From the Futures Team
The Futures micro-site is full of careers information and resources.
This week we are highlighting work experience and encourage students in Year 10-12 to look at the noticeboard for upcoming opportunities to dive a little deeper into areas of interest. The website and noticeboard have information on how the process works and how to apply.
Several students have already seized the chance to work with different organisations and have some great stories share.
Madeline Potts (Year 12) – Vogue
During my time at Vogue, I supported the fashion team with a with key operations and behind-the-scenes responsibilities integral to editorial production. My role involved managing the fashion cupboard, preparing looks for photoshoots, coordinating sample logistics, and assisting with trend forecasting. I worked closely with both permanent team members and a rotating group of interns, gaining hands-on experience in the operational side of fashion media.
A significant aspect of my role was liaising with PR agencies — overseeing the intake and return of designer samples for editorial features and brand campaigns. This provided valuable insight into the collaborative process between publications and external partners, as well as the high level of precision required to maintain brand integrity and logistical efficiency.
While the experience offered practical exposure to the day-to-day functions of a major fashion publication, it lacked structured mentorship or deeper creative engagement. Despite not receiving a formal introduction to the broader organization or participating in strategic editorial processes, I developed a solid understanding of fashion PR workflows and the meticulous coordination required for large-scale editorial and brand projects.
Swapna Baggam (Year 11) – F3 Financial
During the April holidays, I had the valuable opportunity to complete a work experience placement through the “Future Females in Finance” (F3) program, where I was selected to join the MA Financial Group.
This placement provided an exceptional insight into the finance industry, particularly in the area of private credit, and allowed me to engage with professionals who are experts in their respective fields. Throughout the experience, I was able to connect with individuals working across various sectors within private credit, which deepened my understanding of the diverse career pathways and responsibilities that exist within finance. I also gained insight into the unique ways in which professionals progress through their careers in this dynamic industry.
As part of the program, I travelled independently to MA Financial’s Carrington Street office, where I shadowed the Asset Management team. At the time, they were finalising a global deal with a team based in New York to introduce a new product to the market. During the week, I observed how the Asset Management team collaborates with other departments within the firm to acquire and integrate new products aimed at diversifying their investment portfolio and enhancing investor security.
Emily Kim (Year 11) – Hills Dental
I was so grateful to be able to work at Hills Dental Care from 22 to 24 April. Throughout my time, with the permission of the patient, I was able to watch an implant surgery where the dentist performed a tooth extraction, then cleaned the socket with some saline solution to prevent any cases of a dry socket. Then an implant was placed into the socket and an abutment was screwed into the implant. I learned from Melissa, the clinical coordinator, that the implant was used to make sure that the socket would stay open and the gum would not grow over it so that a crown could be placed on top.
After watching the implant surgery, I shadowed the clinical coordinators, Melissa and Suzannah, by cleaning the bench tops and learning about how the different dental instruments were sterilised. In the sterilisation room, Suzannah showed me that once the debris and blood was removed from the instruments, they were placed in special plastic bags before being heated to approximately 300 degrees Celsius to remove any bacteria and germs.
The sterilisation room was organised to a dirty side and a clean side to make sure that clean materials did not become contaminated. The clinical coordinators used aseptic techniques by wearing gloves, cleaning every surface with antibacterial wipes and placing sterilised drapes over tools that were going to be used in the surgery.
Overall, it was a great experience that significantly increased my understanding of and passion for dentistry.
Arana Roy (Year 12) – Greencross Vet
Over the school holidays, I got the wonderful opportunity to attend a week of work experience at Greencross Vets Ku-ring-gai. During my time there, I was able to observe the veterinarians and vet nurses in a range of different procedures, including dentals, desexing of cats and dogs and other surgeries such as a foreign body exploration and a cystotomy.
It was really interesting to see the ways in which these procedures worked and the amount of preparation that goes into them beforehand. While there, I also learnt how to correctly trim claws, how to take dental x-rays, how to fill out monitoring charts of animals under anesthesia and how to calculate the amount of anaesthesia for each animal.
It was fascinating to learn about the different experiences and backgrounds of the staff, and I loved seeing the dynamic between everyone. Most of the animals were various breeds of dogs or cats, but we also had a king parrot brought in. I got to observe how they put the parrot under anesthesia and how they took x-rays of it to check for any bone damage, and then got to help wake up the bird after it was taken off anaesthesia.
The vets and nurses were incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and able to answer any questions I had for them. The whole experience of actually being in a vet was amazing and one I’m sure I will never forget.
Year 10 Strengths and Skills Day – Student Reflections
The Strengths and Skills day for the Futures program was a helpful and valuable experience. In the morning, we explored our top five personal strengths and learned how to identify the type of person we are, which helped me better understand how I work best and how I can contribute to different situations.
We also discussed how to apply these strengths in everyday life such as schoolwork, teamwork, and problem-solving. Later in the day, we focused on writing a resume and learnt how to show our skills in a professional way using what we had learnt in the morning session.
Overall, the day really helped me gain confidence in my abilities and showed me how to use my strengths and skills effectively both now and in future scenarios.
Upcoming Events (External)
USYD – Music Portfolio Evening
Location: Sydney Conservatorium of Music
Date: Friday 23 May
ACU – Talk with Nurses, Midwives and Paramedics
Location: Online
Date: Tuesday 27 May
UNSW – Business School Information Evening
Location: Online
Date: Wednesday 28 May
USYD – Architecture and design at Sydney: Build your portfolio
Location: Online
Date: Wednesday 28 May
Kim Maksimovic
Director of Futures and Partnerships (K-12)