Student Work Experience Program details
The Student Work Experience Program (SWEP) is an opportunity for BEL students to participate in a recruitment and selection process, similar to those used by many Australian organisations. The valuable knowledge, experience and feedback you gain will give you a real advantage when entering the job market as an intern or graduate candidate.
You will be assessed on your initial application and, if successful, you will be invited to participate in the other recruitment tasks, including a video interview. SWEP is a free program open to both domestic and international students, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
SWEP is designed for you if you have little or no relevant industry work experience, to provide you with an opportunity to gain valuable work experience to include on your CV.
Key dates for 2021
- Applications open Tuesday 20 July 2021
- Applications close Monday 23 August 2021
Decide if SWEP is right for you
SWEP is open to both domestic and international students, at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. To be eligible to apply, you must be a current student of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law and not in your first semester (for undergraduate students only) and not in your final semester (for both undergraduate and postgraduate students).
If you already have some industry work experience
SWEP placements are entry-level work experience opportunities, aimed to provide you with initial skill and experience development. You need to decide if this the best experience for you. You may choose to participate in the SWEP experience to prepare you for future recruitment processes, even if you do not intend to undertake a work experience opportunity.
If you have previously participated in SWEP
Provided you meet the current eligibility criteria, you may reapply for SWEP if you were previously unsuccessful or placed on the waitlist and did not secure a placement. If you were successful and turned down a placement that was offered to you, you are not eligible to re-apply. You can also only participate in SWEP a maximum of two times.
Application process
Before applying
Before applying for SWEP, you must read all of the information about SWEP here and in the SWEP Guide. If you do not read the SWEP Guide, you will not pass the initial application stage in the process. We will run information sessions to cover off this information in more detail and answer any questions you may have.
Application process
Applications must be submitted via StudentHub. As part of the application, you will be required to upload your resume and a cover letter (in written or video format).
After you have submitted your application, it will be assessed by the BEL Career Services team. We highly recommend that you submit your application early and do not wait until the deadline. If your application is not at the standard required and received more than a week before the deadline, you will be provided with feedback and allowed a second chance to submit. If your second application is not at the required standard, you will be encouraged to meet with a BEL Career Advisor to discuss alternative options to SWEP.
Availability during semester break
Please note that if you are successful in SWEP, to be eligible for a SWEP work experience placement, you must be available during the semester break. If you are not available during the semester break, you are still welcome to participate in SWEP to experience a recruitment process and receive feedback on your performance. Please let us know your circumstances in your application.
Feedback is a valuable and integral part of SWEP and the most important part of the process, as it allows you to reflect and build on positive and successful behaviours and improve your areas for development.
Timing of application and outcome
Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis. If your application is successful, you will be invited to the next stages of the recruitment process. Please note that some stages will have deadlines i.e. video interviews, psychometric testing and completion of a short (4-5 hour) free virtual internship. This is a very common practice in a real-life recruitment process. The results of SWEP will be released after the final group debrief session.
Can a member of BEL Career Services team have a look at my application to see if it is good enough?
As this is a competitive recruitment program, BEL Career Services cannot review a draft of your SWEP application. We would encourage you to closely follow the SWEP Guide to ensure your best chance of success.
Assessment process
SWEP mirrors the assessment processes commonly used by many Australian organisations. Utilising various assessment techniques provides a fair and objective recruitment process. You are assessed against set criteria, which allows you to demonstrate your strengths and areas for development. Assessment activities can include psychometric tests, individual video interviews and your ability to articulate and communication your learnings and the value of the free virtual internship that you have undertaken as part of SWEP. We recommend that you read the SWEP Guide and do your own research so that you are fully prepared for what may be required of you during these processes.
Timing and deadlines
If your initial application is successful, you will receive details of the next stages of the recruitment process. Many of these activities can be completed in your own time while meeting set deadlines. Please note that as per ‘real-life’ recruitment processes, if you miss these deadlines, you will be withdrawn from the program.
Feedback
Feedback is a valuable and integral part of SWEP as it allows you to reflect and build on areas of success and improve your areas for development. After the final assessment activities are complete, all participants will be invited to a group debriefing session where BEL Career Services will run through the positive behaviours observed and some general areas for development. You are also strongly encouraged to review your detailed scores and feedback across the whole SWEP application and recruitment processes which will be emailed to you.
Placements
Process
The top scoring students from each degree program will be placed first with remaining students considered on a case by case basis, should suitable opportunities be identified. This process mirrors the real world where you are competing with like-for-like candidates for a role. Please be reassured that BEL Career Services will endeavour to identify as many opportunities as possible in order to offer as many placements as possible. The exact mix and number of opportunities for certain degree programs will vary and is determined by the business requirements of the host organisations.
SWEP does not guarantee you a placement but is offered as a learning and development opportunity. It allows you to make mistakes in a safe learning environment and receive feedback so that you can reflect and improve for your real-life recruitment processes. By participating, you will be well prepared for your internship and graduate applications later on.
Placement hosts
Most SWEP placements will be in Brisbane-based small to medium-sized organisations, as the majority of large or global organisations run their own internship programs and do not offer unpaid placements.
Many of the organisations offering work experience placements are based in the CBD, however some are located in the outer suburbs or further away. We cannot guarantee where you will be placed and ask you to be reasonably flexible. If you have any concerns, please discuss them with BEL Careers and Employability.
Many organisations request to have a casual meeting (over a coffee or via Zoom) with a potential work experience student. This allows both parties to discuss the specifics and expectations of the placement and ensure there is a good fit.
You cannot choose a host. BEL Career Services will endeavour to take your preferences into consideration but are not in a position to guarantee a placement within a specific sector or organisation. If you decide not to take the opportunity you are offered, no further opportunity will be sourced for you. The opportunity will be provided to a different student and you will be withdrawn from the program and unable to apply for the program in future years.
Placements
All placements are unpaid and most will occur over the winter or summer semester break. You must be available for 4 consecutive weeks during the break to be eligible for a placement. Depending on business requirements and your availability, some placements may continue on a part-time basis during the semester.
Tasks will vary from placement to placement with some work experience opportunities providing broader experiences and other placements being more project-focused. If you are unable to commit to this timeframe, you may still participate in SWEP to gain experience of a recruitment process and receive feedback on your performance.
During the placement
Once your placement has been confirmed, it cannot be changed. All organisations have their merits, and you will gain valuable professional experience. You may be surprised at how much you learn.
If you do not like the opportunity that you have been matched to, the opportunity will be offered to a different student (and no further opportunity will be sourced for you). If you feel unsafe or harassed during your placement, please contact BEL Careers and Employability as soon as you can.
If you are sick or have an exam, please consult with your supervisor as soon as you can. It is important to be honest with the organisation about the situation so that they can discuss it with you and plan accordingly.
If you are not comfortable with what the company is asking you to do, then please speak to your supervisor or a member of the company's HR team to obtain clarification on what is being asked of you. Please then contact BEL Careers and Employability if you do not feel that this resolves the situation, or if you do not feel comfortable speaking to your supervisor or the HR team.