Employability Award activities guide

There is a set of program requirements that must be completed before you can submit an application to be considered for the Award. On this page, you will find a list of suggested Award activities for each category as well as some information to consider when planning your activities.

Things to consider

When planning, please consider the following information:

This list is not exclusive and you are encouraged to find your own unique experiences as well.
Plan ahead because access to some activities can be limited due to a competitive application process or specific discipline/study-related requirements.
To ensure the activities you complete are eligible, make sure you read the Program Requirements and Eligible Activities sections within the conditions of participation. You can also contact employability@uq.edu.au to have someone check the eligibility.
Regularly visit the UQ StudentHub Jobs Portal to peruse the advertised opportunities.

Important Notice

Supplementary Activity Update: As of Semester 2, 2024, to achieve the Employability Award, all students are required to complete My Career Adviser (MCA) as a compulsory supplementary activity, alongside their four remaining activities. You will not be able to submit a final application for the award until your completion of the MCA is submitted into your workflow. Students will be automatically enrolled into the EA-MCA site within a week of registration during semesters. If unsure, you can review the EA-MCA Guidance and Support session recording or email employability@uq.edu.au.

This Activities Guide is always available to help you plan and complete activities that are eligible towards the Award.

Work Experience Category

Work Experience activities are those performed in the workplace or virtually, which support the day - to - day running of the organisation to meet their business objectives. These can be paid or unpaid.

Activity type

Activity description

Further information

Paid Work Experience

This includes:

Casual employment
Part-time employment
Full-time employment

Employment held during your studies provides an excellent opportunity for you to gain important skills, such as the ability to work well within a team, customer service skills and time management.

Unpaid Work Experience

This includes unpaid work experience in a field relevant to your studies

If you are looking to undertake unpaid work experience outside of your required coursework , you and the host organisation must enter into an Unpaid Work Experience Arrangement. You may like to look into applying for the Summer and Winter Research Program which is classifed as unpaid work experience and has opportunities across most fields.

To understand more about this type of work, visit the Unpaid Work Experience webpage.

Internships

There a variety of domestic, virtual and global internships organised through UQ.

Internships allow you to apply and contextualise your studies in an organisational environment and gain a competitive edge in the job market. For the purpose of the Employability Award, internships must be extra-curricular and not for credit.

View current opportunities or check with your faculty and school for opportunities relevant to your discipline.

External Internship Programs

A variety of external organisations advertise their internships via StudentHub

Visit StudentHub to start searching for your next opportunity.

UQ Ambassador Programs

There are various ambassador programs offered within UQ. Check with your faculty or school for opportunities.

UQ Ambassador Programs provide an excellent opportunity for current undergraduate students to share their knowledge and experiences with others. Student Ambassadors are essentially the face of UQ and are therefore required to have a working knowledge of their study area, the campuses and the facilities available to students.

Types of programs include:

UQ Tutoring

This includes:

UQ Tutoring
UQ Peer Assisted Study Session Leaders

Some UQ faculties and schools offer tutoring or PASS Leader positions for undergraduate and postgraduate students who excel in their field of studies. Please check with your faculty or school for opportunities.

UQ Student Support

UQ Student Relations Network Call Crew

The Student Relations Network (SRN) is a network of current students who aim to enhance the relationship between students and the University. Their role is to personalise the student experience by proactively engaging with domestic undergraduate students via telephone.

Volunteering Category

Volunteering activities can be defined as those that are undertaken for the main purpose of benefiting someone else, such as a church, sporting club, government school, charity, or community organisation, for which you do not receive payment.

Activity type

Activity Description

Further information

UQ community

Get Involved at UQ

Get Involved at UQ is the place to find a variety of volunteering, mentoring and student representation roles within UQ. To discover and sign up for these types of opportunities, simply visit the Get Involved Portal.

UQ Faculty and School Volunteers

There may be specific volunteering opportunities offered by your faculty or school so make sure you check online.

Examples of programs include:

UQ Colleges Residential Assistant

As a Residential Assistant, you will be a role model to other residents by providing pastoral care and general support. In doing so, this role also provides an opportunity to develop your leadership skills. You must be a resident of a UQ college to apply.

Volunteer for a research study

Volunteers make our game-changing research possible. To view the current volunteer opportunities available click on the research units below:

External community

Not-for-profit and charity volunteering

UQ strongly encourages students to get involved in international or Australian volunteering opportunities and make a difference. To count towards the Award, organisations must be a charity or not-for-profit that is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.

Find opportunities through:

University of Queensland Union (UQU)

This includes:

UQU Event Volunteers
UQ APS Volunteers
UQ Student Club or Society Volunteers

Volunteer at UQU Events to make new friends, up-skill, help out other students and contribute to a better campus and community.

UQ Ambassador Programs

There are various ambassador programs offered within UQ. Check with your faculty or school for opportunities.

Types of programs include:

Supplementary Category

Supplementary activities can be defined as those that are purely for the development of both your personal and professional skills or attributes. Note: There are 14 Activity types listed below, you must complete five (5) different activity types to be eligible to progress with the Award.

Important Reminders

Supplementary Activity Update: As of Semester 2, 2024, to achieve the Employability Award, all students are required to complete My Career Adviser (MCA) as a compulsory supplementary activity, alongside their four remaining activities. You will not be able to submit a final application for the award until your completion of the MCA is submitted into your workflow. Students will be auto-enrolled into the EA-MCA on a weekly basis during semesters and periodically during breaks. If unsure, you can review the EA-MCA Guidance and Support session recording or email employability@uq.edu.au.

Please read the below activity type to understand the requirements.

Activity type

Activity Description

Further information

UQ Employability Week

Includes your engagement in events and workshops held in the UQ Employability Week

Take part in panel discussions, workshops, networking events and other fun activities that will all help you gain capabilities that transcend your coursework and build your lifelong employability.

Recommended attendance at Employability Award Action Plan Workshop

Your involvement in Employability Week activities must be ≥ five (5) hours to be eligible for inclusion as a supplementary activity. You will be required to list which events you attended.

My Career Adviser (MCA)

Includes your successful completion of the self-paced My Career Adviser resource through UQ Blackboard

My Career Adviser (MCA) is an online learning resource that includes diverse topics on resumes and job applications, interviews, networking, professional identity, managing your online profile, and career action planning, amongst other areas.

Students will be auto-enrolled into the EA-MCA on a weekly basis during semesters and periodically during breaks. You will gain access to the blackboard site and review all modules and assessments successfully. The completion of the MCA will help to prepare you for your final application for the Employability Award. You can review the EA-MCA Guidance and Support session recording to understand this element.

It is recommended to allow yourself 30 - 40 hours to complete all required assessments. Please review the MCA Get Started Guide.

Student-Staff Partnership Projects

Includes the completion of a student-staff partnership project at UQ.

This program seeks to empower Student and Staff Partners to effect positive change within the teaching and learning, student experience and governance/strategy environments at UQ

Find out more here.

Global & Cultural Experiences

You can travel abroad whilst studying at UQ and can gain a different perspective on your studies, meet new people, and explore new places.

This activity type also includes active participation in experiences that enhance your cultural awareness in Australia.

You must be able to demonstrate that you have actively contributed (through planning and advocacy) to the delivery of activities and initiatives that increase cultural awareness at UQ, or have traveled overseas for study purposes whilst enrolled at UQ.

Gain cultural understanding overseas:

Global Experiences:
- Student Exchange program,
- Short-Term study options (for-credit),
- Global Internships,
- Global Experience for Volunteering (not-for-credit only)
Shakespeare Summer School (Europe) - for information on the programme, email Dr Victoria Bladen, v.bladen@uq.edu.au

Gain cultural understanding in Australia:

UQ Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Network Member: Cultural learning and ensuring a culturally-respective workplace and study environment (Register here)

Research experiences

Includes your participation in a not-for-credit research experience program whether it be internal or external of the UQ community.

Consider checking with your faculty or school for opportunities specific to your discipline.

Examples of programs include:

Career Mentoring Program (Mentee)

Includes your involvement as a mentee in a structured career mentoring program either internal or external to the UQ community.

You must be engaged in a structured career mentoring program where you are matched to a person (usually from industry) who provides you with advice, support, and coaching related to your career. This may be a reciprocal relationship where you discuss a variety of subjects that help develop your personal and/or professional capabilities. It does not include peer mentoring programs.

Examples of career mentoring programs include, but aren't limited to:

Leadership Development Program or Course

Includes completion of a Leadership Development Program or Course whether it be internal or external to the UQ community.

Leadership development is the process that helps expand the capacity of individuals to perform in leadership roles within organisations.

Examples of leadership development programs at UQ include, but aren't limited to:

Entrepreneurship and Innovation programs

Includes your involvement in and completion of entrepreneurship/innovation programs either internal or external of the UQ community.

Examples of programs include, but aren't limited to:

Ventures Programs

Career enhancement

Includes your involvement in and completion of any other experience that will enhance your employability either internal or external of the UQ community.

Examples of programs include, but aren't limited to:

Competitions

Includes your participation as a competitor whether it be in an academic or industry competition internal or external of the UQ community.

Consider checking with your faculty, school or club/society for opportunities specific to your discipline.

Examples of competitions include but aren't limited to:

TC Beirne School of Law Mooting Competition
Australian University Rocket Competition
Ventures Industry Challenge
UQCS Hackathon or other club/society competitions

Executive Member of Board/Committee/Advisory group/Club or Society

Includes your involvement in an executive member position of a board/committee/advisory group/club or society whether it be internal or external of the UQ community.

Examples of elected/appointed positions include, but aren't limited to:

President/Vice-President
Treasurer
Secretary/Assistant Secretary
Media/Communications
Event Coordinator

Conferences and Scholarly works

Includes any conferences you have attended (2 days minimum), presented at or volunteered for whether it be internal or external of the UQ community; and/or

The writing and publishing/presenting of scholarly works.

Conferences:

This may include your involvement as:

a presenter at the conference
a participant or delegate (minimum 2 days attendance as of 2024)
a conference volunteer.

For the purpose of the Employability Award, a conference is defined as a formal meeting of people with a shared interest that takes place over one or more days (includes in-person or virtual conferences). Please consider searching online for available conferences. Examples of conferences include, but aren't limited to:

Scholarly works:

This may include writing and publishing of scholarly work for journals, or articles for research related news outlets such as 'The Conversation'.

Courses

Includes any professional development courses (not-for-credit) you have completed, whether it be internal or external of the UQ community.

Courses include both online and face-to-face options .Your involvement in the course must be ≥ five (5) hours and must not be for course credit to be eligible for inclusion as a supplementary activity.

Examples of courses include, but aren't limited to:

Health Communication Essentials
Careers 101 Program
Diamantina Advanced Immunology Course (full course)
English for Academic Communication Course
Language courses
Diversity & Inclusion course
Coaching courses

Sports Representative

Includes your involvement in competitive sport whether it be representing UQ or an external sporting club (excludes social sport competitions).

Examples of sporting involvement include, but aren't limited to:

UQ College Sport Tournaments
Intervarsity/Elite Sporting Competitions
Voluntarily coaching or managing an external sporting team