Event Recap – Insights into Interns
[2-minute read]
Last Thursday, Accsoc hosted an internship panel with speakers from different roles including investment banking, consulting, and finance. Here are some tips which the speakers gave us during the event!
Advice for hunting and applying for internships:
- What activities can I do during university to stand out from the crowd when applying for interns?
- Previous work experience including revelant internships (if you’re having trouble could be unpaid, sourced from uni; co-op internships, COMM3020/2222/2223)
- Keeping up with Market news/ Industry trends
- Case Competitions
- Joining societies is a great start / Leadership Roles
- Volunteering / Doing impactful work
- Go on exchange
- Think about what makes you unique/ competitive
- Understanding the recruitment process by applying early and doing your research!
- Use your network and look at career hubs, gradAustralia etc
- Go out and meet junior people in each role/network. From there you’ll get a taste of their culture which will help you make a decision on which firm to apply for.
- Recruiters can tell if you are submitting the same cover letter over and over. Pick the firms you are interested in and invest time to make them stand out.
- Be prepared and ready for any phone interviews as soon as possible (do not wait till last minute). Don’t be too rehearsed
- Internships are usually on rolling basis so get those apps in ASAP!
- Have very structured answers, have an answer about tell me about yourself, but careful not to ramble.
- Never give up, reflect on what you did wrong in an interview. Mentality: self confidence is important as well as self awareness:
- Working harder on where strengths don’t llie
- Be prepared and put in those hard hours research and who’s interviewing etc.
Advice for during your internship:
- When facing challenges: being comfortable in asking questions and discussing solutions to your problems with others. Always clarify with your mentor if there are any questions or if you don’t understand something.
- Communication is key, especially if you have been given more work then you can handle. Make sure that your managers are aware of the work you have been given from others.
- Take some time for yourself to think about the task you have been given before you start.
- Reflect on your work and learn from your mistakes.
Thank you to everyone who attended our event and we hope everyone found this little recap of the event useful!