More than 130 Master of Professional Accounting (MPA) and Master of Applied Business (MAB) ākonga attended a series of workshops during the mid-semester break to prepare them for internships next year.
The workshops equipped learners with the practical skills to apply classroom knowledge into real-world experience. They gained essential soft skills like communication and teamwork.
“All internships are unpaid and are designed primarily to provide students with valuable industry experience and professional exposure, says Internship Coordinator, Deepika Manglani.
“The workshops were very successful and it was wonderful to see the energy, engagement, and collaboration as our students prepare to bridge the gap between study and industry.”
Some of the previous cohort of interns shared their experiences and gave valuable advice to those students who start their internship placements in Semester One 2026.
Tehara Kannangara, who is studying a Master of Applied Business in Digital Marketing, completed a three-month internship with Takapuna Beach Café and Knead on Benson in September.
Tehara says working on their digital marketing campaigns gave her valuable insights into how retail organisations operate in New Zealand.
“My internship not only helped me adjust quickly to the local workplace culture and professional environment here, but it also gave me a strong foundation for future job opportunities after my degree,” she explains.
Akansha Sharma highlighted the value of internships based on her experience working with the Human Resources team at Hind Management (Sudima Hotels).
“The testimonials of our past interns gave our learners a first-hand perspective of what to expect in the workplace environment,” Ms Manglani says.
“The feedback we’ve received from the participating organisations was also very positive of our past interns. They appreciated the quality of work done by them.”
Speakers from the host organisations outlined their expectations for the next cohort. The key attributes they were looking for were professionalism and reliability, communication skills, a willingness to learn, and adaptability.
“Overall, there was a consistent message across the speakers about the importance of students treating internships as real-world professional experiences,” Ms Manglani says.
“We don’t promise any jobs as part of the internship programme. However, I do know some of our past students have successfully secured jobs with the same organisations where they completed their internships with, which is a great outcome.”
One of them is Business Analytics major, Lasanthi Wijekoon, who says that being collaborative and producing quality work during her internship with Safe and Healthy Home Solutions helped land her a dream job with Park and Fly at Auckland Airport.
Ms Manglani acknowledged the support of School of Applied Business kaimahi, James Prescott and Craig Robertson, as well as Kylie Pass from Industry Partnerships & Careers Team, for delivering valuable insights into the internship process.
Mr Robertson and Mr Prescott gave a comprehensive walkthrough of the internship process, helping students understand expectations and timelines, while Ms Pass gave practical advice on CV preparation, networking effectively, and preparing for interviews.
The school offers internships to its postgraduate students every semester as part of their course of study. Interns from the MPA typically work 50 hours across a semester, while MAB interns work a total of 100 hours in a semester.
Kaimahi closely monitor their progress during the internships. Each intern also has a host supervisor from the industry to guide them during their placement.
