How To Complete Your Internship Logbook

Posted on March 13, 2020June 30, 2021 by spc@outcome.life

How to Complete your Internship Logbook

Week 1: Getting to know the business and where you fit in

Your internship logbook

While your internship is a great chance to experience Australian work culture and get a feel for real hands-on work in your chosen industry, it’s important to remember that it’s also a learning experience for you.

To meet your required learning outcomes for the internship, and for your own valuable personal reflection on the experience you’ve gained, you are required to complete logbook for every day that you attend your internship.

Your logbook should contain all the key information needed to verify your learning and should include a summary of your experiences, learning and tasks completed each day.

To complete your logbook, log into InternMatch on your desktop or download our easy-to-use logbook app “InternMatch”. Downloaded to your phone, the InternMatch logbook app is an accessible and simple way to enter your logbooks every day.

What to include in your logbook

Your logbook should include information for each day that you attend your internship, along with the date and the number of hours that you attended the internship. This information is essential for your logbook to be accepted for credits.

Your logbook should include details of what you did during the hours of your internship. These could include:

Meetings you attended and any contribution you made to the meeting
Completed tasks or projects
Discussions with teammates
Programs or sofware you used to complete your tasks
Research you conducted and where/what you researched

You will also be required to write about your learning outcomes for the day. These should match or be directly related to the learning outcomes in your Training Plan.

Remember, your supervisor will be asked to check your logbook and sign it off to make sure it’s accurate, so you should ensure that you have included everything you’ve done that day (and don’t make it up!)

If you have any questions...

The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.

You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:

Phone: 03 8899 7424

Email: hello@outcome.life

Or fill in the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Asking Questions During Your Internship

Posted on March 12, 2020March 18, 2020 by spc@outcome.life

Asking Questions During your Internship

Week 1: Getting to know the business and where you fit in

It's important to ask Questions

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s very acceptable, and even encouraged, in Australian workplaces to ask questions throughout your internship. You can ask questions to clarify requirements or tasks assigned to you and about the expectations about your work that your supervisor has set.

Asking questions shows engagement and enthusiasm towards your internship and will often lead to key insights which will improve the overall impact you make to your host company.

For example, closed questions are questions that only require a yes/no answer. They don’t provide a lot of information, so you should be mindful of using them too much during your internship. Remember, you are there to learn! How do you learn if you don’t ask good questions to find out things that you don’t know?

You will probably find open questions more helpful because they provide more information about the topic, allow you to dig deeper into the purpose of the tasks and give you the opportunity to learn a lot more.

Types of Open Questions

Clarifying questions help you understand what has been said or instructed more clearly. They help people understand each other more easily and can be very useful when you’ve been given a task by your supervisor or colleague but aren’t sure that you completely understand what they require you to do.

Examples of clarifying questions could be:

“Could you tell me more about this project?” “What’s the purpose of this task?”

Adjoining questions are used to explore parts of a task or problem that might not be discussed during an initial conversation and can help you to understand the purpose and impact of the task or project in a wider context.

Examples of adjoining questions could be:

“What impact will it make the the project/business?” “How could this project apply to other industries?”

Funnelling questions are used to challenge assumptions, examine a problem further or understand cause and effect better. They help a person or team to improve their methods or strategies by asking why something was done a certain way, or if it could be done another way the next time.

Examples of funnelling questions could be:

“How did you complete the analysis of this data?”
“Why did you complete that step the way you did?”

Elevating questions provide a wider view of the problem or project. Sometimes, it is easy to get stuck in the small details of a project and forget the bigger picture – the actual purpose of the work that you or the business are doing. By asking elevating questions, you can re-focus your attention to the larger issues and spend your time on the parts of the task that will really make an impact.

Examples of elevating questions could be:

“What is this project trying to achieve overall?”
“How do each of these tasks tie together to meet our larger goal?”

Source: Harvard Business Review 2015, Relearning the Art of Asking Questions, https://hbr.org/2015/03/relearning-the-art-of-asking-questions

If you have any questions...

The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.

You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:

Phone: 03 8899 7424

Email: hello@outcome.life

Or fill in the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

If You’re Sick Or Late To Your Internship

Posted on March 11, 2020March 18, 2020 by spc@outcome.life

If you're unwell during your internship

Week 1: Getting to know the business and where you fit in

When you are unwell or Late

Each organisation and/or supervisor may have different expectations about how you should communicate an absence from work or if you’re running late, so this is something that you should ask them how they would like this communicated during your orientation to the internship.

However, there are some generally accepted rules about how to communicate with your supervisor about your illness or running late:

It is not acceptable to call in sick or late after your start time
Most supervisors will expect to receive a phone call if you are unwell or running late – a text message or email is not acceptable unless you have explicit instruction from your supervisor to notify them this way
Email our team at hello@outcome.life to let us know if you are sick
Make a note of your lateness/sickness in your logbook, who you have contacted and how you told them (e.g. phone, email, etc)
If you are sick, make sure you get an official medical certificate from your doctor and send a copy to your supervisor and our team at Outcome.Life as soon as possible.

Plan your travel carefully

Whether you are attending your first day of work or your 900th, or even just an interview, being on time is expected and required in Australia.

There are very few good excuses for arriving late, especially for an interview or in the first few weeks of your internship. While we understand that the circumstances for your lateness will be out of your control sometimes, you should always plan your travel time carefully to ensure that you have plenty of time if something were to go wrong, or your transport was delayed.

If you know that the public transport to your area is often late or delayed, or if the traffic is usually bad, make sure to leave plenty of travel time just in case your travel takes longer than expected.

We suggest planning your time to arrive at least 10 minutes earlier than the agreed daily start time for your internship. Arriving a little early helps you prepare for the day, grab a tea or coffee and maybe have a chat with your new colleagues. Remember, getting to know your new work environment and your workmates can be extremely valuable for your future employment in Australia!

If you have any questions...

The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.

You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:

Phone: 03 8899 7424

Email: hello@outcome.life

Or fill in the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Internship Orientation Checklist

Posted on March 6, 2020March 18, 2020 by spc@outcome.life

Internship Orientation Checklist

Week 1: Getting to know the business and where you fit in

When you arrive to the office

Upon starting your internship, you should formally request an office orientation from your supervisor. This is a great opportunity for you to learn the layout of the office, meet your new colleagues and get a feel for your new environment.

You should ask key questions about the company to get you off on the right foot. These are:

What are usual opening hours for the business?
Is there a dress code or any requirements for personal protective equipment? If not, what is appropriate for me to wear?
Are there any other team members or supervisors whose contact information I might need during my internship?

Some details may have changed slightly from the internship agreement, so checking with your direct supervisor will allow you to stay on top of any and all changes.

Show interest in the Business

Once you have confirmed some of the more basic details of your internship, you should start to show a keen interest in the business and how you are going to fit into their operational model. You might choose to ask questions like these:

I’ve read about your company online, but can you tell me a little bit more about…?
What is the organisational structure here?
What should I expect from my first week within my internship?
Is there anything that I can study or learn to make sure I can provide the best value to the team?
What are the current company goals? What are you focusing on at the moment?

Orientation Tour Guide

You might not have completed an internship before and, in some cases, your host company might never have hosted an intern before! Requesting a formal orientation into the internship and the office will show your host company that you are taking the internship very seriously.

To help them along, here is a checklist you can use to ensure they give you a thorough orientation:

Important locations to know

Your workstation / desk
Bathroom facilities
Emergency exits, fire alarms and evacuation points in the case of an emergency
First aid kits or the First Aid Officer if you get injured or are unwell
Kitchen or break room facilities (where you can have your lunch!)

Important information

Any safety regulations and requirements
Key personnel within the business
Communication methods with other employees (email, phone, workplace IM software like Slack or Monday)
Break times and lunch schedules (some workplaces have staggered lunch times for employees, others don’t mind when you take

If you have any questions...

The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.

You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:

Phone: 03 8899 7424

Email: hello@outcome.life

Or fill in the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Have a business idea but not a resident? South Australia wants you!

Posted on December 10, 2019March 16, 2020 by spc@outcome.life

Pictured (L to R): Domenic Saporito (Outcome.Life), Manon Beauchamp-Tardieu (Little Green Panda), Usman Iftikhar (Catalysr), Natanael Yan Setiawan (Pencil Rocket) and Benjemen Elengovan (MySafetyBot).

In November, Outcome.Life collaborated with Spark Deakin, a young entrepreneur support and mentoring service by Deakin University, to host a very insightful panel discussion with several young international entrepreneurs.

These former international students were courageous enough to follow their own dreams rather than someone else’s, by starting their businesses to solve some of our world’s biggest problems.

Interestingly, two of the four founders have chosen to take advantage of a new initiative by the South Australian Government. The program provides a fast-tracked pathway to permanent residency via entrepreneurship.

Supporting Innovation in South Australia (SISA) is a 3-year pilot looking to drive entrepreneurship and innovation in South Australia with accelerated migration as an incentive.
The program encourages internationals with a new business concept to start in South Australia with support from the State Government. The benefits include networking opportunities with other local and international business people, mentoring programs and a business support network in South Australia. In return, a healthy start-up ecosystem is being built in South Australia, as well as the potential for employment growth.

Daniel Tan and Natanael Yan Setiawan, founders of video production & social media startup Pencil Rocket explained, “The application process was fairly straightforward once we received support from NVI”. NVI, or New Venture Institute, is an award-winning accelerator program and one of four accredited accelerators working with South Australia’s universities.

Daniel picked up his life and moved to Adelaide to satisfy the requirements of the program. When asked how was the change from living in Melbourne to Adelaide, Daniel responded, “It’s certainly a little quieter. But the fewer people means I have been able to develop deeper relationships with other businesses founders.”

He added, “I am also leading a healthier lifestyle as there is not the pressure to work late and skip healthy meals”. When asked if moving to Adelaide has adversely affected his business, Daniel replied “Not really, there is still plenty of work out there for us”.

Usman Iftikhar of Catalysr, a pre-accelerator run for migrants & refugees, spoke of the growing awareness of the SISA initiative amongst international students, migrants & refugees, “More and more Australian migrant entrepreneurs are contemplating a move to Adelaide. I hope the other states get on board soon.”

The founder of MySafetyBot, Benjemen Elengovan, also recently applied for the SISA program after completing his education in Melbourne as an international student. Benji’s startup assists businesses to record and prevent workplace injuries. Benji will be relocating himself and his business to Adelaide within weeks.

In contrast, Manon Beauchamp-Tardieu of Little Green Panda isn’t going anywhere. Her 15-month-old business, supplying eco-friendly drinking straws to retail and large hotel chains, is flying! The New Zealand resident also spoke about more traditional startup issues she faces: lack of time, resources and access to the funds necessary to fill her mounting orders.

Not everyone is suited for a corporate job in Australia. Just like locals, many international students and migrants would prefer to be self-employed. History shows that Australia’s economy and has been built on migrants arriving in Australia and starting businesses. But rarely has entrepreneurship been a basis for immigration into Australia.

So well done to South Australia! SISA is an exceptional initiative taken up by South Australia recognising the contribution international entrepreneurs can make to this country. If Victoria wants to continue to be seen as the most progressive entrepreneurial state, it is time for the Victorian government to follow in the footsteps of our footy-loving neighbour!

Outcome.Life is all set to run its own pre-accelerator program over summer in conjunction with La Trobe Accelerator Program (LAP). Last year, we had the pleasure of assisting 28 entrepreneurs, including 3 locals, to realise their business ideas. Many went on to commercialise their businesses and several joined conventional accelerator programs, including LAP.

If you have a business idea or early-stage business and are looking to validate and/or commercialise it, what are you waiting for? Find out more about our free pre-accelerator program here, or you can fill out an expression of interest form here!

You can also get in touch with us at Outcome.Life to learn more about our internship programs.

Domenic Saporito

Why Startups Provide Bigger, Better, More Enjoyable Employment Opportunities than Big Corporates

Posted on November 15, 2019March 18, 2020 by spc@outcome.life

Pictured (L to R): Domenic Saporito (Outcome.Life), Byron Aguirre (GADA Technology), Harish Venkateswaran (Central Queensland University), Andrew Klyscz (Pitcher Partners), Sam Brown (Pelikin) & Shubham Bawa (intern).

Another great night was had to showcase the opportunities that startups present for those looking for their first role in a competitive graduate market.

While some graduates chase their parents dream of working in a big name corporate, more savvy graduates target small, nimble startups, working hard to solve noble and often global problems side by side with start-up founders.

Shubham Bawa, final year Software Engineering student from the University of Melbourne, spoke of how interning with a startup in the La Trobe Accelerator program to produce their POC then MVP, using the latest front end mobile development tool (flutter by google), led to securing a full time gig with a larger software development company, one week before finishing his internship.

Emily Cheng, Accounting Graduate from Federation Uni spoke of her disappointment of being excluded from Big 4 Graduate Programs because of an archaic HR policy where these so-called “Global Accounting Firms” will only take on Australian Citizens, to have one of them come knocking on her door two years later after smashing it at a smaller but equally brilliant firm that bats well above their weight in the specialist area of R&D Consulting.

A panel of professional business people talking about the value of internships

Harish Venkateswaran, La Trobe Uni HR graduate, spoke of how an internship in a start-up placement business let to him securing a senior position with a University that ranks 3rd in Australia for graduate employment with 86% of their students securing full-time employment within 4 months after graduation.

Sam Brown, Founder of Pelikin, an Australian Startup that provides a multi-currency free banking app and prepaid Visa card for young travellers, spoke of how interns in IT & Accounting assisted his new business go global.

And finally, Andrew Klyscz of Pitcher Partners Melbourne spoke of how, whilst most graduates clamber to competed for Cyber Security positions with the big banks, literally thousands of privately owned and/or small businesses, with the same issues as the banks, but with quicker career progression through a wider variety of work tasks for graduates, were being ignored.

The conclusion: even if you do wish to work in a big corporate one day to make your parents proud, a great way to get there is to start in a smaller, nimbler, start-up where the learning is often faster, the tasks broader and where your work will have more consequence.