The life of a university student can be very mundane. Assignments, essays, lectures, essays, tutorials, essays, online sessions, essays, group assignments.…oh and did we mention a couple of essays?
Fair to say, the daily grind of university life can take its toll on even the most devoted student.
So how do we inject a shot of enthusiasm into university students and give them hope that one day their studies will pay off and there is light at the end of the tunnel and for most of them, a job too?
The answer is simple: fill a room with students who want to take their career to the next level and source the most inspiring speakers to share their secrets of success.
At the Deakin University Student Event yesterday, some 100 students filled out a meeting room at the Burwood campus to hear ‘tell all’ stories on how one can navigate their way through the sporting industry and ultimately land their dream gig.
So, who better to paint an honest picture of how to transition from university life to the real world than a panel of Deakin University alumni themselves.
Vicsport General Manager Megan Mayman opened the conversation discussing the need for sporting organisations to use data as an analysis to understand industry trend, “Having data to track what trends are coming gives clubs the opportunity to make measurable decisions”.
So many topics were covered in last night’s Q & A from students keen to discover innovative ways to sell themselves when on the hunt for employment. CV’s, cover letters, samples of work… these areas were discussed in detail however one key message delivered last night really hit home: the power of networking.
It’s no secret the sporting industry is a competitive one. Jobs are few and far between and if there ever was an overused cliché that reigns so much truth - “it’s who you know”.
Managing Director of Dymanix Sport Projects Bron Madigan reinforced the power of networking by saying, "Just turn up to as many networking events as you can. Get in front people and show your face. If you’re not putting yourself out there, you won’t be remembered”.
Jonathan Coyne, Head of Community Engagement at St Kilda Football Club agreed and added, “If you don’t have your 30 second elevator pitch you’re missing out. Selling yourself is a skill, most people fall short because they don’t know how to market themselves properly”.
However, whilst the concept of self-promotion was high on everyone’s agenda last night, there were issues discussed surrounding the ever-changing sporting landscape, and integrity was one of them.
Adam Cheyne, Manager, Infrastructure and Local Government at Tennis Australia stated, “Integrity touches everyone in sport. Not just the athletes but staff, administration and volunteers”. Furthermore, Cheyne went on to talk about how National Sporting Associations are now developing their own integrity policies that binds the athletes and staff too.
When talking about areas of growth in the industry, Deakin University lecturer Adam Karg encouraged students to “Think ahead, see the trends and make decisions of what’s driving change in the industry. Areas like women in sport, advocacy and governance are examples of huge growth in the industry”.
The sign of any good event is when the conversation continues beyond the finishing time and for a good hour, the students had the opportunity to pick the brains of the panelists and network with their peers.
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