Our finance internships in Sydney and Auckland feature top firms that are leaders in their fields. We work with small firms that provide our students a great deal of hands-on work, high-responsibility work. The goal is that when they are finished they will have a general idea of what it would take to start their own small business in this field should they choose to do so.

Job duties are varied but include analyzing financial data to determine the best course of action for the company and its clients. This may entail a review of the mortgage industry, interest rates, long and short-term projections etc.

Accompanying the staff in meetings and going into the field to speak with clients is an important part of the learning process. You will see how clients are handled from start to finish and learn what people are looking for out of a financial advisor.

In addition to working with a pure financial advisor, we have placements with larger organizations that need help with their own finances. In Auckland we work with the main office of the premier rugby league. They have a financial officer on staff and need student help. This is a great way to get exposure to both finance and marketing. Meeting the players and seeing how the league run from a financial perspective is a great opportunity. Plus, meeting the players and learning about a new sport is what overseas immersion is all about.

Public relations is all about the brand. We work with one of the top agencies in the Pacific. Past students have helped put together “gift” baskets filled with the sponsor’s products and delivered them to radio and television stations to get airplay for their clients. They have completed brand research— looking at how a client’s competition presents itself to the marketplace and looking for ways to find a competitive edge. When the agency meets with a prospective client, our students sit in on the meetings and learn about expectations. Using platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, they place ads for the client in key locations that will appeal to their target audience.

​The main role of a PR agency is to promote a company or individual’s editorial coverage. This is referred to as “earned” or “free” media — stories that on websites, newspapers, magazines and TV programs — as compared to “paid media” or advertisements.

​The intern is there to help clients seem successful, honest, important, exciting or relevant as possible.

Marketing the agency itself to attract new clients is an important part of the internship. Interns use the latest technology to focus in on potential businesses in need of representation. They may call companies and go door-to-door to leave flyers. Students do whatever it takes to continue the flow of new clients.

​The agency we use is in the heart of the city amidst the hustle and bustle. The location gives it street cred among neighboring businesses who use their services.

​The Public Relations Society of America defines the management of public relations as:

• “Anticipating, analyzing and interpreting public opinion, attitudes and issues that might impact, for good or ill, the operations and plans of the organization.
• Counseling management at all levels in the organization about policy decisions, courses of action and communication, taking into account their public ramifications and the organization’s social or citizenship responsibilities.
• Researching, conducting and evaluating, on a continuing basis, programs of action and communication to achieve the informed public understanding necessary to the success of an organization’s aims. These may include marketing; financial; fund raising; employee, community or government relations; and other programs.
• Planning and implementing the organization’s efforts to influence or change public policy. Setting objectives, planning, budgeting, recruiting and training staff, developing facilities — in short, managing the resources needed to perform all of the above.”

HR is one of the spokes that keeps the corporate wheel spinning. Human Resources had its inception at the beginning of the 20th Century with the advent of large corporate entities such as the Ford Motor Company and the realization that employees had needs beyond the workplace and that when those needs went unmet, work in turn suffered.

​At around this time, the first system of employee benefits and safety was created. As this progressed, there was an increased emphasis on the psychology of the workplace and mental health. All these dimensions factored into what is now known as Human Resources.

​HR stresses areas like leadership, cohesion, and loyalty with the belief that all play important roles in organizational success. In simple terms, an organization’s human resource management strategy should maximize return on investment in the organization’s human capital and minimize financial risk.

​Human resource managers seek to achieve this by aligning the supply of skilled and qualified individuals and the capabilities of the current workforce, with the organizations ongoing and future business plans and requirements to maximize return on investment and secure future survival and success.

​In ensuring such objectives are achieved, the human resource function is to implement an organization’s human resource requirements effectively, taking into account federal, state and local labor laws and regulations; ethical business practices; and net cost, in a manner that maximizes, as far as possible, employee motivation, commitment and productivity.
Job Duties

• Business transformation and change management
• Performance, conduct and behavior management
• Employee motivation and morale-building (employee retention and loyalty)
• Maintaining awareness of and compliance with local, state and federal labor laws
• Recruitment, selection, and on boarding (resourcing)
• Employee record keeping and confidentiality
• Organizational design and development
• Industrial and employee relations
• Human resources (workforce) analysis and workforce personnel data management
• Compensation and employee benefit management
• Training and development

IGS has a long history of placing students with event planners. if you enjoy a fast-paced environment and chance to meet a wide range of people this is the placement for you. Event planners coordinate every aspect of meetings, conventions and ceremonies. Working with the staff you will help to select event sites, plan the technical aspects, arrange catering, manage risk and establish back up plans.

IGS interns have had a nice mix of office work as well as getting into the field to attend the actual events. Often they take on the same responsibilities as paid staff. Some have likened event planning to directing a stage performance. To be sure, there is no lack of drama in getting so many moving parts to function together.

The networking that goes on at these events and in the setup process can easily lead to paid positions and contacts that will pay dividends long into the future. Hours can be irregular and can be a mixture of marathon office sessions interspersed with days in the field. The ability to multi-task is key to being a successful event planner. You will need to be able to handle a lot of information coming at you from multiple angles.

A new trend in event planning is that of team building. Our Sydney event planner explains: “It’s no secret that recent team building activities successes have ridden on the boom of reality TV shows. Like I’m a Celebrity, Get me Out of Here. CBS Survivor, CBS Amazing Races, Master Chef Cooking, My Kitchen Rules MKR. Also Minute to Win It, Dancing with The Stars and Flash Mobs. Are all world wide viewing phenomena.”

​More and more companies are hiring event planners to facilitate team building activities for their employees. Instead of just socializing, these events intend on creating a cohesiveness that may be missing among staff members. Our Sydney event planner is well-versed in the techniques used to help a group of individuals become an effective team.