Students hit a high note with industry
Public Relations and Marketing and Communication students have received industry awards for their work integrated learning (WIL) projects.
Public Relations and Marketing and Communication students with their industry clients and teachers.
The projects, which were completed for Dentsu-Mitchell, Guide Dogs Victoria, Metro, Reach Enterprises and the ADHD foundation, gave students valuable industry experience and provided the organisations with new insights and a fresh approach for their business.
Joshua O’Connor received two awards and has since been offered internships at both organisations. He shares his study journey.
Tell me about your background and why you decided to study marketing and communication
I finished my VCE in 2012 and went straight into a university degree. I completed a year of that course but found it wasn’t the right fit for me so I took some time off to work in hospitality and travel. When I decided to return to study I chose marketing and communication because it offers many clear and profitable career paths where you can incorporate creativity into your daily work.
You recently received some awards for the WIL projects you were involved in - can you tell us more about that?
We were given three different WIL projects which required us to work with real clients and answer real briefs. These projects involved creating an integrated marketing communications plan for Reach Enterprises, a media schedule for Visit Victoria and a promotional video for Metro Trains.
Finalists for each of these projects got to present to the client and were invited to an awards night at RMIT. From the two awards I received I have been offered work experience internships at Reach Enterprises and DentsuMitchell who also generously gave me a five hundred dollar cash prize.
What are some of the highlights from your time at RMIT?
I’ve really enjoyed being able to come into the city every day to attend classes. There’s always something happening on campus or in the nearby area.
What are your career aspirations / what are you hoping to do when you graduate?
Initially I was set on heading into a creative job within advertising but throughout my course I have taken an interest in different areas like media and strategic planning. While I still enjoy creative work I would be excited to pursue a career in either of these two areas.
What advice do you have for students who are making the transition from high school to higher education?
Find something that you enjoy doing and put effort into it. Also, make sure you consider vocational education courses. I didn’t look at them when I was in year 12 but having completed part of a university degree I’ve found that the more hands on approach which vocational education offers can be really beneficial to students like myself.
Story: Ainslie Logsdon