Written by Lisa Post, Careers & WIL Advisor
It’s National Careers Week and while our team calendar is jam-packed with events and activities for our students, I thought it would be a great chance to reflect on what we do year round in the UNE Careers team. Our focus is simple: to support students in building futures for themselves that feel meaningful, achievable and aligned with who they are. That means helping them uncover their values and strengths, navigate uncertainty and gain the confidence to take their next step. This might include applying for the right course, applying for a part-time job, pursuing a graduate program or figuring out what a ‘career’ means to them. It might also be picking up the phone and contacting a potential host employer for the first time in our work integrated learning units (WORK100, WORK300 or WORK500).
We work closely with students at every stage. In my one-on-one career coaching sessions for example, I talk to a broad cohort of UNE students, some might be in a Tracks or Pathways program, or they might be a mature aged professional studying to change industry and everyone in between. No matter what stage our students are at when they book a session with me there are always themes that come up over and over again. These centre around not truly knowing or having an awareness of their values and skills and a lack of confidence to make the right choices for themselves. Often when they leave these sessions, they feel more open and positive about what their future might hold, we also offer follow-up sessions and give students homework to do, as this kind of self-awareness work doesn’t happen overnight.
We work closely with students at every stage. A recent example that comes to mind is supporting a student through the DFAT graduate recruitment process. It was a big goal for him, we worked together one-on-one to refine his application and resume, navigate selection criteria and get it submitted on time. We’ve also had several students successfully move through the ATO graduate recruitment process recently, in fact they received seventeen applications from UNE students this year to commence in 2026, and three secured graduate positions last year. This is a huge win for our students!
One of the unique aspects of our team is that we also have a teaching pillar. We teach career development, which is its own field of research, and is embedded into our work integrated learning and professional practice units. Students get to learn about and reflect on themselves and the world of work, learn about career development theory and then apply it to the real world of work! These units require a lot of tailored support to get the students into their placements with host employers that are aligned with their course learning outcomes, however I am sure the team will tell you that it’s one of the most rewarding parts of our role, especially when we get such great feedback from students who have been offered permanent job roles!
These moments remind us of how impactful that personal, tailored support can be. So, while Careers Week might come and go, our work continues year round. We are always happy to collaborate with academic and professional staff to embed career readiness into everything we do here at UNE. So don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Are a staff member that is also a student-mother? We’d love to hear from you!
- This year, we’re supporting important peer research to better understand the career development needs of student-mothers. If this sounds like you, we’d love for you to fill out this survey and share your experience. Your voice matters and helps us shape better support systems for all UNE students.
Want to get involved in National Careers Week?
Do your students need career support now?
- Visit our website, dive into the Career Toolkit, or book a Career Chat.