We are establishing a work experience and internship programme to help students who are seeking job experience as part of their university accreditation to obtain their degree.
Who is it for?
The programme is primarily for undergraduate and post graduate students in their second or third year who are required to log a specific number of hours to count toward their degree.
It is also for undergrad and postgrad students seeking work experience and internships as part of their university course selections e.g. internship subjects that are electives.
How does it work?
There are three streams in a stepping stone pathway ( you enter at step 1 and progress to step 3):
- Work Placement : Unpaid approximately 85 hours ( 1 day per week for 12 weeks approximately. We prefer that students do not work for long periods of time in an unpaid capacity and this is a stepping stone into the internship programme. There is a ‘getting to know each other’ period of 20 hours and will run for a period of 3 to 4 weeks before the longer 85 hours is confirmed. Your activities are logged and a certificate provided with a reference.
- Gig Internship: Paid target target maximum 40 hours: This is a paid or unpaid role at a nominal amount of $20 per hour and involves simple support tasks that might be for a short period (gig) e.g. administration tasks, handing out leaflets. Tasks are logged and may be intermittent and not continuous. Your activities are logged and a certificate provided with a reference at the completion of your gig period.
- Project Intern paid: Paid target approximately 85 hours: This is a paid role which is based on skill sets that bring revenue or client engagement and are justified on a business case. Nominal amount $35 per hour. Tasks are logged and may be intermittent and not continuous. Your activities are logged and a certificate provided with a reference upon completion.
Student Internship- as part of your university course
Many universities provide an elective subject that involves a full term (quarter, trimester or semester) internship programme which is in the form of a course unit. You elect to do the internship course as part of your university course and then your are provided with a placement with an industry business/sponsor who has established a project with clear outcomes that are assessed both by an academic supervisor and the sponsor’s supervisor. There are usually assessment based reports and activities.
Student Internship Unpaid: Unpaid target 10 to 12 weeks , 1 to 2 days per week. This internship is provided in conjunction with a university provider where the placement is with our organisation and the internship substitutes an elective or capstone course unit in the University internship offering. Tasks are logged and are continuous for the trimester, semester or quarter. We provide job supervision and certification and the university provides academic supervision. The internship counts as a completed course unit in your university degree.
Pre-requisites for appointment as an intern or work experience student:
- You should preferably be in second or third year and in a course that requires you to undertake a number of industry engagement hours in a related work situation.
- You are required to enrol in our Intern Starter Induction Course which provides an understanding of the overall course and mentor structure of the Faster Class and Master Class offerings that we provide. This is to both induct you but also confirm your commitment to the process. The induction process for us takes time with new interns.
- You need to start as a step 1 work placement student which is unpaid for a maximum of 20 hours and involves an assessment/review period.
Our Internship Streams
The areas that we are creating internships for are in four main areas. Please review these to see which stream you would fit into:
-Business Operations and Programming
-Business Strategy and Analysis
-Marketing Strategy and Research
-Digital Advertising and social media
-Media and Production
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the work continuous and guaranteed?
For type 1,2 and 3 as noted for each type of internship work is intermittent and logged.
When am I paid?
For type 2 and 3 you are paid after each task is completed and usually on average after 8 hours or by agreement
What is my employment status?
We comply with Fair Work Ombudsmen’s guidelines for unpaid internships which we classify as ‘vocational placements’.
Please read this page on internships by The Fair Work Ombudsmen.
For any casual and part time employment and paid work you are typically considered a contractor or casual employee depending on the task and situation and we use the Australian Tax Office guidelines for this arrangement which is separate from the Vocational Placement noted above.
Who is my employer?
Our company is Optimum Search Pty Ltd established in 1993 . You can learn more on our web site:
How do I register for the programme?
In order to be considered for a position in the programme you are required to complete a questionnaire and undergo a short induction quizz :
How to apply:
Step 1: Fill out our questionnaire which requires details of your current study, university/college and what level you are at. Please note that your email and first name will be included in our newsletter updates and you can opt out at any time.
Questionnaire- For Internships, Jobs and Work Experience
Step 2: take a 10 minute initial induction quizz titled ‘How agile are you?’ See below to start the quizz. You will need to log in to our worpress.org web platform and enrol in this ( for free) as a student.
Thank you for taking time to apply .
What happens after I do the induction/quizz?
The quizz helps us to see how your current progression and skillsets meet our needs for our casual work roles, work experience and internships.
If we feel that your profile suits our above criteria we will contact you for an initial zoom meeting.
We will provide you with feedback on your application whether you are appointed or not.
Please note that your email and first name will be included in our newsletter updates and you can opt out at any time.
Our Undertaking to you
This is a stepping stone in your path forward in your work life.
We can not guarantee you get a gig or a job or an internship but we will undertake to provide a free induction pathway that will help you find a way forward should you show initiative in following the above process.
We also provide you with a valuable link with our group on a networking basis that will help you navigate your way forward.
We look forward to hearing from you and to see you application.
Current Internships, Work Experience
Learn about our Affiliates Programme
Our affiliates programme allows you to earn some money by referring our Faster Class to colleagues and business networks. There are some protocols and rules and pre-requisites. See our post below:
Thanks for your interest
