Why do an internship?

“Internships painted a picture of what I could do and wanted to do. And I realised I wanted to work for the public sector because I liked the sense of shared values and purpose of helping Aotearoa and New Zealanders,” says Hannah, who graduated in November with a Bachelor of Business in economics and human resources at AUT.

Hannah now has a contract as people and performance coordinator with the Auckland Transport (AT) People and Performance team, after they reached out to her when she’d completed her last internship there over the summer.

“I really enjoyed working there; the people were super nice, and I made sure to express my interest in a full-time role at AT, prior to finishing up there,” she says.

Over her time at AUT, Hannah completed two internships and one co-op placement - all in the public sector.

“I thought it would be really good to immerse myself in the corporate culture before actually going into it. As a student you’re around other students and don’t really get into the workplace to see how your learning is applied.”

Her first internship was at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) with Tupu Tai and the other with AT through Tupu Toa. She also landed the coveted Pasifika Student Placement at the Office of Auditor General, where she completed her business cooperative education requirements.
She was drawn to internships provided through Pasifika organisations because she was keen to have that connection with her culture and see other Pasifika professionals in positions of influence. She also started to recognise what she could offer as a young Pasifika woman.

“A lot of the time people don't really think about how their personal experiences or personality, or background can add to their role. Yet who I was played a big part in my internships, and it has really helped me connect more with my Samoan culture. I became more confident in my cultural identity as a Samoan student navigating a new workplace,” says Hannah.

OAG Experience

Over her nine-week placement at the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) Hannah was involved in multiple different projects. She reviewed work for a performance audit on climate change initiatives in local government, learned more about the outcome of treaty settlements, and helped the international team with work with other Supreme Audit institutions in the Pacific.
“I saw how the OAG keeps the government accountable through researching and enquiring into the effectiveness of the different initiatives they have promised to deliver. I was really drawn to the public sector values of serving and delivering the best services to New Zealanders.”

“I got up close and personal with MPs in select committees, observing firsthand how different parties work together to solve issues related to specific sectors within Aotearoa eg education, treaty settlements etc.”
It was particularly insightful for Hannah because of the OAG’s Pasifika Network focus to create a better pathway for young Pasifika people within the office.

Importance of connection

She says initially, with her first internship, she thought she had to be knowledgeable about everything.
“I was thinking, oh, I must be, like, the most intelligent and I have to be on to it and really knowledgeable. But then I realised it is more important to simply connect with people, and make sure the connection is meaningful. This was a significant factor in helping me get a fixed-term role at AT.”

What others call ‘networking’ she calls ‘connections’, finding ‘networking’ a formal and impersonal term.

“I quite enjoy just talking to people and getting to know them professionally, but also, like, personally as well, because it kind of builds that trust and builds that rapport.”
Connections also make a big difference when looking for internships and graduate roles, she adds.

“You have to put yourself out there and connect with people and organisations that align with your interests and industries you want to work in. At events I’d go up and talk to people and ask for their email address and/or to connect on LinkedIn.”
She acknowledges it was originally quite scary, and for the first event she talked a friend into going along too, and they were able to ask questions together.

“But having your elevator pitch or introduction prepared, really does help.”

Being prepared

As a veteran of two internships and a work placement, Hannah knows full well the value of being prepared.
The Employability and Careers services were very helpful, says Hannah.

“I relied on Employability and Careers a lot. I got feedback on my CV and utilised other resources as well, like an interview question list, and elevator pitch workshop. This really helped me through the application process.”

“I don't think students really see how many resources there are in Employability and Careers and how you can sign up to really informative workshops,” she says.

Learning how to create a LinkedIn profile was another invaluable workshop for Hannah.

“I went to a LinkedIn workshop and made one based on that. I applied for a lot of jobs through LinkedIn so it is important to have an up-to-date profile so you can jump on any job advertised. A lot of recruiters are saying your LinkedIn profile is basically, like, a cover letter.”

Think about your values. Apply for internships early but always research the organisations first, Hannah suggests.

“It is important to apply to organisations that align with your values, and you’re interested in - or you think you’re interested in - but it doesn’t have to align too closely with your study.”
With Hannah’s MBIE internship she was placed in the information education team, which didn’t have much to do with economics or HR.

“But it really opened my eyes to other areas,” she says.
Through these experiences, Hannah has built up her communication and confidence, particularly in what she could offer as a Pasifika employee. She has expanded her understanding of what HR involves and recognised how her values played an important part in decisions on where to look for full-time employment.

“I enjoy the public sector workplace because the people are driven by a similar purpose and values. These factors have made my experiences especially rewarding and drawn me to a career in the public sector.”

Want help from Employability and Careers?

Make the most of our services just like Hannah did, by signing up on elab.aut.ac.nz and booking into events and workshops.