Gain real-world work experience in three weeks
This experience will be on hiatus for 2024.
The ANU College of Business and Economics (CBE) is offering eligible students a number of three-week (50-hours total) virtual internship placements with organisations across the country.
Commencing in late November, this initiative will provide you the opportunity to work with an assigned organisation, under the supervision of a professional mentor.
The allocated internship projects will incorporate tailored and authentic business problems. Working in groups of four-five, you will help find solutions to these issues while building your corporate network and learning valuable skills that you can add to your résumé.
Over the course of the three-week experience, students will be required to commit to at least 50 hours of intensive work and will be able to collaborate completely online with their allocated team to complete the project.
The CBE Virtual Internship Experience is free and not for credit.
This is a learning opportunity, designed to aid you in your professional development. It is not a paid initiative. This work-based project provides an opportunity for you to work on a legitimate project for a client, and develop skills that are crucial to the workforce, all with the support and guidance of an industry mentor.
In addition to enriching your resume, you will receive a LinkedIn Badge and digital certificate upon successful completion of your CBE Virtual Internship Experience. In short, this is a great chance to learn through doing, and gain experience that can showcase your skill to industry, making you competitive for the job market.
The CBE Virtual Internship Experience is available to eligible CBE students and students who are with the Tjabal Indigenous Higher Education Centre who may not be studying a CBE degree.
Eligibility requirements
- Any current CBE undergraduate students who have undertaken a minimum of 24 units in their degree(s) at CBE by the end of the current year the experience is offered.
- Any current CBE postgraduate coursework students who have undertaken a minimum of 24 units in their degree at CBE by the end of the current year the experience is offered.
- Any CBE Honours students.
- Any CBE HDR students.
- Students with the Tjabal Indigenous Higher Education Centre.
Please note, GPA is not taken into account in the selection process. However, priority will be given to those who have not yet completed an internship or industry project courses at ANU. In addition, students must complete the Rights, Relationships and Respect at ANU module before commencing the placement.
How it works
This is an extracurricular program. To gain official certification, and get the most out of your learning experience, you must:
- commit to at least 50 hours of intensive work across the virtual internship duration, including orientation session
- attend and actively contribute towards team, client and mentor meetings
- complete all project deliverables with your team, which include: a project plan, a draft report, a final report and presentation.
Do I have to be in the country?
No. The CBE Virtual Internship Experience is suitable for remote working conditions with entirely online industry and team engagement, so you aren’t required to physically be in the country to participate.
What if I have a part-time job?
It is fine if you have a part-time job, but you must be able to commit a minimum of 50 hours of work to the project over the three weeks of the program. You will need to coordinate commitments with your team to ensure that you’re able to attend meetings and contribute equally to all deliverables.
Do I get to choose the project I work on?
No, projects will be assigned to teams by the CBE Careers and Employability team. They ensure clients submit projects that are interesting and achievable within the program timeframe.
Do I get to choose my team?
No, all teams will be assigned at random.
Will the project be related to my degree?
It could be, but if it isn’t, that’s fine too. The projects are structured to ensure you do not need specific technical knowledge. The main goal is to develop your employability skills through a professional project experience.
What type of projects can I expect?
The majority of projects will be non-technical. They could include market research, doing a competitor analysis or creating a social media strategy. Clients could be from non-profits, start-ups, small to medium enterprise, or large corporations.
Will I be paid to work on this project?
CBE’s Virtual Internship Experience (VIE) is a learning opportunity, designed to aid you in your professional development. It is not a paid initiative. Many students encounter the reality of not being able to gain the relevant experience that industry is telling them they need for the job they are applying for. This work-based project provides an opportunity for you to work on a legitimate project for a client, and develop skills that are crucial to the workforce – all with the support and guidance of an industry mentor. In short, this is a great chance to learn through doing, and gain experience that can showcase your skill to industry.
You will have access to industry professionals throughout the VIE, receiving expert advice and feedback that can be pivotal to your personal and professional development. Taking and reflecting on feedback in itself is an essential skill in the workplace!
To aid you in your project with the industry client, we recommend utilising desktop research and publicly accessible data sets. Additionally, students engaged on projects within the VIE focus on research and development for organisations through publicly accessible data sets and websites.
Can I skip the orientation session?
The orientation session is compulsory. This session is also described as the Project Briefing Session. It is where you will meet your team, mentor and client. Students who do not attend will be removed from the program.
Do I need to access the platform before the orientation session?
Once you’ve been selected to take part in the program, the CBE Careers and Employability team will send you a registration link in order to access the platform.
What do I need to prepare for application?
You will need to prepare the following for CBE Virtual Internship Experience:
- Your resume.
- Record and upload a 60-second video introducing yourself and explaining your motivation to join the program.
- Provide a written response highlighting your perspective on teamwork.
If you require assistance in preparing application documents, please visit ANU CareerHub to schedule an appointment with a career consultant who can help you with your resume, selection criteria, and video response.
Please email careers.cbe@anu.edu.au if you have any questions about the application process.