How a job at UNSW can help launch your career

In Devanshi Sarda’s home country, India, the job market is tough for university students.

“Although the education is great, when you are at this level, there's not a lot of job opportunities until you graduate,” she explains. “And I wanted to be working hands on while I was studying to make sure everything that I'm studying, I'm able to apply in real life.” 

And the third-year UNSW Bachelor of Commerce student is not alone in wanting more out of a student job. After a disappointing position in retail, Oliver Watt hoped he could find a role that would not only help pay his bills but also complement his Bachelor of Design degree. 

That’s why they both decided to apply for jobs on the UNSW campus.  

Redefining the benefits of work for students

Business runs in Devanshi’s veins. Her family owns a rice bran oil manufacturing factory in India, so studying commerce was an obvious choice. And marketing is her sweet spot. 

“Back in school, I was keen on marketing. It’s one of my core strengths,” she says. 

So she didn’t hesitate when she saw the Communications & Engagement Assistant role at Career Accelerator advertised.

As part of her role Devanshi manages and writes newsletters, creates social media content, and coordinates events. Every task feeds directly into her career goals and helps build her portfolio – as well as her eventual plan to join her family's third-generation business back in India.

"I’ve developed skills that will be key for my career in marketing," she says. 

And it doesn’t come at the cost of her studies.  

“I wanted to make sure that my job doesn't interrupt my studies. The university is very flexible with our study commitments. For example, during exam week, they don’t give us as many hours as during flexi week."

A long-term pay-off

After Oliver’s retail job didn’t work out, he wanted a role that had more than money to offer. That’s when he came across a casual Student Engagement Assistant position with the UNSW Employability team. 

In this role, Oliver helped promote Employability events and services through designing digital and print collateral, assisting with various marketing activities and updating the website. After two years, he secured a central role as a Social Media Assistant, where he helped coordinate UNSW’s award-winning TikTok launch. 

“I got so much out of that job. I learned all the other parts of working life – soft skills, how to operate within an organisation, due process, and office etiquette. The things I didn’t think I’d have to learn back then."

Oliver puts a lot of value on getting exposure to these experiences and skills early on. When it was time for a change, he could talk about his work in a way that resonated with employers and secured roles with Telstra and the University of Sydney.

And since 2022, he’s back to where it all began, as a full-time Social Media Coordinator at UNSW, mentoring other student staff.

“I'm lucky to have been able to get that first job in my first year and build upon it to get to where I am now. And it’s been good to be able to give back to the university as well." 

The power of the student experience 

To equip students with employability skills and connect them with hiring managers looking for talented students, UNSW Employability has launched Jobs on Campus – a talent pool that provides current UNSW students priority access to paid employment opportunities across the university. 

Jobs on Campus requires students to complete Employability training before they apply for roles with UNSW. This includes participating in a Career Workshop or an Employability program, completing a resume and cover letter training modules and building a compelling resume.  

For UNSW, this means applicants come armed with employable skills that will help them succeed. Importantly, they also bring a critical student perspective. 

Devanshi’s Gen Z voice has increased engagement across student newsletters and social media at Career Accelerator. And Oliver’s experiences, fresh ideas and energy make him an incredibly valuable part of the team.  

“As a team that focuses on building employability skills in business students and delivering high quality experiences and programs, we see a huge amount of value in hiring students to be part of delivering on our goals,” says Elena Holland, Engagement Manager at Career Accelerator.  

UNSW's Social Media Manager, Jack Breen, couldn’t agree more. 

“Hiring someone who's worked here as a student means they already know the culture and needs at UNSW. They’ve also mastered all the basics so you're not hiring a regular graduate,” he says.

The future is bright

Today, Devanshi is preparing to take everything she’s learned back to India, where she’ll continue to build her experiences and develop her skills before she joins the family business. 

Oliver’s plans are more open-ended, and he likes them that way. For now, he’s happy in his role at UNSW, helping mentor the next generation of student staff. He’s just incredibly grateful for the opportunity to turn his student job into something meaningful for his career. 

"It helped me move out of junior and into more senior roles. Any job is great when you’re a student but there's a very good case for a role that is either aligned with your degree or your passion. It helps you feel more invested in what you're doing."