1. Join a Student Guild Club

Joining a student club or group while studying helps you make connections with other students in your field. It also highlights your motivation and passion for your discipline to employers by getting involved in activities relevant to your industry.

Skill development includes: Communication, Collaboration, Problem-solving, Organisation, Engaged

2. Register for the Student Leadership Award or Students as Partners program

Show your motivation to make a difference through programs such as Students as Partners. Future employers like to see that you've volunteered your time in the community and utilised professional development opportunities.

The program also gives you the chance to widen your social network with students and staff across USC campuses and disciplines.

Skill development includes: Knowledgeable, Sustainability-focused, Collaboration, Ethical, Empowered

3. Explore UniSC's Mentoring Program

Get insider knowledge with the UniSC Mentoring program. You can connect with industry professionals who also studied at USC and learn from their experiences. The key is to do some planning first and identify your key questions.
 
Questions you could ask include:

• What was your career path into your current position?
• What do you wish you had known as a student?
• How can I make myself more competitive for jobs in this industry?

Skill development includes: Information Literacy, Knowledgeable, Communication, Engaged, Empowered

4. Research your industry

You might not know what you want to do once you graduate but it's still important to develop an awareness of your industry. This will help you find future possibilities and opportunities.
 
Set aside a small amount of time each week or month to research employers, occupation types and media articles. As a result, you'll gain information to develop your career strategy or ‘action plan’.

You can also reach out to people in the industry on LinkedIn or attend a Careers Fair or iEngage Event. If you need a hand on where to start with this, take a look at the Industry Research Toolkit on Student Hub.

Skill development includes: Information Literacy, Applying technologies, Collaboration, Problem-solving, Organisation

5. Gain industry experience

Most degrees at UniSC offer formal workplace learning courses but did you know that USC also offers the Work Experience Scheme (WES)? This scheme empowers students to contact organisations and negotiate a work experience placement. You can arrange work experience at any time during your studies. While it's not counted as course credit, it is a valuable add-on to your resume for both experience and connections.

Search for internships and clerkships advertised through websites like Seek, Grad Connection, Student Hub Jobs and the UniSC Careers Directory. You can also take up online work experience opportunities such as LaunchU or virtual work experience.

Skill development includes: Applying technologies, Communication, Organisation, Engaged, Empowered