Q&A with Fuse’s Recruitment Intern – Serena Gepp

Meet Serena, Fuse’s Recruitment intern in the infrastructure and utilities team based in our Melbourne office.

Serena joined the Melbourne infrastructure & utilities team as a Recruitment Intern, assisting the team with recruitment in the civil & infrastructure space. Serena is currently in her final year of a Bachelor of Business at Victoria University, majoring in Human Resource Management.

What made you choose a recruitment internship with Fuse?

I chose Fuse as I wanted to gain recruitment experience in a reputable organisation that would allow me to get the most out of my placement. I have always wanted to assist others in their development and growth, so being in a recruitment intern position (especially with such a great organisation) has provided me with the opportunity to do so.

Before starting here, I knew that several interns had been offered permanent positions at Fuse following their placement, so that was very appealing to me! Plus, I had seen reviews about how amazing their internship program was and was stoked to have been given an opportunity here to see for myself.

What were your initial thoughts about the internship when you started?

Initially, I felt like I had been overloaded with information, and quickly realised I knew very little about the civil and infrastructure space. This was particularly challenging when moving through the processes of recruitment as I felt uneasy discussing positions and roles I didn’t understand.

Infrastructure Team Leader, Andrew, and Recruitment Consultant, Montanna, were extremely helpful and provided me with the tools and resources I needed to wrap my head around the industry to overcome this barrier. The team provided me with a “Civil and Infrastructure Guide” and allowed me to shadow them to gain further insights and confidence, before completing calls and other tasks myself.

Although I was slightly overwhelmed with information at first, I found comfort and confidence in the fact that I had so much support from the team!

What did you find most enjoyable?

I found the atmosphere and the people here to be one of the best parts of my experience! I felt like the culture really aided in making the learning environment less daunting and more comfortable as I was surrounded by supportive people.

In terms of the work, I found it super exciting as I was in a position where I was able to provide opportunities to assist others. I have found a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction in this role!

How did you find the culture at Fuse?

The culture is fantastic at Fuse. I’ve had the opportunity to work independently and creatively, but at the same time received lots of support and guidance from the team and the rest of the workplace.

Generally, I believe starting any new position is challenging as you don’t understand where you fit into an organisation. At Fuse, however, the team were so welcoming and included me in lunches, team meetings, and other team events from the day I started. It was amazing to have felt so supported and included so early in my placement!

What are you working on during your internship?

Day to day I am typically assisting the team in finding suitable candidates for roles they have available. To do so, I am utilising SEEK, LinkedIn and our database to find appropriate candidates, and contacting them regarding opportunities.

If a candidate wishes to learn more about the opportunity, I will then be organising either Microsoft Teams meetings or face-to-face meetings where we run through the details further to ensure that the candidate is right for the opportunity and that the opportunity is right for the candidate.

I then assist the team in completing profiles to send off to clients and assist the team with writing up job ads and sorting through candidate applications. The work varies daily, and I particularly love the social aspect and fast-paced environment prevalent in the role.

What were some personal challenges you had to overcome, and how did you overcome them?

A barrier I faced (other than the lack of industry knowledge mentioned above) was coordinating my work and university commitments around the internship. Victoria University and Fuse Recruitment, however, have been very accommodating to my situation and for this reason have made my time much easier to manage.

Communicating with Andrew regularly allowed us to work my internship around my studies and work commitments. It was a massive relief to be able to move my internship days around as needed and being so flexible allowed me to put 100% into my days at Fuse.

What did you learn from your internship, and how has this helped you with your studies?

Recruitment is more challenging than I expected it to be. It requires excellent communication skills, confidence, sales skills, and perseverance. I believe that through this experience, I have developed not only a better understanding of the civil and infrastructure sectors, but also of recruitment, the steps involved in the job, and a better understanding of myself.

I believe my placement at Fuse allowed me to highlight my strengths and weaknesses and understand where I need to make improvements to be successful in the industry. This will assist me in the completion of the rest of my degree as I believe I can reflect on my experience in my final assessments and contribute greater insights to class discussions.

What advice would you give to your peers who wanted to follow your path?

Before applying, I was still unsure whether recruitment was where I saw myself in the future, but I figured that I would never know if I didn’t try! Since being here, I have realised that I love the work and the people and have really enjoyed my experience here overall!

My advice for my peers would be to apply and give it 100%! I have been fortunate enough to have been offered a permanent position on the team, so I believe that if you demonstrate that you are serious about your learning and assisting the team, you may find yourself your own permanent place also!

Interested in interning at Fuse? Fill in the form on this page and let us know what you’re looking for! We’ll be in touch as soon as a vacancy opens up.