In my final semester of university back in 2019, I completed an internship at Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate (BHGRE) in Richmond as a Social Media Marketer – and yes, the company is affiliated with the TV show!

Through this role, I worked with the head marketer where we collaborated on running and organising social media campaigns, teamed with external organisations such as local schools and businesses, and worked on B2B promotions. I was also in charge of working on developing the company’s social media assets such as graphics, promotional videos and photos. 

At the time, BHGRE was just starting up in Victoria. As one of the largest real estate agents in the United States, the company was looking to enter the Australian market. I saw it as a great chance to apply what I have learned in the classroom! 

One of the best parts was working with external organisations and coming up with creative marketing campaigns that would build the company’s presence in local areas – that was a challenge!

To increase brand awareness, we worked with with local schools, cafes and coffee roasters. As part of a deal, we partnered with a local cafe where we were able to promote BHGRE and, in return, allow the cafe to have their promotional material shown on our social media channels.

Alex completed his internship as a Social Media Marketer at Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate.

I was really proud to be able to work on a promotional video for the company, which allowed me to promote my very own content for the organisation. It was a great experience to use the skills that I had learned in class and apply them to my work. This enabled me to build my confidence and leverage real-world experience while still at university. 

The internship gave me a headstart in understanding and deciding on which career pathway I wanted to follow. As someone who studied a double degree, having the option to complete an internship was the best way to try and test out the industry before I graduated to see if it was something I wanted to do post-university. 

After completing the internship and graduating, I have started my career in the IT consulting industry as a business analyst and project engineer for an IT consulting and services company called Wipro Limited. In my first year, I worked within the artificial intelligence and data analytics space before moving into a client-facing business analyst role. 

As marketing and IT consulting are different, the internship taught me how to adapt, manage and build skillsets such as strong communication and teamwork, which are super crucial as you enter the workforce.

  • "As someone who studied a double degree, having the option to complete an internship was the best way to try and test out the industry before I graduated to see if it was something I wanted to do post-university. "

    Alex , Bachelor of Business Information Systems/Bachelor of Business (majoring in Business Analysis and Marketing)

Three things I have learned about my career and myself: 

  1. Anything is possible 
     When you are at university, there are endless ways to build your skills and be "job-ready”. You just have to be ready for what’s to come and put in the hard yards. I can say that after spending five years at uni and an internship later! 
  2. I enjoy working with people 
    I still remember the times I complained about working with other students on group assignments and how some students wouldn’t pull their load. At work, you have no choice with whom you work with on projects and engagements. You learn to adapt and build connections with your peers. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses (or what I like to call improvement areas) that you can leverage. 
  3. I am more ambitious 
    I learned that to achieve what I want, I need to be ambitious. After all, it’s your career and you dictate where you want to go.


I am a true believer of the saying “it’s what you make of it”. In the classroom, I studied theorical concepts. During my internship, I was able to get a feel and apply the practical side of those concepts. There are certainly differences, but the practical experiences can’t be matched! 

I highly recommend students take on internships and placements, because it gives you that practical experience and the opportunity to kickstart your career. The headstart I got from my internship means that I had a better understanding of organisational structures, methodologies (including agile and scrum) and other concepts while being able to adapt and work with a range of people.

Create your own story

A placement is your chance to fully immerse yourself in an organisation and gain valuable industry experience that will generate real outcomes for your future. Find out how you can secure a placement.

Learn more