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Entry 7 - Reflection on subject

I feel as though I have learnt a lot in this subject.

Although I have previously interviewed and successfully applied for jobs at the Colac Herald and Australian Cricket Society before, it has help me put that into words or provide anecdotes that will prepare myself for the internship application process.

I feel like I have left this subject with more confidence, especially in the interviewing process.

Feedback, from peers in class and from lecturers/careers people at Holmesglen with definitely hold me in good stead.

It was also good seeing how other people interview in class, watching the things they do well and then trying to integrate them into your own interview was a challenging but something that was certainly worthwhile.

Careerwise it’s so important, and it is something that can be revisited every once in a while, to make sure skills stay fresh, and are fine tuned.

Compared to the starting point I feel like I have become a touch more professional, I have spent time working on my personal brand which was something I had not paid much attention to at all previously.

In the past my social media was a place where I communicated with friends but now it has become a place where I share my work, such as articles and podcast episodes.

I probably would not have started doing that if I hadn’t been taught the importance of having a strong personal brand.

Trying to sell myself is something that is foreign to me as well, I guess that’s just a bit of tall poppy syndrome, but this subject has taught me that actually being proud of past experiences and saying what you do well isn’t arrogant, it helps people understand your experience and portrays you as confident.

Initially, I was dreading the subject but coming out of I can see it was well worthwhile and will hold students in good stead when they apply for internships in coming months.

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Entry 6 - Interview Practices

In the interview assignment I felt like I didn’t perform as well as the practice sessions in class, I didn’t communicate as effectively as I felt I could and although it should feel authentic, I felt like I was rushing myself too get to the point, rather than flesh out a good story.

It was actually much more difficult then I thought because although it was for a random company which made it really broad, I found that harder than narrowing in on a specific organisation.

My technique in class was to be laid back but in the mock interview I reverted back to being a bit and I think that led to overthinking a bit during the interview.

It was good to experience that though because through feedback and my own self evaluation it can be fixed, and reworked.

I think something to focus on in the future is definitely making a good first impression and body language.

Ruben, et al, (2015) stated “smiling produces a good impression.”

However visual cues like presentation and hand movements can bolster an interviewees rating (Ruben, et al., 2015).

Other behaviours such as smiling, body orientation, posture and eye contact among applicants can all produce favourable ratings with observers (Ruben, et al., 2015).

Amongst various professions, newspaper reporters were expected to act in a more professional manner than other job applicants (Ruben, et al., 2015).

That is certainly something to keep in mind, given I have worked previously as a journalist and may apply for journalist positions in the future.

Naim et al, (2015) insists that job interviews are essential to careers, and reinforces that smiling, voice tone, and eye contact should be at the forefront of a job applicants mind when entering an interview.

Employment interviews are the main method of acceptance when selecting future employees as it is a valuable and reliable insight into them (Prickett, et al., 2000).

The right person for the job is often picked based on how they interview above their resume as it provides an insight into how they would fit into the workplace culture and communicate with colleagues (Shen, et al., 2018).

Many people believe that the content is the most important in the interviewee’s quest for success however, studies show nonverbal behaviour is just as if not more important (Naim, et al., 2016).

Nonverbal actions are often understated but are essential if the interviewee wants to gain an additional advantage on other applicants (Naim, et al., 2016)

Naim, et al, (2016) states that “even a simple facial expression such as a smile can elicit different meanings, such as delight, rapport, sarcasm, and even frustration.”

Other things such as relatability can impact as an interviewer is much more likely to rate someone similar higher on confidence and competence ratings (Prickett, et al., 2000).

Ruben, M. A., Hall, J. A., & Schmid Mast, M. (2015). Smiling in a job interview: When less is more. The Journal of Social Psychology, 155(2), 107-126.

Naim, I., Tanveer, M. I., Gildea, D., & Hoque, M. E. (2016). Automated analysis and prediction of job interview performance. IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing, 9(2), 191-204.

Naim, I., Tanveer, M. I., Gildea, D., & Hoque, M. E. (2015, May). Automated prediction and analysis of job interview performance: The role of what you say and how you say it. In 2015 11th IEEE international conference and workshops on automatic face and gesture recognition (FG) (Vol. 1, pp. 1-6). IEEE.

Prickett, T., Gada-Jain, N., & Bernieri, F. J. (2000, May). The importance of first impressions in a job interview. In annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL. Shen, D., Zhu, H., Zhu, C., Xu, T., Ma, C., & Xiong, H. (2018, July). A joint learning approach to intelligent job interview assessment. In IJCAI (Vol. 18, pp. 3542-3548).

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Entry 5 - Organisational Culture - importance of internships

An internship is usually a student carrying out a period of time in an organisation which provides experience (Narayanan, et al., 2010).

Many universities offer students internship opportunities as they provide an opportunity to use things they have learnt in the classroom in the workplace (Fuller & Schoenberger, 1991; Hecker, 1992). Internship applications are often a lengthy competitive process (Albin, Et al, 2000)

Organisational culture is important to an organisation, as culture can be curated and be a part of a company’s competitive advantage (Ouchi, & Wilkins, 1985).

Organisational has levels and essentially communicates the brands and values of said company (Ouchi, & Wilkins, 1985).

Workplaces with a strong coherent culture are more likely to have increased worker satisfaction and achieve set goals (Marker, 2009).

Initially culture was thought to be internal and have coordination benefits however it is now known that it has brand benefits which reflect outwards of the company (Marker, 2009).

It is imperative for a company to know which organisational values they have as a brand or that they wish to achieve (Lee, 2023).

Internships are a win-win for both students and potential employees. Companies receive temporary assistance at a cost-effective rate, and students are more likely to find full time employment post-graduation (Narayanan, et al., 2010).

Garavan & Murphy (2001) states that “student learning is the major outcome. Internships may help students acquire job relevant skills.”

Internships are considered important to jobs where craft or experience is required (Beard, & Morton, 1998).

Not only job skills relevant but other areas such as critical thinking, problem solving are used in real workplace scenarios (Garavan & Murphy, 2001).

Internships also show students how to fit into workplace structure, understand culture and socialise amongst other industry professionals (Garavan & Murphy, 2001).

Students who complete internships make better career choices and are often more ambitious as they taste what working in the industry is like (Narayanan, et al., 2010).

Students with internship experience are also less likely to experience a reality shock when coming out of academic learning as they know what is required to complete the job (Narayanan, et al., 2010).

Given all this data, the internship Holmesglen provides is important in setting students up with experience and employment opportunities post graduating.

The internships are necessary if students apply themselves correctly and wish to achieve substantial success post-graduation.

Narayanan, V. K., Olk, P. M., & Fukami, C. V. (2010). Determinants of internship effectiveness: An exploratory model. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 9(1), 61-80.

Beard, F., & Morton, L. (1998). Effects of internship predictors on successful field experience. Journalism & mass communication educator, 53(4), 42-53.

Albin, D., Adams, M. A., Walker, S. J., & Elwood, B. D. (2000). The quest for an internship: Four students' perspective. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 31(3), 295.

Rangan, S., & Natarajarathinam, M. (2014, June). How to structure an internship that is great for the intern and the manager?. In 2014 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition (pp. 24-678).

Ouchi, W. G., & Wilkins, A. L. (1985). Organizational culture. Annual review of sociology, 11(1), 457-483.

Marker, A. (2009). Organizational culture. Handbook of Improving Performance in the Workplace: Volumes 1‐3, 725-744.

Lee, R. A. (2023). The Impact of Organizational Culture on Creativity and Innovation Among Employees of Selected Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs)..

Hecker, D. E. 1992. Reconciling conflicting data on jobs for college graduates. Monthly Labor Review, 3–12

Fuller, R., & Schoenberger, R. 1991. The gender salary gap: Do academic achievement, internship experience and college major make a difference? Social Science Quarterly, 72(4): 715–726.

Garavan, T. N., & Murphy, C. 2001. The co-operative education process and organizational socialization: A qualitative study of student perceptions of its effectiveness. Education  Training, 43: 281–302.

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Entry 4 - Best Practices

It is important when applying for a job that the applicant adheres to best practices while still being true to themselves.

Best practices describe the values at the heart of the organisations core. They make the goals known throughout the employees and a clear structure is laid out, so they are completed (Gratton, & Ghoshal, 2005).

Best practices establish routines and are the exemplary way of completing tasks (Gratton, & Ghoshal, 2005).

Industry wide best practices combined with signature styles are what leads a company or individual to prosper. They need to understand what works in the market but also have a point of difference (Gratton, & Ghoshal, 2005).

Gratton and Ghoshal (2005) provide the example of Toyota.

Toyotas lean production was a signature to the company, it aligned with their values and future aspirations, and has given the company a competitive advantage, long term.

It is an example of something that started as a signature which has since become an industry wide best practice.

With that being said, resume have long been best practice for internship applications (Uskaurs, 2018).

Resumes are a staple when an employer is looking for workers to fill vacancies in their organisation. For roles at larger companies, employers may have search through thousands of resumes to find the right applicant for the job (Uskaurs, 2018).

Best practise examples for resumes include having a cover letter, addressing who the application is for, and give the company plenty of reasons to hire you (Gaseor, 1984).

Resumes with poor knowledge, lack of passion and low-level articulation are often not successful as are people who lack confidence during the interview stages (Johnson, 2016).

Feedback I received from my peers for the mock interviews we did in session 6 said, I maintained strong eye contact, had nice upright posture and had great conversational skills.

Using peer feedback I can see conversation and communications skills are my strength but professional skills may need some work.

Gratton, L., & Ghoshal, S. (2005). Beyond best practice. MIT Sloan Management Review, 46(3), 49.

Uskaurs, M. (2018). The Impact of a Resume on a Job Interview and First Impression.

Gaseor, F. (1984, February). Perfecting Your Resume. In THE FORUM.

Johnson, N. L. (2016). Improving the accounting student résumé language: Accounting faculty best practice tools. The Accounting Educators' Journal, 26.

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Entry 3 - personal brand

Personal branding is the notion that individuals can self-promote and change perception among peers (Pawar, 2016).

Lampel and Bhalla (2007) state that “information found online provides a digital footprint that implicitly brands people.”

The logic behind personal branding is that through self-marketing, everyone has the opportunity to be apart of their own brand (Peters, 1997).

Personal branding is the reflection of an individual’s values and is used to benefit the specific persons employment of social opportunities (Pawar, 2016).

Personal branding is the continuous expansion of creating an image of oneself, often giving others an impression into your psyche (Pawar, 2016).

The majority of what each user posts is thought out and posted (Labrecque, et., al, 2007).

Branding has grown exponentially due to increased users on social media platforms (Pawar, 2016). Individuals now align themselves with particular brands, a network of friends to create an image of who they are. Social media users should be wary though, as their online presence may not align with the authentic self (Pawar, 2016).

The rise of social networking sites has meant people can interact in forums like never before. It also means profiles can be adjusted quickly, allowing frequent managing to personal brand (Labrecque, et., al, 2007).

Due to past experiences, personal quirks and communication abilities, each individual has their own brand, different to companies (Rangarajan, Et, al., 2017).

Building a strong personal brand online can differentiate individuals can open employment opportunities and professional goals (Shaker, & Hafiz, 2014).

Examples include if an individual can authentically display positive attributes on their web pages, and receive recognition from others (Shaker, & Hafiz, 2014).

If students from Holmesglen are competing for an internship position and one has posted their work experience on Linkd In and received strong impressions from the post while the other has nothing, an employer is more likely to choose the student with the stronger personal brand.

Positive impressions online mark a successful personal brand and can benefit individuals in an online and offline environment (Shaker, & Hafiz, 2014).

The digital age has put an increased emphasis on personal branding.

Personal branding is now a relevant tool for everyone, instead of bygone eras where it was considered a marketing tactic for politicians, companies, celebrities and entrepreneurs (Labrecque, et., al, 2007).

For example, my personal brand is my country-ness and authenticity, I present myself online as someone who enjoys responsibility, has a good sense of humour and has team experience.

There is an even balance between seriousness and light-hearted jokes.

I used to think being from the country was a bit of a hindrance but through marketing it the right way it could be an advantage and a really good point of difference.

For example, if everyone applied for an internship at Basketball Australia, they might have great knowledge of the programs in the city, but due to my personal brand online showing that I am from the country, I could become an asset to Basketball Australia as I know about the Country Basketball League (CBL) and how to market the game to rural areas.

Pawar, A. (2016). The power of personal branding. International Journal of Engineering and Management Research (IJEMR), 6(2), 840-847.

Rangarajan, D., Gelb, B. D., & Vandaveer, A. (2017). Strategic personal branding—And how it pays off. Business Horizons, 60(5), 657-666.

Shaker, F., & Hafiz, R. (2014). Personal branding in online platform. Global Disclosure of Economics and Business, 3(2), 109-120.

Labrecque, L. I., Markos, E., & Milne, G. R. (2011). Online personal branding: Processes, challenges, and implications. Journal of interactive marketing, 25(1), 37-50.

Lampel, J., & Bhalla, A. (2007). The role of status seeking in online communities: Giving the gift of experience. Journal of computer-mediated communication, 12(2), 434-455.

Peters, T. (1997). The Brand Called You, FastCompany. URL: https://www. fastcompany. com/28905/brand-called-you (Läst 8.1. 2018).

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Entry 2 - current skills and importance of cover letter

Currently through my experience at Holmesglen, Australian Cricket Society and Colac Herald I have learnt how to use the Adobe Suit, research for articles and use camera equipment.

I believe my current employment status as a journalist at the Colac Herald and writing for the Australian Cricket Society has me well placed for an internship application.

It shows initiative and skills in blog writing, feature articles, match reports and interviewing/communication.

Although I have and currently work in a sector of media (print), I believe I still have plenty to learn, and would like to expand on my knowledge.

With communication being a real strength I am able to fit into any work environment which means people enjoy working with me, and the employers know I can work collaboratively with anyone.

Through my previous employment before working in the media, at Better Facilities Cleaning and Yeowarra Tree Farm which are hard manual labour jobs, employers can see I am willing to work hard. I was always punctual and motivated workmates with my upbeat attitude and positive mindset.

These things would need to be listed for my resume to push me forward as a strong candidate for the internship I applied for.

A resume serves as an important reflection of yourself which is presented to potential employers (Sutton, Zeiber, & Firmpong, 2006).

It should showcase your skills, strengths and experiences (Sutton, Zeiber, & Firmpong, 2006).

Employment experiences such as working at a Tree Farm and as a cleaner should be listed if there are transferrable skills that can be used in other workplaces.

A strong resume provides a good first impression and the information on the resume can bolster the applicants position in the pecking order of the application process (Knouse, 1994).

A resume would allow an employer to see through your education, and experiences whether you are a good fit for the job opening they have (Sutton, Zeiber, & Firmpong, 2006).

A good resume should be eye-catching to make you stand out against competitors (Sutton, Zeiber, & Firmpong, 2006), given most resumes are only looked at for 20 to 30 seconds, it is important significant though is put into resume presentation (Eisenberg, 1986).

What sets me apart from many intern applicants is the fact I have won the 2024 Journalism scholarship with the Australian Cricket Society, a 2023 Holmesglen ASPIRE award for Integrity and Respect, and was Trinity College Colac’s Vice Captain in 2021.

It shows leadership skills outside of a work environment, that could be transferred.

Knowing how to interview and write a resume properly are traits that are becoming increasingly rarer.

More and more people are relying on web portals for resume and interview advice for applications with large companies (Savickas, 2019). 

Stein (2003) says that two important qualities of a strong resume are hooking the readers attention within the first few sentences and give reason to how a company profits from hiring you.

Those are things I should look to add to my resume.

It is important that a regularly tweak my resume, as updates are needed as my career progresses.

Many students fail to update their resume on a regular basis often submitting an out-of-date resume (Hackbarth 2009).

Eisenberg, J. G. (1986). Guidelines for writing an effective resumé. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 86(10), 1401-1403.

Hackbarth, G. (2009). IS Student Resume Writing Exercise.

Knouse, S. B. (1994). Impressions of the resume: The effects of applicant education, experience, and impression management. Journal of Business and Psychology, 9, 33-45.

Savickas, M. (2019). Career counseling (pp. xvi-194). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Stein, M. (2003). Fearless Interviewing.

Sutton, T. M., Zeiber, R. A., & Frimpong, E. A. (2006). Developing an effective resume or curriculum vitae. The AFS guide to fisheries employment, 2nd edition. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland, 13-37.

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Entry 1 - About Me

My name is Liam McCullagh,

I am an enthusiastic, energetic university student currently completing a Bachelor of Sport Media at Holmesglen.

Currently I work as a journalist at the Colac Herald and write for the Australian Cricket Society.

I have published stories ranging from match reports, match previews, feature stories, editorial pieces and historical research/archival pieces. 

What I enjoy the most about sport is the stories, every athlete or person involved in the elite level has a story, I love being able to tell that story and due to my communication skills, people confide information to me.

My hobbies include photography, writing, watching and playing sports.

I enjoy learning new things and am looking to further my knowledge in radio broadcasting or TV production.

I probably need to work harder on my work ethic, which is something I have tried to work harder on by working three jobs over summer.

After this subject I expect to improve my confidence in interviews and better the structure of my resume which will in turn attract intern partners I am interested in.

I still have a fair way to go before I get to where I would like to be, but it is a positive start.