From Intern to Consultant

In today’s market, securing a job fresh out of university is almost a miracle.

When I was in University I never really thought about the level of difficulty there was in getting my first job as a graduate. The primary thought amongst friends was study, pass, get your degree and then there will be someone waiting to hire you. WRONG. We missed one crucial step which happened to be: experience. Which is the one thing Uni can’t give you and separates you from other graduates. Therefore, you have to be active and able to find someone who is willing to give you that chance to gain the experience you need to secure your first job out of university. Money was another factor that held me back from doing an internship. Let’s be honest, no one wants to work for free. After all, we go to uni and get these degrees to secure well paid jobs. But what value does your degree hold without a job to accompany? Therefore, the importance of completing an internship and gaining experience is emphasised.

I graduated in 2014 and found myself applying for jobs during and after completing my degree, and the one question that I was asked each time was “What experience do you have?” and every time I had to unfortunately say “none”. Until one day I was sick of disappointing myself with that answer, I got online and started seeking an internship. Within a short time I found and applied for an internship with Morgan McKinley, within 24 hours I had received a call from their Talent Acquisition Specialist asking me to come in for an interview. By the following week I was out of my comfort zone and into a whole new environment where I was going to spend the next 12 weeks, absorbing every bit of information and seeking as much experience as possible. Morgan McKinley has been a great place to do an internship and gain experience in a corporate environment. The internship gave me the opportunity to gain experience in database management, administration duties, candidate interviews/training, providing administration support to the Recruitment Consultants and other ad-hoc tasks for the office as well as being involved in a data cleanse project. During my time I gained exposure to the fundamentals of the Recruitment industry, including relationship building, talent sourcing, assignment pitches, headhunting, and candidate management.

One of the first things Morgan McKinley recommended I do was create a LinkedIn account which is primarily used to build and engage with your professional network, access knowledge, insights and opportunities. This requirement has been nothing but successful as I have been connecting with like minded people across the world. Towards the end of my internship I was able to connect with another recruitment industry professional and, with the experience Morgan McKinley provided me, I was ultimately able to successfully impress and secure my first permanent role out of university.

Over the last 12 weeks and so on, I am and always will be very great full for the opportunity Morgan McKinley has presented me with, and if there was one thing I could share with other Uni students it would be, ‘bite the bullet’ and gain that experience before you finish your degree, and to definitely create a LinkedIn account.

Corey Cooper
Intern - Morgan McKinley, Sydney