Image: Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) Internal Communications team with Stepping Into Intern Serena.
My name is Serena and I first came into contact with the Australian Network on Disability (AND) in late 2018. During my years at university I’d often see information about AND’s programs, and on the eve of my final year at university I started to reflect on where I was going after university, and knew that AND’s programs would be the perfect opportunity for me.
I had only started to realise I’d had a disability in my final year of high school. My disability was invisible, even to myself. So during my time at university I went through a process of coming to terms and gaining an understanding of what I can and can’t do as a result of my disability, which left me self-conscious about including disability related information when applying and having a job.
But on the eve of my final year at university, I started reflecting on where I was going after completing my degree, and how my disability was going to affect me in a work environment, as I didn’t have any previous professional experience. That’s when I started to really look at the opportunities and found AND’s Stepping Into Program (SIP), which seemed like the perfect fit for me.
AND’s Stepping Into program is a paid internship scheme, so I really felt like I was working towards something. The program matches university students to roles with leading Australian organisations, so it was great to see that companies I have seen all my life were genuinely open to diversity. The program is designed to give students with disability the chance to gain vital work experience during study, with internships running for a minimum 152 hours. These hours are flexible and can be negotiated between the organisation and the student to work out what best works for them. This was great for me because I was still in university and I had a long commute, so I was able to come in later than the average 9am and leave earlier than 5pm. The more I looked into it, the more of a fantastic opportunity it seemed for me.
AND members offer many internships in their Stepping Into program and the role that caught my interest was with the Department of Family and Community Services (FACS). Since entering university, I had the goal of working in the public sector as I feel their work goes back into the community, and I’ve always wanted to be in a role that has meaning. I wasn’t sure if I’d get the internship as it was in their Human Resources team and I had studied Communications & Creative Writing, but I knew I wouldn’t get it if I didn’t try.
I applied, got shortlisted and had an interview. It was the first real job interview I’d ever had in my life, so even when I didn’t get the job, I was still ecstatic. The feedback they gave me told me that I was a great candidate, interviewee and to apply to them again. So, when the opportunity came again, that’s what I did. I felt I had a good chance after the positive feedback they gave me, and especially since there were several internships open with FACS.
The AND team suggested the FACS’s Internal Communications team, which I hadn’t originally thought to apply for – a suggestion I’ll always be thankful for. After looking at the position description, I could it fitted my interests and skills far more than the ones I had initially wanted to apply for.
I had the interview (the second interview I’d ever had in my life) and a week or two later I got the internship. Between my interview and first day, FACS had merged with the Department of Justice and became the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ). So, the 1500 workers I’d be writing communications for increased by 25,000 – which made me a bit nervous and excited for my first office job.
I learnt a lot in my 13 weeks at DCJ. I experimented with a new style of writing for the organisation, served on a judging panel and catalogued over 700 entries to rename the newsletter, I worked in teams, and I was able to experience what it was like to be in a workplace environment. I loved having my own desk and computer, I’m not too embarrassed to admit I actually took a picture of my desk and the phone that had my name on it.
The biggest thing I learnt in my internship is that I am not limited by my disability and when I receive simple adjustments, I am able to flourish. The Stepping Into internship program was invaluable to me, it gave me the chance to see what I could do and who I was in a work environment.
One and a half years after doing the SIP program and I am still in contact with AND now more than ever, which is why I’m writing this. I started working for AND in February 2020, with one of my first tasks being to write about my own experience with Stepping Into and my time at AND – so I’ll be updating you on my progress in a few weeks.
About Stepping Into
I found the program was the perfect opportunity for students to get the chance to experience a range of tasks and project challenges, aligning with their field of study and interests, so if you are considering applying for the Stepping Into program, my advice is just go for it!
Stepping Into is a national internship program run by the Australian Network on Disability. Leading organisations put forward internship roles to attract skilled and talented students with disability..
Since Stepping Into started in 2005, more than 1200 students have gained internships with over 110 organisations across Australia. It has become a valued talent pipeline and an effective foundation from which organisations can:
- Change attitudes
- Build disability confidence
- Improve hiring practices
- Enhance inclusive leadership
- Cultivate a diverse and inclusive workplace culture.
A rewarding experience for both the intern and their host, 96% of Stepping Into supervisors said they’d do it again.
