#transitiontoprofessionalpractice
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Entry 1
About me
I am 21 years old and in my third and last year studying a bachelor of sport business at Holmesglen where I have integrated my love of sport to excel in my education. Sport has always been a huge part of my life and a key why that I identify myself. I have played a numerous amount of sports such as tennis, taekwondo, football and both indoor and outdoor cricket. Throughout the years I have been lucky enough to represent my state and country in Taekwondo and cricket where I have learnt to deal with pressure, working in teams and to have resilience.
My work experiences have been both paid and volunteer work as I was able to work at Cricket Victoria throughout a number of years doing different roles from participation, coaching and administrative work. I have also worked in hospitality at KFC and Fifty bird’s café where I was able to work within a team under the pressures of time restrictions and having to have the upmost customer service at all times. My current job where I am part time doing vendor administration has helped me understand how to communicate to high level stakeholders and also the challenges of working five to three-day weeks juggling sport and uni. My dream job and where my passion lies would be to eventually get a job in sport marketing, sport sponsorship or Public Relations within the sports industry. Working within sports such as the AFL is very high on my radar as I have a vast passion for the sport.
During my high school years, I never believed that I would attend university and be able to produce the standard of work that it takes to do well in a bachelor’s course. After gaining some confidence and having the drive to succeed I have been lucky enough to have almost finished the course while always maintaining and producing a high level of work. I think that I have improved on a variety of skills including my writing, content creation, public speaking and time management which I hope to use to my advantage when conducting my internship.
My goal internship would be marketing or sponsorship in the football industry, VAFA has caught my attention as I see a lot of potential to grow and develop there as well as them having a great team of people in their organisation.
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Subject Reflection
Entry 7
‘Educators believe that strong associations exist between students’ participation in undergraduate internship programmes and the success of new graduates’ transitions to practice,’ (Matthew, Taylor & Ellis 2012).
The importance of the internship program for both the sports media and sports business degrees is unparalleled. It provides the student with tangible industry experience; in which they can demonstrate the skills and knowledge they have acquired throughout their studies. As Matthew, Taylor, and Ellis state above, this experience can be vital when trying to secure employment post study.
As I have mentioned throughout these entries, this subject, this semester, the state of the media industry is in an unprecedented state due to the effects of COVID-19. The whole experience of this semester has been different. But I believe this subject above all has been affected the most by the interruptions.
This subject started slowly for me. Already having a seven-year career behind me, some of the content for me was a bit humdrum and commonplace. However, as the subject progressed and we began to delve into more specifics around applying for positions and creating a personal brand, I was quickly drawn back to the pack.
While I have had experience in the workforce, its been in a completely different environment to the one I will be entering. Learning about personal branding, UVP’s, elevator pitches and STAR methods are facets I had no experience with. While at first I was a little sceptical on why they were all necessary (I felt as these could be twisted to be exceedingly disingenuous), I learned they all come together as one collective that reflects YOU as not only an employee but as a person. And its crucial for an organisation to get an understanding of who you are, to decide on whether you will fit in their culture.
The biggest takeaway from this subject I acquired was the interview procedure. I had my doubts over how I would perform in a professional interview setting, as my naivety with the whole process had me continually questioning it. This wasn’t a great attitude to have and after my interview I was cursing the system again. However, it was also a moment of clarity. While I may not have ‘liked’ how the interview process was, this my reality and I had to accept it then and there and move forward. Ending up the with the feedback I eventually received also quashed all the contempt and doubts surrounding the interviews, as the feedback was incredibly positive and gave me a significant confidence boost moving forward.
Reflecting on this subject has been extremely eye opening. From week to week, all of the content delivered and learning outcomes separately didn’t have nearly as much of an impact as they do when you piece it altogether at the end. This subject has thoroughly prepared me for life beyond university.
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Matthew, SM, Taylor, RM & Ellis, RA 2012, ‘Relationships between students' experiences of learning in an undergraduate internship programme and new graduates' experiences of professional practice’, Higher Education, vol. 64, no. 4, pp. 529-542, viewed 5 June 2020, ProQuest
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About Me - Take 3
Back at again for this, the last year of studying, and all ready to go! My background is much the same as previously states - former gymnast, who can’t seem to leave the sport! I have coached here in Australia from recreational to elite gymnastics, and have also worked overseas coaching. I have recently completed the International Federation of Gymnastics’ Level 2 Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Coaching Course - which is a fancy way of saying I can coach internationally now for other country’s federations, if I wished to.
In terms of my personal life, I’m still continuing to coach my competitive gymnasts, who have just begun their first of two competition seasons for the year, hopefully culminating in state representation at Australian Championships in May. I’m also continuing to work at Gymnastics Victoria in the education department, helping to facilitate and organise our coach and judge education. Balancing these two jobs, along with studying, is certainly a challenge, but one that I continue to enjoy!
With co-workers at the 2018 Gymnastics Victoria Family Ball and Awards Night
My sport interests continue to be gymnastics, AFL, tennis, cycling, and the Olympic sports. For me, the 2018 Commonwealth Games were a great opportunity to watch and analyse more of the Olympic-type sports, including diving and hockey, that I don’t get the chance to normally watch and engage with.
In terms of my study performance last year, I was really happy with the quality of my work, and my commitment to submitting assessments on time. Moving forward, I can continue to improve the quality of my resources, especially the use of academic ones, and utilising them to support arguments. With the group assessments, it’s vital that I continue to improve communication with group members, ensuring that we’re all working together to complete assessments.
For this subject, I am hoping to hone my interview skills, and improve my resume and cover writing letter skills. I hope that this then assists me with landing an internship that will further my career aspirations - although that’s a bit fluid at the moment, as I’m not too sure exactly what I want to do once finished here. I do think I want to look at events and operations, and work towards an internship in a field such as those. I’m still interested in broadcasting, so something that could support that would also be great.
Personal goals for internship interviews
I think this subject will be a great launching platform for my career aspirations moving forward, and I am really looking forward to the opportunities that may come from this subject and the internship.
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Transition to Professional Practice E-portfolio Entry 4
Having a strong resume and cover letter is an integral part to improving your chances of landing a job. It’s the first step to giving an employer an indication of who you are, what you represent and what you would bring to their organisation. The importance of a strong application is critically evident to chances of landing a job interview. If you your application isn’t accurate and the information you provide doesn’t sell yourself, an invitation for a job interview is highly unlikely (Sole 2015, p.57).
Cody submitted his three internship applications to leading Melbourne sports radio station 1116SEN, Big Bash League Cricket team Melbourne Stars and Basketball Victoria. Cody is a firm believer that he has the knowledge, skills and values that would make him a successful intern for either of those sporting organisations and a potential employee for them in the future.
Cody has also submitted an internship application to Racing.com through the help of former Holmesglen Sports Media student Alexie Beovich who is currently the Digital Marketing Specialist at Racing.com (Alexie Beovich, 2020). Cody has been extremely luck that Alexie has been so inviting and helpful with the process and hopes it can go a long way to securing an internship with an organisation he has wanted to work with as a ‘dream job’ for the last few years.
Upon reflection from the feedback given to Cody regarding his applications, it has been made clear to him that he needs to make some improvements to his resume. It was a regular theme in terms of feedback from Sharyn (subject lecturer), Clinton (from Skills and Jobs Centre) and also Alexie. All of which, had similar references into what should be added to Cody's resume.
Some of the things that needed including was experiences and skills relevant to the internship Cody is submitting but also to reference skills and experiences that have been gained from studying the Sports Media degree at Holmesglen. This will just add further strength and show future employers that Cody has the skills and experiences that will make him the perfect fit for an internship role.
Cody has since done some work on his resume after receiving the feedback and has strengthened his resume by adding those relevant skills and experiences previously mentioned. Cody hopes that by doing this, it will not only assist him in this internship process but also with future job applications in the future.
References
Beovich, A 2020, Profile, Linkedin Profile, updated 7th June 2020, viewed 7th June 2020, https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexiebeovich/
Sole, V 2015, ‘Job applications’, Nursing Standard (Through 2013); London, vol.26, no.9, viewed 7th June 2020, ProQuest Central
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Entry 7
Reflection on the subject with respect to your starting point, new learnings and experiences, and how this will assist you from a career development perspective.
Transition to professional practice was one of the most rewarding classes I have done over my three years at Holmesglen as I could see my personal growth from the first class to my last. At the beginning I didn’t think I was capable nor ready to start an internship within the sporting industry. Creating a brand-new LinkedIn account and learning different interview techniques and how to correctly write and format cover letters and resumes I am very excited to put all this work to the test and apply and hopefully accept my dream internship.
Understanding my own skills and qualities was a big first step into being able to answer the key criteria sections of applications and I have now been able to create a good base to answer these questions when applying for jobs in the future. I am proud of the way I was able to conduct myself through all the assessments but especially the interview assessment as I am proud of coming out of my comfort zone and performing well on the day.
Being able to hear from past students and industry professionals also helped me gain good awareness of what it takes to not only get into the professional workplace but also excel. I felt scared listening to these at the start of semester as I felt that there was a lot of internal work to be done so that I could potentially reach this level. Although, throughout the class I have grown and gained so much personally that I finally feel ready to start my internship and when applying for jobs in the future I can use what I have learnt this year as great foundation. Without completing this subject, I would never have been able to feel confident in sharing my own ‘elevator pitch’ and talking about myself in a professional manner. I can’t wait to get my results from all of my assessments and use this feedback to give myself the best chance of landing my dream internship
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Entry 6
Critical reflection on your experience of and performance in your interview practices and assessment. How have you developed your technique? What do you need to focus on? Use your peer feedback to assist.
During the semester we have had the chance to practice and refine our own interview skills and ways that we can improve and also understanding what we do well. It is important to make a good first impression to an employee so being well dressed, speaking well and being organised are easy first steps to take when entering an interview (Langer et al., 2019). I have struggled in the past being able to talk about myself in a positive light but throughout this process I have been able to improve on this and have a clear answer when asked ‘tell me about yourself?’.
A technique called STAR was also used within the interviews as it allows for you to be able to draw on a situation and set the scene, next to describe the task, followed by the action explaining what you did and finally ending with the result and sharing the outcome. I felt like I used this technique well and it also gave me a good start and finish point when answering questions.
The peer feedback I received was to try and keep eye contact and talk slower, I tend to talk quickly naturally but I find when I’m nervous this becomes even worse. I have become quite comfortable in this situation throughout the sessions and am confident and excited to be tested when being interviewed for real internships in the upcoming weeks.
During the interview for the assessment I felt nervous but as the conversation started, I was able to draw on the feedback and tips I had received during class and left feeling I did quite well. I believe from the very session until my assessment interview I have devolved my interview skills immensely using the STAR technique and preparing well. I felt relaxed and sure of myself when answering questions, I think small things like this helps to ensure the interviewer that you know what you are talking about and believe in what you are saying.
Langer, M., Konig, C., & Papathanasiou, M. (2019). Highly automated job interviews: acceptance under the influence of stakes. International journal of selection and assessment, 27(3), 217-234.
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Entry 5
The importance of organisational culture and being a high performing intern and team member.
Organisational culture has continued to evolve and become increasingly more important, it relates to the shared values, beliefs and views held by the employees within an organisation (Taylor et al., 2018). As more and more companies are seeing the benefits of sustaining a balanced culture it is becoming a key factor to success as it allows for companies to have clear values, attract and retain staff as well as hold a strong brand image to the public (Hoye, 2018).
I believe through being exposed to a number of workplaces I have seen different cultures and how different businesses operate. I want to be the best possible intern I can be as the opportunity of receiving an internship in the industry is not something I take lightly. Using my qualities of being reliable, organised and professional will help me in good stead to be a ‘high performance’ intern and team member. During my process of finding an internship that fits me best I will be asking the employer questions about the culture of the organisation and how they like to operate.
There are many examples of sport teams that have shown great organisational culture and one that comes to mind is the Australian Women’s Cricket Team. With success both on and off the field they are held to a very high regard in the public and as someone who follows the team closely, they do a very good job of possessing the qualities of organisational culture.
Organisations usually have clear objectives and requirements to create the culture, most use mission and vision statements to follow and track their goals and to ensure success. Understanding what organisational culture allows to be in the ideal work environment for yourself to flourish. I think that I am able to adapt quickly to different situations and I believe that through my experience and the skills and qualities I have I can positively add to any culture and I will do my best to reach the goals and values set out by whatever organisation I get the chance to work at.
Hoye, R., Smith, A., Nicholson, M. & Stewart, B. (2018). Sport management principles and applications. (5th ed.). Routledge.
Taylor, W., Suminski, R., Das, B., Paxton., & Craig, D. (2018). Organisational culture implications for workforce interventions to reduce sitting time among office-based workers: A systematic review. National library of medicine, 14(2), 1661-1669.
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Entry 4
Critical analysis of your internship applications relative to best practice using peer feedback.
I was very excited to complete assessment two which was creating three internship applications from last years PDs. Looking through the different internship opportunities started to make me think about where I want to complete my own and what I want to get out of the opportunity of being able to work within the sports industry. I decided I wanted to apply for the marketing internship at Glen Eira Sports and Aquatic centre (GESAC), the commercial partnerships intern at the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA) and the internship at Table Tennis Victoria (TTV). I chose these three as I believed my skill set was best suited to the criteria and the roles piqued my interest in marketing and commercial partnerships.
Firstly, I had to create a resume suited to these roles and received some peer reviewed feedback about my formatting and what things I could possibly change or take out. Using this feedback, I was able to narrow my focus on my work experiences and skills while also writing a new and improves section on who I am and what my aspirations are. The cover letters on the other hand challenged me a bit more as I haven’t had to write one in such a professional manner before.
The value of participating in an internship has been long recognised and that having a practical experience incorporated into the academic preparation of a student would enhance the overall value of the educational experience (Green et al., 2011). It is clear how important this internship is, and it Is probably the most exciting about this degree. Having been able to build up my skill set over the last three years has held me in good stead to be able to test myself and finally put my learning into action within the sports industry.
I believe that my cover letter and resume are up to a very high standard and have created a great layout and format for the future. Something I can improve on is proofreading my work and getting someone to check over it before submission.
Green, B., Graybeal, P., & Madison, R. (2011). An exploratory study of the effect of professional internships on student’s perception of the importance of employment traits. Journal of education for business, 86(2), 100-110.
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Entry 3
The importance of personal marketing, branding and your unique value proposition. What is your brand and what areas do you need to improve?
Personal marketing and branding can be defined as diverse methods to present yourself in an attractive way, through verbal communication or digitally (Burchell et al., 2013). It is also the ability of one’s self to show the best parts of their personality and skill set to a business or organisation. Being able to ‘sell’ yourself and provide your own unique proposition allows for you to establish your image as a professional by communicating your values, skills, experiences and vision to potential employees.
One way of marketing yourself is by creating a LinkedIn page that gives people a great understanding of who you are, what you have done and the skills and goals you possess. Before this class I did not have a LinkedIn, account and was nervous to create one and put myself out there. I decided I was going to look at other people’s accounts and see how they were marketing themselves to potential employees, adding your skills, work experience and volunteer work makes for a great looking profile. Now my account has all of my work experience, my skills, my hobbies and a little blurb on who I am and what my career goals are, I even have 35 connections and try to interact with others on my feed.
My brand is that I am a female looking to work in the sports industry with lots of passion and experience in sport. I think that narrowing my focus on my career aspirations and not being afraid to let people know my goals is something I can work on to improve my overall brand image.
When understanding the importance of personal marketing and branding, it is vital to recognise that it is developed over time and through trial and error meaning there are different paths and journeys for everyone using a host of strategies and techniques along the way (Hinge, 2018). I look to make more improvements on my own personal brand using different strategies I have learnt throughout these classes and I’m excited to use my learnings to try and best sell myself when doing internship interviews later in the semester.
Burchell, K., Rettie, R., & Patel K. (2013). Marketing social norms: Social marketing and the social norm approach. Journal of consumer behaviour, 12(1), 1-9.
Hinge. (2018). Personal branding strategy: A roadmap for professionals, experts and executives. https://hingemarketing.com/blog/story/personal-branding-strategy-a-roadmap-for-professionals-experts-and-executives
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Internship Interviews
Entry 6
Throughout my studies, each semester has carried a theme. Whether it be the unknown of the first semester or the all-consuming third and fourth semesters, you can reflect on your experiences throughout this journey and title each period like chapters in a book. There is only one theme or title adequate for this semester, Unprecedented.
Like most aspects of everyday life around the world for the first half of this year, the Coronavirus pandemic has affected our studies. For our cohort, this has had a resounding impact on quite possibly the most important facet of the course, the internships.
While in the past the internship process has been sowed up by now, with students locked into placements, our official process is yet to begin. While this isn’t ideal, as I have mentioned in some of my other entries, it has provided essentially a free hit for us, with the mock applications and now the mock interviews.
Personal interviews and interpersonal skills are greatly important when it comes to securing a placement. It has been stated that initial interviews and interactions are the most commons factors when evaluating candidates (Hueston & Holloway 2016).
Personally, I used this as an opportunity to learn by failing. As mentioned before, the mock interviews where pretty much a free hit. Knowing this, I prepared the best I could (interviewing for a position I had no idea about) with the mindset this exercise could be used as a platform to base my future interviews off, as the feedback will highlight what I did well and not so well.
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The experience itself was a little nerve racking. I doubt whether I am hitting the points the interviewee is in search of from the questions asked. Most of my experiences with job interviews have been in a blue-collar environment, which is a lot different to the job interviews I will encounter in this industry. Once the interview was finished, I was super critical of both my performance and the overall concept of how it was conducted. It’s not a criticism of the interviewer, it’s just that difference from a job interview on the tools to a more professional workplace. It’s foreign to me and I am still adapting to the process and its intricacies.
However, the feedback I got was extremely positive and quite a shock to be honest. My conduct and all of my answers where received really well and I was commended on them. As I mentioned before, this was to be used as test run for future interviews, and the feedback I received was very articulate in explaining how I can enhance my answers to make an even better impression. Two things I need to include in my answers is more industry-based examples of work and what I bring to the table as a potential industry employee.
It was a nice surprise to get such positive results, as I thought I had completely bombed in certain sections.
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Hueston, WJ & Holloway, RL 2016, ‘Medical Student Mock Interviews to Improve Residency Interviewing and Match Success’, WMJ : official publication of the State Medical Society of Wisconsin, vol. 115, no. 2, pp. 86-89, viewed 4 June 2020, EBSCOhost
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Organisational Culture
Entry 5
Throughout many sports around the world, culture is used as a reference as to how an entity is perceived. For example, an AFL club with a good culture may be seen as a ‘destination’ club, as it has an external reputation of a holding great values and traditions that parlay into success. On the other hand, a sport such as cycling which has a culture marred by doping, carries a negative stigma as being a ‘dirty’ sport.
The similarity in sport and the general workforce is both are still workplaces, with employers and employees. The importance of a good culture is interchangeable between both.
Organisational culture is a deep and complex part of an organisation that can strongly influence organisational members. It is the relationship between employers and employees that is influenced by regulations and traditions (Adisa, Mordi & Osabutey 2017). Lok & Crawford (2004 p. 322) state ‘Leadership and organisational culture were shown to have significant impact on both job satisfaction and organisational commitment.’
While we are yet to have our internship program start, we have had representatives from a few of our internship hosts join our online classes and discuss their values and expectations of an intern. Culture and fit have been elements that all our internship partners have raised and discussed at length, indicating their importance firsthand.
It is important for those partaking in the internship program to gain an understanding of their potential workplace’s culture. Getting somewhat of an insight into a workplace allows a new employee to acclimate themselves within the organisation, which feeds into this developed culture and continues to be productive, enjoyable, and worthwhile for all parties involved. For me, gaining this understanding of an internship partners culture and values will be a crucial element in selecting where to undertake my internship. Having experienced both good and bad cultures, in both sport and the workplace, I have a firsthand understanding on how influential culture can be to organisation and how it can impact everyone involved.
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Being a high performing team member is something I personally pride myself on in a variety of aspects of life. From work to studies to sport, I see it as the very core of my modus operandi. I believe my ambitiousness, loyalty and work ethic all contribute to this and in turn gives me the ability to be committed, sacrifice, and embrace challenges within a team environment. Being in that team environment is one of the reasons I love sport. And I love that feeling.
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Adisa, TA, Mordi, C & Osabutey, ELC 2017, ‘Exploring the implications of the influence of organisational culture on work-life balance practices: Evidence from Nigerian medical doctors’, Personnel Review, vol. 46, no. 3, pp. 454-473, viewed 15 May 2020, ProQuest
Lok, P & Crawford, J 2004, ‘The effect of organisational culture and leadership style on job satisfaction and organisational commitment’ Journal of Management Development, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 321-338, viewed 15 May 2020, Google Scholar
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Internship Applications
Entry 4
I believe its safe to say, the internship application process for this cohort will be how American sportswriter Bill Simmons describes genuinely unique athletes as ‘one of ones’. What Simmons is referring too, are athletes with certain skillsets, traits and accomplishments which were never seen before and have not been duplicated thereafter. With COVID-19 pandemic in full effect over the past three months, I think this applications process will fall into the ‘one of one’ category.
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Nevertheless, the internship applications are arguably the most important facet of our degrees. The internship program can be extremely beneficial for students and with applications being a first impression, they can make a world of difference. Johri (2018 p. 44) states ‘In any workplace it is essential to understand the basis of workers’ impressions of one another because these impressions impact how the employees work together.’
While our ‘legitimate’ applications have been put on hold until our final semester, having to create ‘mock’ applications for academic purposes has, in my opinion, been a silver lining to this coronavirus cloud. It has essentially allowed our cohort to have a dry run, a free hit which can be critiqued to allow us to make necessary changes before producing our final applications.
The feedback on my applications was overall positive, but as I mentioned in my previous entry, there is always room for improvement. I produced a three very sound, professional, unique applications for the three partners I ‘engaged’ (AFL Outer East, Cricket Victoria & Basketball Victoria). It has been recommended I add a small amount of design to my CV to enhance its visual appeal. Likewise, with my LinkedIn profile, while highly readable it lacks some character and does not really showcase who ‘Zac Jennings’ is. This is something I need to add, as well as a more recent, better lit profile photo.
As mentioned in my previous entry, the critical partner element of this subject hasn’t really come to fruition for me. We have had a few major assessments due lately and I believe our attention has been focused on these. While we have not engaged in a direct dialogue with our critical partners on the applications, being involved in group assessments has naturally raised this topic. It’s been here where I and others from the cohort have conversed and shared our experiences in producing our applications. Being able to share experiences has allowed me to gain insight into how some of my classmates approached the process, in which I could learn different aspects that could assist me in the future.
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Johri, A 2014, ‘Impressions in action: the socially situated construction of expertise in the workplace’, Journal of Organizational Ethnography, vol. 4, no.1, viewed 23 May 2020, ProQuest
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Personal Marketing & UVP
Entry 3
To stand out professionally in such an increasingly competitive market such as the media industry, skills, tools, and technical attributes may not be enough to attract the attention you desire from prospective employees. This is where you need personal marketing.
Personal marketing is a way to enhance your professional as well as personal characteristics, to showcase how you want your personal brand to be viewed (Santos 2018).
‘The point of personal branding is not to create a polished, superhuman alter ego,’ (Jorgensen 2018). It is about understanding how you want employees and other professionals to view who you are and what your story in an authentic manner (Jorgensen 2018). It showcases the REAL you and gives other a true indication of what type of person and professional you are.
For me and my personal brand, authenticity and integrity is everything. I think this is reflected in some of the attributes I would use to describe my brand. Honesty, loyal, ambitious, dedicated and standards driven are key for my brand. I want those with who I am engaging with to feel as though they are getting a genuine experience with myself, and therefore my morals and principles will feel REAL rather than buzzwords or rehearsed statements,
One of my principles is that there is always room for improvement. I believe that settling leads to complacency, which is always a setback. However, sometimes my drive to achieve the highest standards possible can be a little unrealistic, and instead of realising this, I can mistake it for complacency. This can lead to a lot of frustration and disappointment. I need to be better at taking a deep breath, a step back and observing the issues at hand that I encounter, rather than trying to force my way through. It is something I am very aware of and continue to work on.
Using my critical partner has been challenging due to the circumstances surrounding this semester. Moving to online communications due to COVID-19 is something I am not struggling with; however, I am still getting used to. It is not just communications, its all aspects of not only our studies but life. It does not just affect me either, it has an impact on both my critical partner and everyone in our cohort. So, it may take a little bit of time to re-adjust and then add this element to the subject.
In the meantime, I have a strong network of family and close friends who I trust will be open and honest with the feedback they provide. Obviously, there will be a bias to start with, they are going to ‘sugar coat’ some opinions as they do not want to be overly critical. However, once I explain I require transparency and am prepared for it, I believe they will comply as they are happy and willing to assist in any way to help with my career transition.
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Jorgensen, D 2018, It's Personal Branding. Not Personal Marketing, viewed 23 May 2020, https://www.cropleycomms.com/insights/articles/its_personal_branding
Santos, B 2018, Personal Marketing: learn how to blow your own horn, viewed 23 May 2020, https://blog.hotmart.com/en/personal-marketing/
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Internships, Skills, CV’s & Resumes
Entry 2
The internships we are set to embark on (well hopefully!) hold a few significant meanings regarding my studies and career change. The internships have been spruiked as incredibly valuable opportunities by Robbie, Sam and Sharyn, for students to apply the knowledge and skills learned in this course into a real life work situation while gaining an understanding of how the media industry operates from the inside. While internships were almost exclusively for medical students when created back in the 1960’s, over the last two decades internships have become a fundamental entry point in many tertiary professions in the USA. In the UK and Germany, internships have become a key facet of many degrees and this trend is on the rise in Australia (Rose 2017).
For me, the internships are another step forward in my career change. They signal the beginning of the end of my time at university and a chapter in my life story. The internships are opportunity for me to acclimate to a new workplace environment (having previously worked in a very different one as a tradesperson) and to begin putting the last two and half years’ worth of schooling into practice. Whether that is as a dress rehearsal for potential employment, another learning experience (good or bad, it doesn’t matter) or another notch to the resume, these internships are going to be extremely beneficial for me and my career moving forward.
The internships will also be an opportunity for me to assess at what level my skills are and what areas of improvement I require. I am reasonably confident in the learned skills I have acquired throughout this course; however, I understand there is always room from improvement. I hope the internships lead to me developing these skills, as it will continue to grow my confidence in when applying for permanent positions in the future.
One skill I need to refine is communication within a white-collar environment. Having spent seven years on worksites in a male dominated profession, both my communication skills and vocabulary can be lacking some polish and overall etiquette at times. It’s something that I personally must be wary of modifying and will be a focus of mine throughout the internship.
The feedback I received on my CV, resume and LinkedIn profile was overall positive. A few small formatting and rephrasing of some sections of both my resume and CV were suggested by Sharyn will be quite easy to rectify. One critique I did receive regarding my LinkedIn profile was it lacked a little bit of information about me personally. Once again, this will be easily rectified after discussing with Sharyn. I also need a new photo as well, a haircut probably wouldn’t go astray too.
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Rose, P 2017, ‘Internships in China: exploring contextual perspectives’, Higher Education, Skills and Work – Based Learning, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 438-450, viewed 7 April 2020, ProQuest
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About Me
Entry 1
The journey of my career has trekked a path not only full of twists but of right angles and complete 180 degree turns. After seven years as a tradesperson, a change was desperately required. Leaving high school and choosing a career for no real reason was a decision that led to a constant feeling of unfulfillment in my work. Besides a pay cheque, what satisfaction did I feel out of replacing someone’s faulty kitchen spout? It became harder and harder to get out of bed each morning before I finally realised. I needed to do something I was passionate about.
Sport has always been a constant love of mine for a long as I can remember. Aussie Rules has been a key ingredient in many of the strong relationships I have formed throughout my life and I will cherish it forever. I grew up in Geelong where Aussie Rules and cricket go hand in hand. Aussie Rules in the winter and cricket in the summer. While my playing days on the footy ground are behind me, I still play cricket for Malvern Valley Cricket Club in the Eastern Cricket Association. As footy and cricket have been my two loves for majority of my life, for the last decade I have developed a fondness of the NBA and its superstar. Their combined athleticism and skill are something I both appreciate and enjoy. Portland All-Star Damian Lillard might just be my favourite athlete of all time.
My studies to date have overall been successful. I’ve felt as though I have consistently improved my skills and developed my knowledge over the past two years which has reflected in my grades. As for improvement, at times throughout semesters I can become increasingly tense, especially towards the finish. It’s an issue I would like to develop some copping strategies and abilities for, to ease the pressure and anxiety I can feel.
Through this subject I hope to develop my professionalism from blue collar to white. Although I already have a decade’s worth of experience in the workforce, its under a completely different set of circumstances. Currently, I am undertaking an internship at SportsMate Technologies as an Editorial Intern. The internship at SportsMate has been extremely valuable, as it has provided me with experience in a workplace environment which I hadn’t been accustomed to. It has also provided me with a platform to have some of my writing published by a media outlet, which has been both professionally and personally pleasing.
Regarding the internship I will be commencing throughout this final year, my expectations and aspirations I believe are reliant on me. My main goal throughout my studies has been to ultimately, get a job. While this internship may not lead directly into employment, it is a huge opportunity to continue developing my skills to industry standards, whilst also gaining further exposure to the industry and creating potential networks.
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