Why did you choose to complete an Internship?

I have decided to undertake this program for two main reasons: primarily, to have a feel of what it's like to work as an engineer and have to face challenges and solve real problems. The second reason is because I wanted to gain work experience in my field while here in Australia, as I believe it to be almost essential to find employment here, especially if you have an international background.

What have you learned the most during your internship?

Other than developing a few technical skills, I have understood what it really feels like to work in a team and to have responsibilities and deadlines to meet. I have also learned that your university background is only in part relevant to your future professional life: I've seen many examples in my firm of people who majored in a particular area of engineering but ended up working in a different department. This taught me that your skills, experience and personal preferences contribute more in shaping you as a professional than your degree does.

What benefits do you feel AI contributed to your internship and time in Australia?

Australian Internships has definitely played an important role in this program: they have helped me find an internship in an area of my choice, which could be a difficult and time-consuming task if carried out without the proper experience. They have also been keeping track of my progress and are always available in case I have any doubts or perplexities.

What advice would you give future interns?

· Try to learn as much as you possibly can during your time as an intern, as the competences you'll develop will help you find employment in the future.

· Always act professionally and take this as an opportunity to discover what you like and where you'd like to be as a future professional.

· Keep a positive attitude and always be available to help anyone when they ask you.

· Keep written track of your progress as you will be given a variety of tasks and you won't be able to remember every single one of them.

What do you enjoy most about Australia?

I definitely enjoy the weather and the friendliness of people. I also like how diverse it is in terms of ethnicity and how abundant it is in nature.

From a professional point of view, I like the work culture where all employees are treated with consideration and are entitled to have a good work-life balance.

Overall, Australia offers in my opinion great career opportunities and, at the same time, the chance to travel and explore an immense continent, filled with beautiful beaches and the most unique wildlife.

Why did you choose to complete an Internship?

After graduation, it was a bit difficult to get my career started straightaway so I decided to undergo an internship to get myself framed with some professional experience in the industry and an international work experience turned out to be a massive breakthrough for me.

What have you learned the most during your internship?

Adapting to the Australian work culture! I transformed my self-management skills and work ethics to build strong interpersonal relations with my teammates and to tackle potential risks and working with my superiors, I perceived ability to preserve prestige of the organization.

What do you enjoy most about Australia?

During holidays and weekends, I loved to travel around to explore more about Australia’s beautiful sceneries and got a chance to meet and interact with people from different nationalities. Beaches happened to be the best part of my journey and Sydney turned out to be my ultimate holiday destination. I am grateful that Australian Internships gave me this opportunity that helped to forge my career growth and skilfulness.

Why did you choose to complete an Internship?

I chose to do an internship because I needed to go abroad to complete my program. I felt like an internship abroad would be more beneficial than just studying abroad so I chose to go abroad in Australia.

What have you learned the most during your internship?

The most I have learned from this internship is how to understand and work with other people. I have learned that people come from a lot of different backgrounds so they will have different ways of thinking apart from your own. This is good when it comes to solving problems and can be the biggest challenge when communicating with other people. So understanding this I now feel better prepared for when I am actually employed.

What benefits do you feel AI contributed to your internship and time in Australia?

AI was able to benefit me with amazing times and great adventures. The planned trips and always trying to stay in touch with us whenever we needed help was the best for making you feel at home, or at least make you feel like you were adopted by some Aussie parents. This was very comforting and helped to contribute to not feeling as home sick. The good times and adventures benefited me by keeping me motivated to work through the week eager for the weekend with AI.

What advice would you give future interns?

The best advice I would give future interns is to focus on each day that is at hand and to not worry about the future. If you worry about the future or how long you have to stay it will make the trip even longer. So go out and enjoy each day and try your best to get the most from your work experience. If you do this you get the most experience from your trip, and it will help to make the time go by quicker.

What do you enjoy most about Australia?

I enjoyed the absolute beauty that Australia has. From the people, the land, and the animals all of Australia was beautiful to see. Australia has a huge diversity in its culture and you can really feel it by just going down the street. You will see so many different people, but all will have the same Aussie smile that seems to be contagious over here. The land is bright and colourful from the misty mountains all the way down to the gorgeous beaches with a beautiful sunset behind it. The animals are so adorable and amazing, holding a koala was the highlight of my trip.

Why did you decide to do your internship in Australia?

I chose Australia so to get the opportunity to work in an innovative country and gain invaluable experiences that will benefit me in many aspects of my life. Here I had the chance to boost my knowledge in the Civil Engineering industry, and form my skills and qualifications in an integrated way. Besides, it was a unique way to broaden my horizons by getting involved with the Australian way of life, meet interesting people and discover new cultures and traditions.

What made this experience unique and special?

There is nothing more exciting than living and working in the no. 1 holiday destination in Australia. In Gold Coast, you always have the option to relax on the beach after a tedious day at work or why not try some surfing right before the sunset! Undoubtedly, working in a city where construction is thriving due to the upcoming Commonwealth Games, is something really special.

How has this experience impacted your future?

I believe that after this experience my future will be much brighter. Working and living abroad, especially in a progressive country like Australia, equipped me with important tools and knowledge and helped me master new skills. I am more than sure that this 6-month adventure will definitely help me in every aspect of my life.

What was the highlight of your experience?

Surely, you don’t experience every day Christmas holidays under the hot summer sun or next to the beach enjoying some ice cream! And of course you are not used to see surfin’ Santas! Or what about the unforgettable NYE fireworks celebration in Sydney? Definitely, that was a highlight.

What advice you would offer someone considering interning abroad in Australia?

Before I arrive in Australia, everybody was telling me to be aware of the fierce sun and to always use sunscreen, hat and sunglasses. My answer was: NO WORRIES! I am coming from Greece! I am used to it! Absolutely wrong. The sun here can be quite dangerous, but of course, with the appropriate equipment you have nothing to worry about.

"During this internship, I have been given the opportunity to complete different tasks among different projects such as doing take-off and tendering for demolition and civil projects, and closely contact with labours and subcontractors to monitor the progress of demolition project carry on in Brisbane city.

Since the difference between our own country culture and Australian culture, it is essential to get oneself well prepared before entering the society in Australia. Such as, language is a critical and fundamental element to assist with your daily life, as well as soft skills and technical skills will be the necessary ability to build your life in Australia."

"The best aspects of my internship included learning management and interpersonal skills which I can apply later in my career. To me, these are skills you cannot learn in the classroom, and are more important than any equations or technical skills, because the old saying goes "you get hired for your technical skills and fired for your people skills."
The people of Australia are very friendly and approachable, and when you are at a pub they will invite you to play a game of pool and have a drink with them. 
My advice for future interns would be to come in with an open mind, and to make friends with your coworkers. Eat lunch with them, interact with them, and be friendly. Learn about the standard you are held to at work, and meet and exceed that standard. Also, network, because you never know if your company is expanding worldwide."

"Before applying for this internship program, I was hesitant because I wasn't sure if the large financial investment would pay off. However, now that it is my last week I've finally realized what a great decision it was to intern in Sydney. Not only have I gained a tremendous amount of technical skill, but I have also improved my social skills. Many students underestimate the value of having and being able to show that one has experience working with people. During my time here, I've found that this skill is invaluable. Company recruiters look for people who can work well with others. Sure, technical skill is important, but ultimately, you won't be doing your job alone. Besides pumping up my resume, these eight weeks have also opened my eyes to other cultures. Mostly through restaurant food, I've fallen in love with learning about these cultures and I dream of someday traveling to their birth places. If anything, the biggest thing I will take away from this trip is a yearning to see the world."

"I was glad to be part of this research group, I have a good relationship with the staff members and my supervisor, they have taken many approaches at mentoring me, also they give me a lot of responsibilities because they trust in my abilities, value my input and care about me as an individual, they are amazing.
I have gained more experience, confidence, and self-dependence within this internship.
I had the opportunity to work in the field and admire amazing scenarios in Australia, also I observed wildlife in its habitat such as Koalas, Kangaroos ( a lot), Wallabies, Deer, fox, echidnas, and variety of birds."
 

Why did you decide to do your internship in Australia?

I was looking for an international working experience in an English speaking country. But finding an internship by contacting directly the company can be very difficult sometimes, then I heard about Australian Internships and that they organise everything for you. Choosing AI to help me in this process was the best thing I did and also Australia is one of the largest economies in the world, with a great market in civil engineering. Have the opportunity to work in a country so well known for its great economy, high technological development, high quality of life is life-changing.  Not to mention the wonderful beaches and cities.

What made this experience unique and special?

Having the opportunity to participate in a program like this was one of the most enriching experiences I've had in my life. On the professional side, I was able to work on a project I had never worked on before. An incredible project where I could learn so many new and interesting things, besides improving my English and learning the technical terms. I had the best supervisor I could imagine, always teaching me new things, giving me high level tasks such as commercial communication and also giving me exposure to complex bridge works including marine works and post tensioning works. On the personal side, I was able to meet so many different places and people that I will never forget and most importantly, I got to know myself better.

How has this experience impacted your future?

This experience will certainly open many doors in the job market for me. Doors that would not be easy to reach without this opportunity. The Brazilian labor market is very competitive, and I want to compete with the best and to do that is necessary to have a good curriculum. For sure this experience will put me in a prominent place in my search for a job.

And also when you live abroad you know people from cultures and styles totally different from yours. The fact of relating to so many different cultures will certainly help me in future professional and daily relationships.

What was the highlight of your experience?

I remember that before I started the internship program, when I was still at home in Brazil, despite all the enthusiasm of living this new experience, I was also very scared of all this. I, a 23-year-old girl who had just graduated, with little experience in the job market, would be about to start working for a company abroad in a whole new project, and everything would be in a different language. I definitely had butterflies in my stomach. But I gathered all the courage I had and put it inside my luggage and here I am. It is certainly not an easy experience, you face a new challenge every day. And now that I'm almost at the end of this internship program, the feeling I have is that from now on I'll be able to cope with anything. After going through all this experience here in Australia, I know that I will be able to overcome any challenge that is in front of me. I look at my future and even without knowing what to come I know that I will be able to face anything, and this is one of the best feelings I have ever had in my life.

Another factor that I think is worth highlighting are the people who cross your path. People who make this whole journey possible. I will take with me all the friendships I have made here.

What advice you would offer someone considering interning abroad in Australia?

It is certainly a worthwhile experience. Getting out of our comfort zone is not always an easy thing, but once done, is very rewarding. Bring with you all your enthusiasm and dedication. Hard work always pays off. Australia is an amazing country with amazing people.

"Completing an internship helps you to visualize your career path and it is also the best way to explore various career options. It helps you to build a good network, make new connections and improve the communication in a professional environment. 

Australian internship played a significant role throughout this internship. My Supervisor helped me a lot with my resume and interview preparation. In addition, keeping an eye on my progress on a weekly basis was a wonderful thing, which motivated me to complete my tasks in an efficient way and pushed me to look forward to another challenge."

"Experience is an important term when someone apply for a job, therefore, the first job (or the first good job) would be for most people the hardest to be obtained. International experience has a great value in a resume, not just to demonstrate fluency in another language, but also to bring a distinct background in terms of professional procedures and knowledge. 

I was aware that finding an internship in a foreigner country it is harder than in home country not just because of the cultural differences, but also in terms of professional requirements. Australian Internships did catalyse this process, making the internship an important moment in my career. 

I have a scholarship from the Brazilian Government to stay from 9 months to one year in Sydney. I did two semesters in UTS and I applied to extend my scholarship to stay exactly 12 months. Knowing these conditions beforehand, I was looking forward to seeing how is the professional environment in Australia and practice my English skills without compromise my studies in UTS.

I received two options, look the internship by myself or choose Australian Internships to look for me. I trusted in Australian Internships and I am happy with they did."

"Coming to Australia was one of the best decisions I have ever taken. It is inexplicable the quality of life and safety that we have here. Of course that there are some cultural shock, but our culture is really similar with their culture and there are many things that we want to ‘copy and paste’ on our country. Talking about the internship, it was one of the best opportunities that I have already had. An amazing opportunity to learn what I want for me in the future and what I really don’t want. It is a really good experience to decide if you are in the ‘right way’ and what is the best thing to do with our career. It is really different when you compare your life while you were studying on the University and while you were doing your internship. So, you need to know that your life will change a little bit but there are a lot of knowledge that you need to learn and bring for your whole life. You need to have optimistic attitude. This will make your internship pretty easier and happy. Finally, I don’t know how people can be prepared to do this, for me, you just need to want and try to do your best, and then everything will be fine."

"I’m very happy with this internship. It was the perfect opportunity to learn more about my future career and even more important than this was that I learned more about Australian companies and different things about Environmental Engineering that I can take with me to my country. And with this, I can improve my future work in Brazil.

At first I was very afraid about the internship. I thought that I was not able to do that. But at my first day here, I felt very comfortable with the company. Everybody was very friendly and after that I was feeling very well and could do all the tasks that were given to me. So, the advice that I give to future interns is: even if you are afraid or if you think that you will not able to do an internship, you just have to be patient and calm, because there are a lot of different things about our culture and Australian’s, but everybody is very friendly, so you just have to be open to new opportunities."

"Australia has some of the best Universities and studies going on my field of interest. Moreover it is a great country to live and develop my English skills. The weather also is a great feature since it is similar to my home country's one.

The internship will definitely be an important experience on my study/career life, also contributed for my personal growing as I learned to deal with different people from different places in the world. 

The support I received from my Internship Supervisor was really good, she was always in touch through emails and phone calls trying to help me and see how things were going."

"Any industrial experience is valuable for career development, but international industrial experience is becoming more of a necessity to be noticed in any field. My supervisor and co-workers have been very supportive and made me feel part of the team. Not only was I involved in projects for improving control of noise and air pollution, but also independently worked in design, proposal and implementation of water treatment bio remediation project. I can confidently say this experience has been the most enriching, empowering and perfect start of my professional career."