Students – Griffith University Careers and Employment Service

An Ode to Griffith: So Long, So Farewell

By Kylie Robinson

Major heartbreak, meeting and marrying the love of my life, completing a postgraduate qualification and making lifelong friends marks some defining moments of my Griffith University career. I start this blog post with descriptions of personal tragedies and exhilarating highs because career growth and life experience don’t happen separately – they occur simultaneously. After almost 10 years as a proud member of the Griffith clan, today marks my last day. My life is nearly unrecognisable to the naive, terrified 24 year old who started at the university, unsure and anxious about the step I was taking.

As I sit down to write this blog, I’m not really sure how to articulate my feelings. How do I explain what this place represents to me? The words came to my mind earlier but as I write now it’s not so easy to articulate my feelings about the place I know as my home away from home. Griffith is so much more than just my workplace; it’s where I’ve grown up.

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Reflecting on CareersFest

By Elizabeth Moss

As part of Griffith University’s Careers Month extending throughout March, the CareerFest at Nathan campus was an excellent opportunity for students to explore options for employment beyond university and pick up some great tips about how to work towards their dream career.

Held on campus on March 17^th and 18^th, CareerFest presented students with guidance and advice in a variety of areas. The campus heart was a hub of activity, with stalls catering to an array of student interests. There were stands dedicated to Griffith University’s internship programs which provide students with real world experience while they study; kiosks demonstrating potential job opportunities on campus and beyond and of course a free sausage sizzle sponsored by
Australian Defence Force Recruiting to feed the hoards of hungry students.

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Game, Set, Match! Griffith accounting student wins national competition to work at Australian Open, 2015

Griffith graduate and current Master of Commerce (Professional Accounting) student Matthew Shannon is about to embark on one of the most exciting professional opportunities of his life interning at the 2015 Australian Open starting today. Winning the CPA Australia competition to experience an elite five day experience at the Australian Open, Matthew stood out above 2,500 applications from around Australia and New Zealand by developing a stand out LinkedIn profile and his performance at his panel interview. By attending a Griffith University industry event, Matthew connected with Jacqui Owen, Relationship Manager – Education, CPA Australia to get tips to develop his LinkedIn profile. Watch Matthew’s journey over the next week as he experiences the opportunity of a lifetime.

Five simple ways to boost your career these holidays

By Sophie Wood

I just finished up my third year of a marketing and journalism degree, which means only one more left! So unfortunately my summer is a little less about the beach and a little more about internships and work experience. Not every one of you is going to graduate in a year but every one of you is going to graduate eventually. So here are some simple, ‘no fuss’ actions you can take these holidays to help further your career prospective.

Socialise at events – Let’s be honest and admit that there is very little that you feel like doing during your holidays that isn’t sitting in front of the television and watching Ellen. Am I right? But sometimes you’ve just got to get yourself out of the house and start socialising! Events are the perfect environment to do this as well as a valuable opportunity to follow your passions and meet likeminded people. It could be as simple as going to a networking event held by the university or as involved as attending a conference. Either way, make the most out of the event and build your networks. You never know what will follow.

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Summing up the end of my degree in 10 quotes

By Elise Stephenson

IMG_5510 copy This article was originally published by Griffith University graduate Bachelor of Asian Studies and Bachelor of Communications double degree Elise Stephenson on November 7 2014 at http://elisestephenson.com/. The article was republished with her permission.

Today I reached the last day of my Bachelor of Asian Studies and Bachelor of Communications double degree. Here’s what I think of the whole experience through the words of some of my favourite authors:

“No doubt another may also think for me; but it is not therefore desirable that (s)he should do so to the exclusion of my thinking for myself.” Henry David Thoreau

I learned incredibly valuable things at university and in my wider life while I was studying. And while I think it is important to value what other people think about in relation to your life, ultimately, it’s all about being reflective enough to think for yourself, and let others think for themselves too.

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There’s more to uni than just academic – LiTES are leading the way

10754334_10205091430063703_1405733953_o When Chelsea Bentley started her Bachelor of Science degree in mid-July 2012, she went searching to see what Griffith student clubs were on offer to join. Along the way, she discovered the Ladies in Technology, Engineering and Science, commonly known as LiTES within the Griffith student community.

Founded in 2011 by Environmental Engineering graduate and now Senior Learning Assistance Officer with the GUMURRI Student Support Unit Jennifer-Leigh Campbell, LiTES was created to provide female students with access to support, networking opportunities and career advice in fields that are typically male dominated.

At its core, LiTES focus is “to support women in these marginalised fields, to allow them to network and create relationships with other girls in these degrees. It also provides them with the ability to connect with previous graduates in the industry”, Chelsea explains.

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Four unique tips for staying sane during study period

By Sophie Wood

I’m currently finishing up my fourth year of university so I consider myself a little bit of an expert in surviving the dreaded exam period. Four years of university means I have completed a lot of exams! Some were good, some were bad but all of them were a learning experience.

However I don’t think that exams are the biggest worry. The biggest worry is the study period beforehand and trying to stay sane when memorising notes, lecture slides and large chunks of academic text. In four years, I have tried all the tricks in the book and here is the best advice I can give to you all.

Use post-it notes – Planning is a vital aspect to a successful study period. There is nothing productive about going into study block without a good game plan. So this is where post-it notes can come in handy! Instead of using a diary, write your game plan on post-it notes! This allows you to colour code important action points and prioritise tasks e.g. pink post-its for important and blue post-its for less important tasks. Post-it notes can be stuck in your diary, on your wall or even your bathroom mirror to make planning a little bit more fun!

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Develop your own future on campus

Capture One of the perks of this job is continually talking with inspiring students and staff. The wonderful work happening across all of our campuses never ceases to amaze me. . I get asked a lot how to get involved with on-campus activities which also has the side benefit of being paid work. It’s impossible to know every single activity that’s happening on campus but as you dig deeper the diverse opportunities for students keep unveiling themselves. The Career Leaders Program is one of these gems which students should be embracing with open arms: you actually get paid to develop your own Career.

Due to the nature of its funding by the Federal Government through the Higher Education Participation Program (HEPP), the Career Leaders Program is only open to domestic students from equity backgrounds, who statistically are at a strong disadvantage regarding successful participation in, and graduation from, higher education.

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How to find the perfect internship

By Sophie Wood

It is the one piece of advice that was regularly spelt out to me by all my lecturers in every single class – “Before you graduate you need to have experience”. In some degrees, work experience is a necessary component and in other degrees, it is all on your own accord. The earlier you can get some experience, the better!

I was a late bloomer and halfway through my degree before I realised that I needed to gain some valuable experience. I trawled through dozens of employment websites, spoke to everyone I knew and even emailed organisations that I really loved to see if they had anything to offer. Finding the perfect internship was a six-month journey with highs and lows. I feel like I learnt a lot during this time, so let me share some tips with you!

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Introducing our new student blogger – Sophie Wood

Here at the Griffith Careers team we are very excited to introduce our new student blogger Sophie Wood to the team.

As a Gold Coast student studying Marketing and Journalism, Sophie will be making regular contributions to our blog about her own experiences as a Griffith University student. Currently interning as the Social Media and Content Creator at Milaana, a social enterprise start-up that connects students and job seekers with the projects of community organisations we are looking forward to the insightful perspectives Sophie will contribute.

Using her own experience and passion as a blogger, reader and writer, Sophie will be debuting her first blog entry on Monday. Stay tuned ….