• Posted on 12 Nov 2018
  • 7-minute read
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Descriptive transcript

[Visual: Text overlay reads “Elisa-Marie Dumas, Head of Global Partnerships and Programs, Investible”. Elisa-Marie speaks directly to camera in an office setting.]

Elisa-Marie: Investible is an early-stage global investment group. So where Hayley and Nick were such a direct fit for our program, you know, the ideal interns are people who are naturally curious about entrepreneurship, but also in how they think and move, willing to learn, be agile, take on board 50 different things that we might throw on them. Really couldn’t have selected two better interns, who really supported us in owning this project.

[Visual: Text overlay reads “Hayley Tulich, Bachelor of Technology and Innovation, UTS”. Hayley speaks to camera in a co-working space.]

Hayley: This internship has sparked a massive interest with me in startups. I came into it just wanting to experience the world and see what I would be doing, and it’s been absolutely incredible seeing how much I’ve grown as a person, as well as just sparking interest for future career paths.

[Visual: Text overlay reads “Nicholas Hurrell, Bachelor of Communication, Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation, UTS”. Nicholas speaks to camera.]

Nicholas: There’s no training program. It’s not like you go, okay, day one you’re doing this, day two you’re doing this, day three you’re doing this. Every day you’re getting a new task, you’re getting a new responsibility, you’re getting a new experience.

Hayley: At Investible, I’ve been really heavily involved in the planning of the Impact Games. So that started from data collection at the very beginning, all the way through to the execution of the event at the end. So it started off sourcing all the startups, looking online, finding people that would be suitable, and then it quickly evolved to project managing and testing out all the challenges, and how the event would actually run on the day, and all the planning behind that.

Nicholas: It takes you some time to work into it, so they get to know who you are, you get to know the business, and your responsibilities grow over the couple of months that you’re there.

Hayley: I’ve been exposed to so many different opportunities, one of the main ones being networking experiences. I’ve met so many different people, so many great people that are really interested in what I’m doing at university and what I can provide with them, and so I’ve got this massive network now of people who I would not have come into contact with if I didn’t take this internship.

Nicholas: The networking, the people I’ve met, even just the other day, saying, ‘oh yeah, we’ll catch up for a coffee, discuss X, Y, Z’, and you’re like, oh wow, I can’t believe as a 21-year-old, these what appear to be experienced professionals are willing to take that five, ten, half an hour of their day to start that conversation, help you along your journey.

Hayley: From the Impact Games, a couple of companies that I’m massively interested in and would want to work with have been offering me to come and work with them. And then, with Investible, wanting to stay with them for as long as I can because it’s been so valuable, and all the skills that I’ve gained from working with them, and all the people I’ve met through them, is just invaluable and I never want to leave.

[Visual: Text overlay reads “startupinternships.uts.edu.au”]

UTS Bachelor of Technology and Innovation student Hayley Tulich started off with no idea about what she wanted to get out of her internship - but ended up with a passion for startups and industry connections to boot.

“I just wanted to experience the startup world,” says Hayley. “My internship has guided me through that process and sparked different interests in future career paths."

With its new Startup Internships program, UTS is giving students the chance to work with early-stage startups in credit-bearing internships.

Connecting students with startups for work experience is having far-reaching benefits for both students and their entrepreneur hosts.

Working with early-stage investment firm Investible, Hayley and fellow intern Nick Hurrell (Bachelor of Communication / Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation), helped coordinate Investible’s Impact Games, a competition where startups compete over three days in a variety of challenges, being judged across different areas.

Demand for management and data competency is expected to increase rapidly with the changing economy, and Hayley’s work on the project required a grasping of these core future-proofing skills.

“I was involved in the whole event: from the planning at the beginning to the execution of the event at the end. To start with, it was a lot of data collection, sorting the startups, but it quickly evolved into project management and testing all the challenges and seeing what needed to be improved on.”

For Nick, working on the Impact Games project allowed him to gain greater insight into what working with a startup involves on a day-to-day basis.

“We had a hands-on role participating in, and overseeing the process,” says Nick. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all role. Everyday you’re going to get a new task, a new responsibility. Because you’re in a group of two, five or ten people, you’re an integral cog in that business.”

Hayley says the internship allowed her to tackle challenges in a new environment, pushing her to quickly master new skills.

“This experience has been invaluable and I’d recommend everyone do it. The experience you gain from being put into the deep end; you grow so much and it’s nothing compared to what you would learn in a classroom.”

Easing the squeeze for short-staffed startups

The program comes after UTS signed a deal with the Fishburners startups community, opening up internship opportunities for students with startups like Investible, who reside in one of Australia’s leading co-working spaces.

Elisa-Marie Dumas, Head of Global Partnerships and Programs for Investible, says working with a startup can require having to develop proficiencies in many areas, and the UTS interns proved they were able to learn quickly and get involved in the daily business of Investible.

“Hayley and Nick were such a great fit for our program. Ideal interns are people who are naturally curious about entrepreneurship, but also, in how they think and move, are willing to learn, be agile and take on board 50 different things that we might throw on them.”

The arrangement between UTS and Fishburners has also made it easier for startups looking to grow their team to cut through the screening process, with Fishburners matching each UTS student with a suitable startup.

“Startups are poor on time, money and resources and these programs are here to help,” says Elisa. “The matching component is going to be really important in helping startups get the right interns.”

“We have just loved working with Hayley and Nick and the broader team of UTS interns. For us, it helps us scale our resources. We’re pretty lean as a team and we’re already spread pretty thin.”

With startups now being cited as a leading force behind future jobs growth, Hayley says her experience as an intern, and being able to network with fellow Fisburners regulars has ultimately pushed her towards exploring a broader career path in the startup ecosystem.

“This internship has sparked a massive interest for me in startups,” says Hayley. “I’ve met so many people who I would never have met before and, from the Impact Games, a couple of companies I’m interested in have been offering me the opportunity to come and work with them.”

Interested in pursuing an internship opportunity with a startup?

Apply now to Startup Internships, applications close on 23 November.

For more information, click here.

Byline: Liam Kennedy, UTS Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

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