Gaining Experience/Employment for 2009

[cnort100]

Hi HR Professionals,

I just signed up to this forum and have been reading many of the threads with interest. I am a Honours Year student in Human Resource Management at La Trobe University. I'm currently in the process of writing my thesis which is based on Organisational Learning and the moderating factors in the current climate. It is due in late October so I have been concentrating on my university work rather than seeking employment or vacation work/work experience.

But the time has come to start pursuing employment opportunities for 2009. Mid-year I applied to many graduate programs with differing levels of success. As I have no work experience in the HR field (I have four years in customer service at Rebel Sport, 6 months at Accounting firm, and various other high school jobs) I found that this was an area that was lacking on my CV.
I have had a large diversity of experiences although I'm only young. I've played sport all my life and had the opportunity to play basketball in the United States twice and also Canada which has helped me realise the power of communication and networking.

I am seeking employment in Melbourne, Victoria in 2009 and want to know if anybody has, firstly, positions vacant that might be suitable for a post-graduate student (honours level), and secondly, how to go about gaining summer vacation work or simple work experience in Human Resources.

Many of the closing dates for vacation work have past so I am seeking other ways to gain experience. Upon completion of my thesis in October, I will begin finding volunteer activities to be a part of and also try and get some experience. These are the two aspects that are lacking on my CV which my competitors may have over me.

I have drive, ambition, enthusiasm and a desire for perfection (try my best in everything) which I believe are valuable to any prospective employer. My communication skills are excellent as they have developed through international travel as well as my customer service role and I am an extremely hard worker and willing to participate in Organisational Citizenship Behaviour to enjoy work and also enrich other peoples lives.

I need an opportunity and starting point for my career come January 2009 or earlier if the right position becomes available. My hopes are to finish my thesis and then begin building a fantastic career in HR.

Please feel free to post any comments or send messages to me and contribute to this discussion.

Kind Regards,
Cameron