As we approached the end of 2012, we said goodbye to our outgoing group of interns who left the Australian Businesswomen’s Network having made invaluable contributions during their time with us. Their dedication and commitment to the internship program are recognised by all who work at the ABN, and we wish them every success as they embark on their future career paths.
The ABN has always understood the importance of internships as an opportunity to give those who are up-and-coming a better chance of making it into their chosen industries. We aim to give back to the community by providing our interns with the opportunity to gain experience in a professional environment. Not only does this add to their confidence as emerging professionals, it also allows them to build a foundation of practical skills that employers are increasingly looking for in prospective employees. But internships are mutually beneficial, too. Our departing interns have made significant contributions to the team environment at the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. Their unwavering enthusiasm to tackle new challenges was inspiring, and it was this motivation that strengthened the team spirit.
Meet the team…
Lara Pearce
Lara is in her fourth year of a Bachelor of Arts in Media & Communications and worked as a journalism intern in her time at the ABN. She channelled her passion for writing by creating member profiles, writing blog posts and feature articles, and working on social media to promote events. Lara recalls an inspiring interview with ABN member Belinda Furlonger as a particular highlight of her internship. “This was such a touching story of a woman and her husband who have succeeded in a financially difficult industry… my interview with Belinda provided such great material that the article practically wrote itself!” From her experience at the Australian Businesswomen’s Network, Lara has taken away a newfound confidence with a number of different programs used in the workplace, as well as having refined her writing style and interviewing techniques.
Rajiv Shahi
Rajiv is an aspiring accountant who is currently undertaking a Skilled Migration Internship Program in Accounting. During his time as part of the ABN team, Rajiv was able to gain experience in a professional work environment, which he says is good preparation for future roles. Working in the area of accounting, Rajiv gained insight into the processes involved in budgeting and preparing financial reports for organisations. He enjoyed working with the friendly and accommodating staff at the ABN, especially his mentor Donna.
“I had a great experience… and I couldn’t have found any place better in the world than the Australian Businesswomen’s Network for my internship.”
Katie Hale
Katie is currently studying a Bachelor of Communications. As a journalism intern, one of the most gratifying things about her job was being able to see the direct results of her hard work.
“I have really developed my skills and learnt new things, which was my main goal for this internship.”
Having had the opportunity to learn a range of new skills, including writing for online media and search engine optimisation, Katie appreciated the opportunity to learn new things. The sense of responsibility that came with it added to her growing confidence.
Daniela Asti
Daniela is originally from Italy and chose to intern at the ABN because she enjoys Australia’s multicultural environment, as well as the professional opportunities available here. Daniela’s responsibilities included working with social media platforms, managing customer information and updating the ABN’s online resources. She has become more confident with her public speaking skills by attending staff meetings, and has improved her English speaking and communication skills overall.
“I will go back to Italy with a lot of practical IT, marketing and administration skills, but also just learning about how business is run in Australia. I will never forget this experience, the best in my life.”
Tara Clifford
Having just completed a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism)/International Studies, Tara interned at the Australian Businesswomen’s Network to consolidate her writing and communications skills. As a Public Relations intern, Tara worked on a number of different campaigns run by the ABN each month, including the Napoleon Perdis and Beyond the City campaigns. She gained valuable skills by writing copy and media releases, in addition to collating media databases. Tara was actively involved behind the scenes of the WSPA Pets at Work campaign, which she says was a highlight of her internship. “That was interesting to me to find out how it was thought out and to see how it came together… I liked that I was able to ask questions and to voice my opinion about how the campaign would work.” The Australian Businesswomen’s Network internship program continues into 2013. Positions are regularly available for students of public relations, journalism, business management, social media and digital design. You can express your interest by emailing us. This post was authored by Cindy Ngo. Cindy is currently completing a journalism internship at the Australian Businesswomen’s Network. She studies Media and Communications at the University of Sydney, and plans to pursue a career in journalism.
