Southport Sharks has an established Community Study and Development Program, as part of our commitment to the wider community.
In 2019, we continued our partnership with Griffith University by offering an internship to a student within our Human Resources team. We spoke with intern, Tegan Kavanagh, who joined us throughout April and May, about her experience.
Tell us a bit about yourself…
I’m in my third year at Griffith University studying a Bachelor of Psychological Science/Bachelor of Business, majoring in Human Resource Management. My career ambitions upon graduating are to enter the field of Human Resources, where I can develop my interests in Organisational Psychology into a professional skillset.
What experience have you gained and how has this complemented your studies?
It’s one thing to learn the theoretical content of Human Resources at university, but to be able to see it in action in a well-run business has been a completely invaluable experience.
Interning with Ann-Maree has given me a great insight into how much work goes into the recruitment and on-boarding processes and how rewarding it is to see the positive effects these processes have on the overall business.
This internship has really benefitted my studies as it has allowed me to transfer the knowledge I have gained from classes into the workforce.
What did your first week entail?
Ann-Maree tasked me with sorting through paper files to give me an understanding of the current recruitment processes in order to identify areas of improvement. Since then, I have worked with the team to implement a paper-free system!
Do you have any internship tips?
Take notes! I have many step-by-step ‘how-to’ lists in my internship folder. Not only does this help to become comfortable with company processes, it also allows you to show some initiative in the workplace when you can come in the following week and do it on your own (rather than repeatedly asking the same questions).
That being said, don’t be scared to ask questions! The whole idea of an internship is to gain work experience and increase your employability.
Dr Geoffrey Carter, Acting Director of Work Integrated Learning, Griffith University explains,
“the partnership between Griffith University and Southport Sharks provides valuable learning opportunities to advance the notion of work ‘readiness’ beyond the theory covered in the classroom”
Southport Sharks Human Resources Manager, Ann-Maree O’Neill considers the program very effective for both intern and mentor alike,
“When I take on an intern, I always ensure they are given a meaningful project with a clear outcome. When this occurs, both the intern and the mentor benefit. Tegan has been a fabulous team member and I thoroughly recommend Griffith University’s Work Integrated Learning Program to business’ in our community”
If you would like to learn more about the internship programs and Southport Shark’s partnership with educational institutions, visit the Community Study page.