Careers and Employability Students Gain Course Relevant Experience

Gain Course Relevant Experience

Gaining relevant experience is an increasingly important component of your course. It helps ensure you stay competitive in your chosen industry.

Hands-on experience can improve your job prospects and help you stand out against the crowd of graduates. It can also give you valuable insight into the type of job you might enjoy once you’re out in the workforce, and help provide additional direction and motivation throughout your studies.

Employability Edge

Placement opportunities vary, depending on your area of study and the professional requirements of your degree. Because we have so many different student placements and professionally accredited degrees you will come across different terminology.

Student placements may also be called: clinical placements, clinical education, professional placements, legal placements, professional experience, Prof.Ex, work-integrated-learning (WIL), fieldwork, field trips, experiential learning, service learning, internships, professional industry experience, professional internships, and practicums.

We also have subjects where you can gain hands-on experience by taking part in capstone experiences, simulations, virtual experiences and project work.

Find out more on our Student Placements website.

JCU provides student insurance cover to enrolled students undertaking course placements that are a requirement of their program.

In addition, JCU may cover enrolled students who wish to do work experience in their related field, but where it is not a course requirement.

The relevant application form should be completed by students and approved prior to commencement of the work experience/placement.

Your career begins well before you finish your degree.

Vacation work programs are usually available to students from their second year of study. They provide hands-on experience, generally consisting of full-time work experience during the university break.

A vacation program allows students to make an informed career decision upon graduation, and provides invaluable experience and networking opportunities. Many students are offered full-time graduate roles as a result of their vacation program performance.

Vacation work opportunities for a range of disciplines are advertised on the following sites:

You should also identify relevant employers for your discipline to research. Vacation work and graduate opportunities are often listed on organisation websites.

Volunteering, student competitions and challenges are an excellent way to gain experience and practical skills to add to the technical skills gained in your study.