As someone passionate about working with people, Rosa wanted her studies to focus on people-management as important factors in an organisation’s success.
“Human Resources naturally appealed as it offers a space in which you have a chance to make a fundamental difference to the well-being, success, and sustainability of both individuals and organisations,” she says. “Being a people-based profession means that not one day will be the same, as it requires an understanding of social and psychological aspects, scientific research, and the fundamentals of business.”
She decided on double degree studies that complemented her interests in both business practice and the employees behind it, and made the most of extracurricular opportunities on campus to give her added expertise.
“UC has provided so many opportunities to develop as an individual, there is a huge amount of support available to you if you put in the hard work and engage yourself. The lecturers have a huge level of experience and knowledge and really go the extra mile.
“Opportunities such as MGMT 228, the management study tour to China, provide once in a lifetime experiences, not only in an academic sense but also on a personal level.”
Being able to put theory to practice with a MGMT 390 Intern Consulting Project at Environment Canterbury (ECan) was also one of the best ways Rosa could advance her personal development.
“The goal of my project was an updated set of processes that would allow for better management of the staffing levels of the organisation,” she says.
Rosa conducted interviews amongst senior management on ECan’s current recruitment processes, and used this information to create a workshop, focused on idea sharing and problem solving for staffing resources.
“Once fined tuned, the results of the project will be applicable across the whole organisation. This project will be an ongoing, constantly developing process of improving the management of the organisation’s human capacity.”
Having real-world experience in a professional setting, conducting interviews, hosting workshops, and managing her own project has given Rosa confidence and skills for the workplace.
“I found the challenge of overseeing and managing the project hugely rewarding,” she says. “The experience also had huge benefits to my study; it added a context and depth to the content taught in courses.
“Being in a workplace environment surrounded by people who are highly experienced and experts in the area was also particularly beneficial. It was inspiring to observe and shadow people who have years of experience and knowledge to share.”
Needless to say, Rosa highly recommends taking on an internship project to get out of your comfort zone and gain some great experience while at university.
“Give it a go! Ask questions and be prepared to be challenged,” she says. “The skills and experiences gained from the Intern Project will be applicable to my future career but also in day to day to situations. I think the project is the perfect stepping stone between traditional university courses and the workplace.”
