Name:

University: Birmingham City University

Course: MSc International Human Resource Management

Country: UK

Heading to: Sydney, Australia

For how long: 10 weeks

Starting: September 2010

Programme: HR Internships programme

What are you most looking forward to in Australia?

I am most looking forward to finding out about the Australian way of life; the culture and general atmosphere. I have heard so many amazing things about Australia from friends and family, so going there myself will hopefully prove to be a new and exciting experience where I can meet people from different backgrounds and learn about Australian culture. One of my friends has recommended going to Bondi beach. As I love beaches and sunshine I plan to look for my accommodation near here. Other than the weather and beautiful beaches I am sure that Sydney will surprise me with many more delights!

What do you hope to achieve/ learn on your internship?

I think that travelling to Australia on my own will help me develop a sense of independence and freedom. I have always been surrounded by friends or family, so this experience seems quite daunting but very exciting at the same time! I want to meet new people in and outside work, and hopefully make some good friends in the process. As far as the internship is concerned, the opportunity I have been given will help me develop the skills and competencies required in the HR profession. By working alongside professionals in Sydney I wish to observe and learn from the way they work. I anticipate that when I finish I will feel much more confident and positively about making the first steps to beginning my career in HR.

What do you think this internship/ placement will add to your CV?

Working in a different country will demonstrate to potential employers that I have the ability to adjust to unfamiliar surroundings. Aside from the obvious advantage of gaining valuable work experience in HR, I think that this opportunity will give me a competitive advantage in looking for work when I get back to the UK. Because I’m travelling to another country to work on a voluntary basis, this will hopefully show dedication towards my objectives and career aspirations.

Why are you travelling to Australia for your internship?

I have always been interested in international business, and my Bachelors degree in International Relations developed my understanding of the global political economy. To work and become familiar with Australian culture will allow me to experience this side of business first hand, and I will be able to observe any similarities/differences in the way things are done. I aim to work all over the world in the future, so starting in Australia seems to present itself as a perfect start!

How jealous do you think your friends are going to be?

I have told a few of my friends that I will be going to Sydney, and they have all told me that it will be amazing! They don’t seem jealous yet, however I plan to send them photos of me relaxing on the beach in the sunshine while it is cold and wet in the UK! I’m sure they will start to envy me then!

Anything else you can think of

I would like to thank Intern Options for this amazing service! I must admit I was sceptical at first, and thought that I might not be able to find an internship so easily. I have been proved wrong! I truly look forward to working and living in Sydney, and I appreciate all the efforts people have made in providing me with this fantastic opportunity!

If you’re interested in a placement year HR internship, summer internship or a graduate Human Resources placement, click through to the HR Internships page for full details on the programme and example events internship company and positions descriptions.

Name: Lucy

University: University of Portsmouth

Course: Hospitality Management

Heading to: Australia, Whitsundays

For how long: 12 months

Starting: September 2010

Programme: Australia Hospitality Internships

What are you most looking forward to in Australia?

I am looking forward to the nice weather! Obviously the most important thing! Only joking, I am looking forward to living independently and working for such a distinguished Hotel, having to keep up the standards and work hard to fulfil the requirements of my job. Getting away for a year will be difficult but exciting, I am the type of person who likes those situations where you are alone and have to make it happen for yourself. I love meeting and making new friends, and i think i am a relatively easy person to get on with too. However i am not looking forwards to the HUGE spiders!

What do you hope to achieve/ learn on your internship?

I really hope that I come out of this placement with a sense of achievement, knowing I did the best job I could. Also I want to learn the ins and outs of working in a top end hotel as I don’t know if this is the area of hospitality I want to build a career in. It will be nice to see exactly what is involved in running a hotel with such high expectations of the experience. I also want to learn more about different cultures, so being in another country and possibly living with people from other countries too will give me a chance to ask questions and learn about other parts of the world.

What do you think this internship/ placement will add to your CV?

I hope that future employer will see the placement on my CV and appreciate the fact that I am working in a totally foreign country hundreds of miles from anyone i know and succeeding. I think if I can work in another country and have the determination to go alone, commit myself and see it through to the end then I should be seen as a valuable employee.

Why are you travelling to Australia for your internship

Since I began my course in Hospitality Management, I knew there was a compulsory placement year, and had my heart set on going to Australia. I have always wanted to travel the world, and Oz was one of my biggest ambitions because it is so far. I began looking for a placement about a year before I had my confirmation so I had looked at many, many different hotels and companies and I was ecstatic when I received my confirmation from Intern Options. I also had some family move out just over a year ago, so it would be nice to spend some time with them before I travel back to the UK.

How jealous do you think your friends are going to be?

My friends are already incredible jealous! I have a lot of friends who have already travelled around Australia so they know how amazing it is, and are extremely jealous, however I don’t think my boyfriend is too happy. He is envious and upset, but there is no way I am trading this opportunity for anything and he supports that. All my friends want to come in my suitcase though, but most of my girlfriends get a little out off when I remind them about the spiders and snakes!

Anything else you can think of…

I am so grateful to Jon at Intern Options, He came to my Uni to talk about the Hospitality programmes in New Zealand, and I had a chat to him about going to Aus. He said they didn’t offer anything at the time, but it has worked out in time for me to get on board and be one of the first on their Australian Hospitality programme! Like I said above I had been trying to find a placement in Australia for almost a year and working with Jon made it so much easier and ultimately made it possible! Thanks )

If you’re interested in working on an Australian tropical island for your university internship or as a graduate click through to the Australia Hospitality Internships programme for information and to apply.

Name: Amy

University: University of Leeds

Course: Geography

Heading to: Australia, Whitsundays

For how long: 6 months

Starting: November 2010

Programme: Australia Hospitality Internships

Amy has some very good F&B experience and has applied for a six month placement in the Whitsundays to start in November (just in time for summer).

What are you most looking forward to in Australia?

I am most looking forward to embracing another new culture, spending a decent amount of time on a tropical island paradise in a well respected working environment, and of course, the sun, sea and surf!

What do you hope to achieve/ learn on your internship?

From this internship I am really hoping to receive some quality guidance from some professional people on the world of 5* resort hospitality. I have previously worked in some lovely places but never anywhere quite so amazing as the Whitsunday islands or anywhere quite so exclusive. I hope that I will come away from this internship a much more knowledgeable and experienced person!

What do you think this internship/ placement will add to your CV?

By undertaking a 6 month internship in a 5* resort in Australia, my CV will be given a HUGE boost! The world of hospitality is tough to crack, and having experience internationally and in such a renowned place will be an incredible foot in the door for me.

Why are you travelling to Australia for your internship?

Australia looks amazing, and I wanted to get international work experience at the same time as seeing the world.

How jealous do you think your friends are going to be?

I know for a fact that they have all been incredibly jealous since I first showed them the internoptions website and talked about applying! Their opinion is, it is OK as long as they can come visit. My group of friends are all very active so all the exciting opportunity’s I will have like wakeboarding, surfing, windsurfing etc, are making them very envious!

Anything else you can think of?

I can’t WAIT!!!

If you’re interested in working on an Australian tropical island for your university internship or as a graduate click through to the Australia Hospitality Internships programme for information and to apply.

Name:

University: George Mason University

Course: Marketing Degree

Country: USA

Heading to: Sydney, Australia

For how long: 16 weeks

Starting: September 2010

Programme: Marketing Internships programme

What are you most looking forward to in Australia?

I’m looking forward to going to Australia for my internship. I can’t wait to experience the unique lifestyle that Australians enjoy and meet new friends throughout my stay there. While interning, I’m hoping to gain the skills and experience that I can utilize and put to practice in the work force of the marketing field.

Why are you travelling to Australia for your internship?

I love traveling to different countries. A classmate of mine recently told me of an international program she had in Brisbane one semester and couldn’t stop talking about how much she fell in love with the country. I have not met a single person who did not like Australia, so picking that destination for my internship seemed like a sound and fun decision.

What do you think this internship/ placement will add to your CV?

My resume currently does not indicate that I have any experience in my field, but the internship will most likely improve my resume considerably. Most of my professors in college disclosed that they had experience overseas which gave them an edge when applying for a job in their field. I hope to have the same advantage as well.

How jealous do you think your friends are going to be?

Even though I haven’t told anyone of my plans, I do have a strong intuition that my friends will go green with envy, but they will be happy for me. It will be a very interesting experience and I cannot wait to get started soon!

If you’re interested in a  summer marketing internship or a graduate marketing placement, click through to the Marketing Internships page for full details on the programme and example marketing internships.

Name: Lauren

University: London South Bank University

Course: Tourism & Hospitality Management

Heading to: Australia, Whitsundays

For how long: 6-12 months

Starting: July 2010

Programme: Australia Hospitality Internships – Whitsundays

Lauren will be one of the first on our new Australian hospitality Internship programme. She will be arriving in the beautiful tropical islands of the Whitsundays. The average temperature is 27 degrees and the Great Barrier Reef is right on her door step (well past the white sandy beach and beautifully clear  turquoise water).

We asked Lauren to tell us why she applied for the Australian Whitsundays hospitality programme and what she hoped to learn on her internship:

What are you most looking forward to in Australia?

I am mostly looking forward to the all year round sunshine, living on a beautiful Island, with white sands and clear blue sea only a stroll away. Also, meeting lots of new people from all over the world and gaining more work experience.

What do you hope to achieve/ learn on your internship?

I hope to learn what it is like to work for a large resort and how it is run, gain more confidence, experience working full time, learn about the Australian culture and know what is is like to work in such a large team of employees. Also, to gain more customer service skills.

What do you think this internship/ placement will add to your CV?

I think this placement will show that i have independence, motivation and can work as part of a team. It will add that i am more aware of the working environment and once i have graduated it will also give me an advantage, over someone else who hasn’t had international work experience.

Why are you travelling to Australia for your internship?

I am travelling to Australia because it is a beautiful place, with sunshine all year round, the culture is supposed to be more relaxed, there are so many things to do. It’s an amazing opportunity to work the other side of the world and learn about new cultures.

How jealous do you think your friends are going to be?

The first things my friends say when i tell them about this placement is “i’m soooooo jealous,” and half of them want to squish in my suitcase! But i have told them all i will take lots of pictures of me having an amazing time, to make them even MORE envious

If you’re interested in working on an Australian tropical island for your university internship or as a graduate click through to the Australia Whitsundays Hospitality Internships programme for information and to apply.

In this edition you’ll hear from the experts on Australia and New Zealand internships. Find out below what’s being discussed this month.

Whitsundays Hospitality – If you’re a hospitality graduate and you want to work on a tropical island on the Great Barrier Reef, you need to read this!

Graduate Internships – We have already received a large number of graduate internship applications (PR/Media, Marketing, HR, Design etc). Check out the experience you can get on your CV.

Who are Intern Options? – Intern Options is a specialist UK-based internship company that focuses solely on work placements and internship opportunities in Australia and New Zealand. We are the only internship company in the UK to deal exclusively with Australia and New Zealand.

What’s on this month?

• Australian Hospitality Placements – Tropical Island
• Student and Graduate feedback on the Blog
• Graduate Internships – Apply Now
• Current Internship Vacancies
• How to apply for your Internship

www.InternOptions.com

Thanks for reading this edition of Intern News, we look forward to speaking to you about your internship in the coming months. We’d love to hear any feedback on the new site or questions on Australia or New Zealand through our Internship blog or our Facebook page Alternatively you can contact Intern Options by email or phone or make a time to drop by our London office. Cheers, Jon Carroll Intern Options www.InternOptions.com

Name: Melissa

University: ESCEM, Poitiers, France

Course: International Marketing Communications Strategy MSc

Heading to: Sydney, Australia

For how long: 24 weeks

Starting: August 2010

Programme: Graduate Marketing Internship programme

Melissa has applied for a graduate Marketing or Advertising internship in Sydney Australia. We are currently talking to a range of companies that match Melissa’s criteria.

In the meantime we asked Melissa to let us know a bit more about why she applied to Intern Options and what she hopes to get out of her internship.

What are you most looking forward to in Australia?

Although I’m looking forward to working an internship in the field I’ve been studying, as it will give me an idea of what my career might be like, one of the things that I have to admit that I’m most looking forward to is just having the opportunity to live in another country. Through my studies, I’ve already had the chance to live in 3 very different countries and it will be even more exciting to be able to add a very different fourth to that list. After living in France, it will be great to get back to hearing English and to be able to experience some warmer weather is also a plus.

What do you hope to achieve/ learn on your internship?

I hope to learn from this experience on a professional level, skills that I can use in the future, and also to learn what working in the marketing field is actually like. As students, we spend most of our time on the academic side of things and it can be even more important to learn from the practical side of things. I also expect, as I have through every experience abroad, to learn a little more about myself in the process.

What do you think this internship/ placement will add to your CV?

I think this internship will perfectly suppliment my studies overseas, while giving me the further edge of having a little more international experience than simply studying abroad. I hope it will make me stand out from the crowd.

Why are you travelling to Australia for your internship?

This internship is a final part of an international masters degree and since it could be carried out anywhere, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to see and live in another part of the world. These chances do not happen often, and even less as we get older. While I have seen all the “ins-and-outs” of Europe, Australia is in a part of the world I have never been to. Everyone I’ve meet from Australia has been very down-to-earth and friendly, which reminds me of people back home in the south. The language was also a deciding factor.

How jealous do you think your friends are going to be?

I’m afraid my friends are already pea green with envy hearing of my travels abroad, so I’m sure they’ll be even more jealous that I’ll soon be moving on to cover another region in my already full passport.

If you’re interested in a graduate Marketing internship or a Summer 2011  Marketing placement, click through to the Marketing Internships page for full details on the programme and example Marketing internships.