Sourcing your internship

Eligibility

Note the following requirements for ABPL90434 Construction Management Internship:

• The work you are undertaking on a day-to-day basis must compliment your degree.
• For small start-up organisations, we may ask that you provide further information that the minimum required, to assist in having your internship considered.
• During your internship you need to be supervised by a staff member from within the organisation who is a technical expert in that area or is an engineering or information technology professional (depending on the position) who can provide you with technical support in your work.

Please refer to the ABPL90434 page on Handbook to check your eligibility for the subject. If you are unsure of your course requirements or elective credits, you should book a course advice appointment.

Plan to succeed

Students who prepare effectively for the internship subject are more likely to succeed in securing an opportunity that best reflects personal career aspirations. Preparing early to find your internship will assist in your success.

There are two key areas in which you should focus your preparation:

1. Create or update your application documents

   Internship employers will be interested in the skills and experiences you have gained so far. These experiences will be conveyed via your application documents. To ensure you are able to put an effective application forward, consider if you need to add to your resume by:

   • Undertaking some volunteer work
   • Working in a part time or casual role
   • Joining and contributing to a professional association
   • Getting active in your professional student club
   • Brushing up on skills in demand in your industry
   • Practising your written and spoken communication skills
   • Keeping up to date with developments in your industry

   Set up a plan a semester prior to when you expect to undertake your internship and upskill in areas where you have gaps.

2. Plan, research and prepare to find an internship

   Attend relevant sessions run by the Faculty and/or Careers and Employability and advertised through Careers Online:

   • Resume and cover letter writing
   • Secure your internship
   • Promoting your skills for employment
   • Professional image and networking
   • Making the most of LinkedIn
   • Preparing for interviews

Resources

Utilise resources accessible to you whilst you are a student to gain a competitive edge in your approach.

• Access University of Melbourne careers and employment resources and information.
• Familiarise yourself with the Information for Hosts and provide it to potential supervisors as an information source.
• Check out the Smart Resume tool, which can give you instant, real-time feedback and suggestions on your resume to ensure you really show potential host companies all you have to offer.

Submit your application

Once you have secured an internship, prepare the following information and visit the How to apply page:

1. A position description that identifies what you are doing within the role, your duties and responsibilities. This needs to outline what skills required for the role including the name of the company.
2. The number of hours per day/week, with a minimum of 160 contact hours at the organisation required.
3. Start date and end date of the placement (160 contact hours must be undertaken within the teaching period of Semester 1, 2 and January time frames).
4. Your supervisors contact details, including email and phone.
5. The address where you will be based for the majority of the placement.
6. Confirm if the placement is paid or unpaid
7. Your student ID, degree and major.
8. Use your student email for all subject communications.

Find opportunities

Sourcing your own internship will involve you contacting potential companies and people to explore possible opportunities.

Before you start doing this, it is important that you spend some time creating a targeted approach though identifying industries, companies, projects and contacts of interest. This will assist you in being clear about what it is you are looking for and will additionally help you to build knowledge of possible careers in your discipline area. Further, you will make a better impression when you are making contact with industry professionals if you are well informed and clear about what it is you are hoping to achieve.

Remember to include small to medium businesses in your research – there are around 2 million businesses in Australia and most of them employ less than 200 employees. They often don’t have the resources to promote formal internship programs, but can offer you a great internship experience.

Before you start contacting organisations about possible internships, ensure you are clear about requirements for the Internships.

Explore tools and resources and research independently as part of your journey toward your future goals.

Self-sourcing your own internship can be daunting, but it needn’t be if you approach it with a growth mindset toward your own personal goals. There are a number of resources to assist you in speculative outreach to organisations on the EmployMe platform including:

• 4 tips for introducing yourself to a potential internship supervisor.
• How to sell yourself through email to a hiring manager.

Note: Log in via this link first – EmployMe – and then you will be able to access the links above.

Ensure you attend relevant sessions advertised on Careers Online throughout the semester to assist with your outreach strategies.

Key dates

Refer to the Dates and times in the Subject Handbook entry for more information.

International students on student visas

Please visit the Universities Working on a Student Visa website or the Department of Home Affairs Check visa details and conditions website.

How to apply