Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Advanced Studies student Alyssa Wong shares her experience on the Local Placement Program (BUSS2100/BUSS6500).
What is the Local Placement Program?
The Local Placement Program allows business students of all majors to gain corporate work experience at a leading firm while obtaining university credits. This unique Work Integrated Learning unit offered by the University of Sydney matches students to a suitable role and firm based on your preferences and fit.
How did you apply?
I applied in Semester 1 of 2019 and the application process consisted of submitting a CV and letter of motivation. Once I passed this initial screening, I completed a virtual interview, group case study and individual writing component before receiving an offer. For some internships, including my own, a final face-to-face interview with the host company was required. For future applicants, I would use this opportunity to polish up online interviewing skills as most internship recruitments now occur online, especially with social distancing measures in place.
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| Placement Program students Dhruv Sood, Phoebe Yang, Alyssa Wong, Hugh Dawson, Rishabh Khanna |
Where did you work?
The Placement Program team matched me to Macquarie Group, a leading Australian Investment Bank, based in Sydney’s CBD. With my Finance and Banking majors, I was placed in the equity research team covering Banks and Diversified Financials. In this role, I strengthened my analytical skills and helped publish content in Macquarie Insights Reports.
How did the program help your career?
The Local Placement Program offers many students their first internship, at a reputable host company no less. This will automatically highlight you in any application process. Furthermore, my supportive team assigned tasks that were both interesting and challenging, providing me with many learning opportunities for hard and soft skills development relevant in the financial sector.
What was the best part of your placement?
The best part of my placement was the opportunity to work with and meet a diverse range of bright industry professionals. I was able to connect with people within my team and other business units within Macquarie Group, where I gained more insight into the world of finance and banking. Ultimately, this helped me understand the possibilities of where I could take my career.
What was the biggest challenge and what did you learn from it?
One of the challenges I encountered as a university student working with seasoned industry professionals was the lack of self-confidence I had in my skills. It was exciting to intern in an office where colleagues' careers span longer than my age as I could learn so much, but I felt inexperienced. I overcame this challenge and improved my self-confidence by asking questions if I needed clarification on tasks and being proactive in developing relationships with my buddy, colleagues and fellow Local Placement Program interns.
What advice would you give other students?
For future Local Placement Program applicants, I would recommend leveraging the support the university provides to put your best foot forward. I utilised the Careers and Employability Office for resume and cover letter checking, mock online interviews and case study workshops. In retrospect, I was grateful for this experience as it was similar to summer internship applications this year. I also recommend reflecting upon the daily tasks you completed as an intern as you can refer to your notes to recall experiences and quantify your impact during future job interviews. Lastly, strive to build good working relationships with your colleagues and offer your help to people inside and outside your team as you never know what valuable insight and advice they can give you to develop personally and professionally.
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