This article was written by third-year media and communication student, Hollie Mitchell, on placement at the Career Ready office, Melbourne (Bundoora) campus.
During university, I’ve been no stranger to change: a course transfer, a leave of absence, and several less-than-optimal electives comprise my past university experience. Now in my final year of the Bachelor of Media and Communication (Journalism), I know my time at university, and exploring my options, are steadily drawing to a close. So, as I head into semester two, I had one elective spot remaining for my degree – how could I make it count?
As I was trawling through the subject handbook, trying to find a suitable or interesting elective to fill the gaps, I came across the opportunity to complete an Industry Elective Placement. This 15-credit point elective subject, LTU3IND, offered me the opportunity to complete a 100-hour placement during semester. I found a whole laundry list of university-sourced placements with many applicable to my studies – what better way than to learn about a career path than to do it myself? It just so happened one of the advertised roles was right here at La Trobe: An Employability Project Officer role with the Employability Programs team.
As a journalism student forever fascinated with connecting people to accurate, factual and helpful information; being familiar with Career Ready Advantage Award, and with the placement situated right on Bundoora campus, there was not a better role for me to apply.
During placement, my role involved curating supplementary communications material to promote the CRA Award and other employability news and events, as well as providing student insight to the team. I got the opportunity to connect students to valuable resources, create content which I’m proud of, work closely with Career Ready ambassadors and use the skills I’ve accumulated through my degree in a working environment. I also acquired valuable industry knowledge about the many diverse career options in the tertiary sector, an insight not always available to students.
Whether you’re looking to earn practical experience without the extended time commitment, investigate your career options, or you’re just unsure what elective to pick, I strongly recommend undertaking an Industry Elective Placement.
I extend my thanks to the Employability Programs team for hosting my placement this semester – I wouldn’t change it for anything.
Find out whether you are elligible to undertake an industry based elective below!