Employability and Careers Blog: Info and Advice for AUT Students and Graduates

“I truly believe it makes a huge difference being able to wake up, go to work and really enjoy what you do. I love being out in the community and helping people - for me money isn’t a motivator but leaving a positive impression in people’s lives," says Shayal Mala PGF Services health promoter and AUT health promotion and public health graduate.

“When I went to my Air NZ interview I found I could confidently answer every question they asked me because of the interview practice I did at the Employability Lab,” says Bachelor of International Tourism Management graduate Justin Singh. Now working as an Air NZ contact centre consultant, he encourages all students to make the most of AUT Employability and Career services.

What does design and psychology have in common – quite a lot as Rajvi Rangrej realised when she discovered UX Design after pursuing a psychology and criminology degree.  An interest in how people act and think led Rajvi into studying psychology and criminology. Then her creative interests kicked in. She did an internship in design while finishing her degree and has found a new career goal in UX Design.

Imagine a job in an environment you love and fiercely want to protect, where you know you’re making a difference every single day? This is the daily reality for AUT environmental science graduate Sydney Curtis-Wilson – who got her foot in the door through volunteering.

Currently the youngest female Justice of the Peace in Auckland, Hana Malak is also senior lead engagement officer at the Honorary Consulate of Lebanon in New Zealand. These accomplishments would not have been achievable without the help of AUT Employability and Career services, she says, and Hana encourages others to make the most of the services.

Getting job interview help from AUT Employability services for a job she really wanted made all the difference for Spatial Design graduate Madi Wright who is now working as a junior designer for Outline Design.

Tips on how to put together an effective creative portfolio were offered by two experienced industry experts, Milk NZ managing director Ben Reid and senior studio creative Steve Grant, at a presentation on creative portfolios held recently at AUT. Read more about their advice here.

A quick CV check was all Anna Erwood wanted when she attended an AUT Employability and Careers CV workshop. However, the array of tips she picked up to further improve her CV really impressed her. She signed up for other workshops that improved her LinkedIn profile and interview skills and increased her understanding of her values and work preferences. It’s well worth doing, she says.

Using LinkedIn led Rajvi Rangrej to an internship with a design firm and lots of great contacts – but it wasn’t something she was keen to do initially. But when she put up a logo she’d created for AUT Indian Student Association, everything changed.

The Beyond AUT Award is an employability award for postgraduate students at AUT that helps you feel prepared for the workplace, and develop stronger networking, leadership and communication skills.