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Hi Emma, Thank you for inviting students to join this fantastic professional networking site! As a student, I am finding it very difficult to figure out how I am going to break away from my current student job to find a position which allows me to develop as a young professional. I have found that many SMEs feel that taking on a student/graduate is a leap of faith; perhaps the investment of time is greater and/or the returns not so immediate? Business vacation and graduate programs in WA are also competitive and a tad scarce in comparison with the eastern states. I hope that this site will provide me with the opportunity to meet like minded people and refine the skills set that I need to go from uni student to marketing professional! Look forward to finding out more :-)Reply

Hi Emma, I just read your article, I totally agree with you from my own experience. I am studying my second year of Bachelor of Business (Marketing) in Melbourne and have also a Diploma of Business Administration with previous work experience in that area and the job haunting has been very difficult! My aim is to get a part-time job as Marketing Assistant before I complete my bachelor degree but if companies are not flexible enough to accept students who are energetic, willing to learn and who can bring fresh ideas to the organisation how are we ever gonna get our dream job? Having created a Student Membership at Business Chicks was a brilliant idea, so students can start networking and who knows, maybe getting a job from contacts! If you know business women and their companies willing to take marketing students on board, please let me know! Excellent Article Emma, hope to hear more from this topic...Warm Regards Maria.Reply

Wow, I love this article! I immediately 'added to bookmarks'. As a first year business student myself, I think this is a fantastic idea. I definitely think that university's have only recently recognised the need to have graduating business students with skills and experience in the workforce as opposed to just knowledge. University of Technology Sydney has in fact created a course new this year to the Faculty of Business 'Integrating Business Perspectives' which looks at giving skills to the students through assessment tasks - it has so far been a great course. I haven't looked at the internships offered by my university as yet - just getting settled at university and balancing it with part-time work - but agree that the experience they provide, inconjunction with resumes and interview skills, are a vital part of landing a job once graduating. I am very excited to hear more about this venture. I think so many people, especially girls, could benefit from the program you outline. Reply

I would love to hear more about internships Emma - perhaps this could be a Latte article in the future - as I personally don't have much knowledge on how they operate in Australia but would certainly be something I'd like to consider for my business. Congrats to Business Chicks for taking on grads and giving them the opportunity get the experience they need. Reply

As a current student studying towards my undergraduate degree and in my final year I cannot agree more!! University is a melting pot of youth from all different backgrounds and study fields and whilst the lectures and tutorials expose you to a wealth of knowledge and give you the opportunity to grasp the theory, there is limited opportunity for students to actually apply their learning in a practical environment & get access to industry professionals. As such, many students apply for internship programs which are highly competitive as we recognise the need for practical experience to gain that competitive edge (and hopefully a graduate offer) upon graduation but also to put our learning into practice. I have been fortunate enough to have secured a job however many of my close friends are still looking as it's graduate recruitment season currently. I see too many talented students getting discouraged about their employment prospects when they read rejection email after rejection email without any feedback to help them improve next time. Not surprisingly it affects their studies due to all the stress that comes with job hunting! My University has recently seen the need to give students exposure to professionals and the work environment and have embarked on developing a Career Mentoring Program. In addition, our Careers & Employment Department have been investing their resources in running professional workshops to upskill students. These upskilling opportunities have attracted an overwhelming response & it would be great to see these initiatives grow further. However many students do not embark on expanding their professional network whilst they are students due to the cost of membership or simply the fact that they did not know business communities such as BusinessChicks existed & welcomed students. So the idea of student membership would definitely be well received! After all, students are financially restricted, full of ideas, eager to learn & hopeful to kickstart their careers, so expanding their networks is a logical first step! Thanks for sharing Emma!Reply