Imogen McMullen is still deciding exactly what career path she wants to pursue after finishing her degree but she’s confident she will be prepared for whatever it is.
Currently in the final semester of her Bachelor of Arts in Hobart, majoring in Politics and Policy, Imogen took part in the University’s internship program in 2023, doing a 13-week placement with the Department of State Growth.
“I don’t know that I necessarily want to work in policy, but it was a good chance to learn a more practical application for what I’ve been learning in my Politics and Policy major,” she said.
“I saw an opportunity to do something in a very practical, professional experience with what I’d been learning in my degree, so I thought I’d give it a go.”
During her internship, Imogen worked every Monday in the State Growth office in Hobart as part of the Passenger Transport Team, working on a real state government project to develop real policy, in a perfect use of her studies.
“I was [doing] a cross-jurisdictional scan on zero-emission bus policy, looking at what other states and territories were doing in terms of transitioning to zero-emission public transport, specifically buses because that’s Tassie’s primary public transport method.”
But there was more to the experience than just the policy work.
“I was also learning about office etiquette and how to conduct yourself professionally. That’s something I was quite daunted by, because I’d never worked in an office job before
“So, that was actually really valuable, just experiences like professionally answering an email or phone call, and getting to meetings on time.”
Imogen chose a Bachelor of Arts so she could pursue her love of the social sciences, with a particular interest in history, philosophy and politics. The course allowed her to explore those interests in a way that would help her refine them into a related career path.
“I chose to major in Politics and Policy because I have always had an interest in law and policy, studying how personality, history, culture and power animate our politics.
“I want to do something which involves helping people or working for the betterment of society generally. “
Many of the University’s courses include opportunities to build an internship or Work Integrated Learning (WIL) experience into your studies, allowing you to put your theory into practice and follow your passion in a real-world environment.
A Bachelor of Arts is an extremely flexible degree, with more than 20 majors available, and Imogen said the ability to do an internship meant she could tailor it even more specifically to her needs.
“Even if you don’t want to work in that area long term, just give it a go. You have nothing to lose, it still counts towards a class.
“My thinking was, okay, I’ll give it a go, I’m a little bit interested in this field. If I like, it I’ve learned it. If I don’t like it, I’ve still learned how to interact in an office, I’ve learned research skills, and it counts towards my degree.”
- Study a Bachelor of Arts and prepare yourself to be the creative, ethical and critical thinker the world always needs more of. You can even include an internship. Get in touch to ask us how.