Professional Development as a Student

Like many students in university, you may be looking ahead and thinking about the career you would like to pursue in the future. You may also be wondering how you can develop your skills as a young professional, in order to leverage these skills for future job applications, or to gain insight into working in consulting - all before formally joining a company or finishing your degree! Below, we’ll outline some of the key ways to develop your skill set professionally as a student.

Extracurricular Activities

One of the best ways to participate in professional development and collaboration is, of course, to join a society within uni. Societies give a great opportunity to meet and work with people from outside your degree or discipline, giving you a better feel for how working with various people in a workplace can be. Your tasks as a subcommittee member, director or executive will also give you a chance to improve your technical skills and fluency in programs that you didn't use much outside of coursework. 

It’s also a great way to participate in events run in collaboration with companies, such as workshops, case cracks and case competitions. Many societies also tend to run hackathons and have volunteer boards where students can have a chance at professional development without having to commit long hours. The degree of formality and networking involved in these events can provide a great insight into the consulting work and collaboration within a professional workplace!

Opportunities Within Uni

There are many career-related resources available within the UNSW online portals. These include virtual resume checkers, one-on-one consultations with coaching staff for assistance with resumes, cover letters or interviews and also events such as workshops and mentorships. These are often notified to students via email, so keep an eye out for any emails with career development opportunities!

The university website also tends to have a job board where students can look for career opportunities. The UNSW Founders Program also runs hackathons where students can work together to develop entrepreneurial solutions whilst also having a chance to win money!