I was talking to a friend whose younger sibling will be completing university at the end of 2009, and was telling me the many attempts on the sibling’s part to get a graduate position but being denied. I admit I was a bit confused about why the sibling was applying for a graduate position when they should have been applying for a cadetship and or a vacation position. I asked, and was told that the sibling and her thought they were all the same.

Well, no, saying graduate programs is the same as cadetships is like saying butter and cheese are the same because both are made from milk. So, for all you hopefuls out there I shall assist you today by clarifying the following 3 terms; graduate program, cadetship, and vacation work. These 3, while similar are nonetheless different, and depending at what point you are at in your tertiary studies may dictate what you can and can’t apply for.

Let’s tackle graduate program first. Graduate programs are set up by organisations for newly graduated university graduates. Often, graduate programs will last for a period of one year. During that year, graduates will rotate through several sectors/streams giving on-the-job training in many areas of the organisation. At the end of the year, graduates will be expected to choose a sector that they would like to work in. Many companies and government sectors are using graduate programs as a way to train potential managers for the future.

A cadetship in Australia often refers to programs that accelerate a student's career progression. A cadetship can be offered to students who are completing high school or undertaking tertiary studies. Government sectors and a few major accounting firms offer cadetships to both high school and tertiary students. It is an excellent opportunity for training and a way to get a get foothold in an organisation.

Vacation Jobs often occurs during a student's vacation period. They can be paid or unpaid. These types of opportunities frequently target 2nd-last year university students. It is an excellent opportunity for training and money, and allows a student to test their profession before graduating and to build relationships that may land them a job in the future. Note: vacation jobs are different from cadetships as one is usually set for a short duration, the other can last for up to or more than one year.

So, if you are a first year university student and you are applying for a graduate position, forget it. It will not happen! The smart option is to start looking into cadetships and/or vacation positions.

Comments

Add New Search

Write comment
Name:
Title:

Powered by JoomlaCommentCopyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved.Homepage: http://cavo.co.nr/