad programs can be in high demand, so standing out at the initial stages is critical. Bachelor of Media Communications (Public Communications) student, Vivien Luu, was successful in her application for a grad program at advertising agency DDB. Applying for a position in advertising required a creative application. The companys philosophy was We dont ask why, we ask why not? so I made sure everything about my application screamed this question. Why not present my application as a business suit, and my CV as a handkerchief attached? says Luu. (The position was in business management and advertising managers are known as suits.) Rights and insurance As an intern you are at the bottom of the food chain, but you still have workplace rights. Make sure you clearly understand the terms of your internship, especially about hours, pay and the length of placement. Payment for work is not mandatory when it is classified as work experience. However, graduate programs are usually paid placements. You should be reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses and should not fill a position