Alicia Morgan

Alicia is a self-proclaimed food critic and coffee connoisseur, and will be taking on a Marketing internship this summer. She fills us in on how her part time job, led to her landing her fully-fledged internship.

First things first, what encouraged you to choose your degree and what are your career aspirations after graduation?

In all honesty, the reason I chose my degree was due to a big fascination with the concept of money. When I was 16, I remember asking my level one economics teacher: why money was constructed as a means of exchange – making me realise I wanted to become an expert in these globalised questions.

In year one, I was fixated on learning more about the ‘conventional ideas’ around business, including money, profit and efficiency and was focussed on aligning my future career to the economic side of my degree. However, over the past few years that has since changed, and I now want to become a content strategist in ethical marketing. Even though I hold profit and efficiency as important business constructs, I think balancing it with empathy and sincerity is vital.

Tell us a little more about your internship at Burger Burger.

I will be working in a marketing role for Burger Burger, a New Zealand hospitality business. Holistically, my role will play a part in promoting the company through their products, which is of course their delicious burger, fries and shakes. Subsequently, I will assist the marketing department with their social media, campaigns and any market research that needs to be conducted. My internship will start in late November after my exams and will end around late January.  

Can you fill us in on how you secured this awesome role?

I have been working part time for Burger Burger since my first year at University, which meant I was able to forgo the application process.

Since working for the company over the past two years, I have developed a strong brand loyalty leading me to create a strong network across the business. As I was starting to think about my future, I approached my (awesome) manager- who had experience working for a SME at a managerial level. As a result, my manger offered me a summer internship at Burger Burger HQ.

What kind of company do you see yourself working for in the future? Has this changed during your years of study?

When I first embarked on my studies, I romanticised the idea of working in a big corporate firm, basing my career aspirations on external factors such as wealth and remuneration. However, over the years my aspirations have gradually become more intrinsic, and now want to work for a small-medium enterprise (SME), as I genuinely love working in a close nit team who are collectively motivated to meet common goals.

What led you to seeking help with the CDES team and how did we help support you?

During my first and second year of study, I was blissfully ignorant toward my future because I didn’t have the fear graduation clouding over me. However, now in my third year I realise there is an end goal, which is to utilise the knowledge I gained from my degree and channel it into a career – which is why I reached out to the CDES team.

I have never considered myself as the ‘leader or manager’ type, and thought it was a trait that many companies looked for. This way of thinking made me believe my job prospects were low, but thanks to a CDES Career Consultant advising me that leadership comes in different forms, I was reassured that there was a place for me in the market. For example, I may not like telling people what to do, but there have been times where I’ve had to train people in a particular job - and that in itself is a form on leadership.  

What was the outcome of meeting with CDES?
Other than changing my mind-set my top five takeaways were:

• I became assured with what I wanted to do with my future 
• I built my network immensely 
• I had multiple zoom meetings with people in the marketing industry 
• I was invited to take part in a product shoot for an advertising company 
• Best of all – I secured the Burger Burger internship

Have you got any advice for students who are unsure about what to do with their degree or are struggling to find a role?

Looking for a job that suits you is exactly like searching for a restaurant to dine at. By using this approach, the uncertainty of what you want to do becomes less intimidating.

And make sure you reach out to the CDES team - they have an abundance of resources that could help students to find a job, plus their services are free to use and they are available to students from all areas of study, for up to three years after graduation!

Are there any other pearls of wisdom you’d like to pass onto students?

Thanks Alicia, we wish you all the luck this summer with your internship! 

At CDES, it’s our job to support students as they navigate the world of work. We've got heaps of services to help create your future. Come and find us on campus or schedule an appointment today!