Interns offer fresh outlook on business practices

Students have been sharing skills, enthusiasm and fresh ideas with the Auckland business community through a new internship programme.

Fourteen students were selected for the programme, which launched this year on the Albany campus as part of the Bachelor of Business Studies.

They went to a range of industries, from large corporates to SMEs, including public relations, HR, banking, engineering consultancy, publishing and retail.

The final-year undergraduates presented their experiences this week to staff, organisations and future interns where it was revealed four have been offered on-going employment within their host organisations.

Accountancy student Joanna Shaw said working at RSM Prince had been a “dream come true”; communication student Charlotte Deane said she had learnt something new everyday at her internship at The Warehouse; while Evans Kurinyepa, an accountancy student originally from Zimbabwe, said his time at BNZ had given him an invaluable insight into New Zealand’s working culture.

Sherelle Torrey, a double major in management and HR who interned at Clarian HR, said she could use the theories learnt in the lecture theatre and apply them to practice. “This sparked some interesting conversations in the office,” she said.

Sean Peng, a third year accountancy student, moved to New Zealand from Beijing where he was a qualified accountant and interned at Westpac. “This was my first Kiwi work experience so not only is it part of my learning curve it is a significant footprint in my life.

“When you come into a new country basically you are starting from zero unless someone gives you a chance and I believe this internship is that chance. Through this I can kick off my career and I have all my transferable skills from China to bring to New Zealand.”

The students were from a range of disciplines including accountancy, marketing, communication, HR, and business information studies.

Host companies were Grad Connection, Tonkin and Taylor, BNZ, Westpac, Iversen Publishing, Draft FCB, The Warehouse, Drake, Play Atlantic, Presbyterian Support, Clarian HR, RMS Prince Chartered Accountants and the Fin-Ed Centre.

Albany Internship programme leader Kaye Thorn thanked the organisations that took part and said she looked forward to working with them next year.

“The change in the students between when they started and now has been amazing, their confidence and enthusiasm has grown and grown.”