Success with job hunting through AUT talenthub

Looking for an internship or graduate role is a time consuming process as students juggle study and job search. It can be made even harder when you find you’re scrolling through heaps of jobs that are not targeting the graduate or internship market.

That experience became much easier for three AUT students who successfully landed great roles after signing up to AUT talenthub, an AUT recruitment service specifically for AUT students and new graduates.

Maggie O’Holloran (right) started looking for an internship as she was nearing the end of her postgraduate diploma in communications in April this year. She was wanting something that interested her and would build up relevant experience. But she was finding a lot of employers on general job sites were looking for experience that graduates didn’t yet have and this was making it challenging.

When Maggie heard two friends had got jobs through AUT talenthub, she signed up too.
“It was really helpful to use a job site specifically advertising internship and graduate roles,” says Maggie.

Through AUT talenthub she landed a communications internship with Deaf Aotearoa - and she’s loving it. She says the application process was made much easier because of the support offered by AUT talenthub candidate manager Jade Bradley.

“It was great to have Jade’s support if I needed someone outside the organisation who knew about the role and could offer suggestions and talk with me about it. She was helpful in calling before the interview to make sure I was prepared – and also sent documents with tips and advice,” says Maggie.

AUT student Monika Todorova (below left) was looking for a part time internship to do alongside her double degree in business and communications to gain knowledge and experience of internal communications within a business.

She heard about AUT talenthub through emails and Blackboard updates of job opportunities that suited her studies. Even so she wasn’t expecting how helpful she’d find the service. “Jade really understood what I wanted in an internship as an AUT student. She had a really strong understanding of the kind of skills and requirements that jobs require and how my skills might fit.”

When Monika landed an internship job interview with NorthPower, she practised using the job preparation interview questions offered by Jade.

“ I would 100% recommend talenthub because they truly understand what you are looking for, and really emphasise helping you get to where you want to go. They understand the struggle of being a student and the hassle of applying for job opportunities,” says Monika.

Babcock International graduate project manager Jerin Prasad (below right) says he found Jade extremely informative when she rang him to discuss the Babcock role he’d applied for.

“She described everything I would be doing on a day-to-day basis and the sort of projects I would undertake. This provided me with a personalised discussion of the role, something that I would never get via a traditional job posting on websites like SEEK,” says Jerin.

For the final stage of the application process, Jerin had to present a project management topic to the interviewers. Jade organised for Jerin to practice his presentation with the AUT Employability and Careers team who gave him constructive feedback.

“This practice session calmed my nerves which ensured I presented on the day of my interview in a calm and collected manner,” explains Jerin.

He completes his first year at Babcock in November in a job that has exceeded expectations.
“I have been responsible for the successful delivery of two-multimillion dollar projects – maintaining regular communications of risk, project lifecycles and deliverables to high profile Royal New Zealand Navy stakeholders and business heads of Babcock.”

Employers that utilise AUT talenthub services speak highly of the service and support they are offered in the recruitment process.

“Service is a big one, plus a friendly team that want to make sure we get the best and give the best. We also get to work with our strategic partner to ensure we support them and their students,” says Babcock Australasia Early Careers Lead Samuel Evans.

AUT talenthub candidate manager Jade Bradley (left) says AUT talenthub is a unique service that gives students and graduates access to excellent internship and graduate opportunities in the New Zealand market, along with additional assistance and advice they wouldn’t receive otherwise.

“I can completely relate to the anxiety and difficulty that comes with being a graduate on the job hunt for the first time, so I find a lot of purpose and reward in my work with talenthub.”

Want to know more?

AUT talenthub

Sign up to AUT talenthub here to apply for jobs that fit your skill set and interest you. The team will then support you through the process if they think you suit the employer’s criteria.

NZUni Talent

AUT Employability also offers NZUni Talent, a job board where employers advertise roles for tertiary students across NZ.  You can access this job board through Elab Online

Employability and careers support

Want help to get your CV and cover letter up to date? Need interview practice. Sign into Elab Online, click on Events and find the workshop you need. Or book a one-on-one appointment.

Written by AUT Employability and Careers writer Angela McCarthy

Cover image of shaking hands by fauxels from Pexels