'While all graduate programs will differ somewhat in their structure, they’re all designed as a fast-tracked career pathway for a specific organisation or industry. You’ll be offered industry-specific training, professional development, and networking opportunities as you consolidate the theory you’ve learned and put it into practice in a real employment situation. Many graduate programs also offer the opportunity to perform multiple roles in an organisation on a rotating basis, giving you more exposure to a range of different jobs within your chosen field.
It’s important to understand the difference between a graduate program and a standard entry-level position, as there are major differences between the two. While both will give you the opportunity to work in your chosen industry, the support, ongoing training and mentoring you receive in a graduate program will usually be more intensive than a normal graduate position.'
'How long is a graduate program?
While there is no set amount of time that a graduate program runs for, most will be between one and three years. Programs offering rotations through the business will typically provide graduates with six month stints working in different areas of the organisation. Some, however, are flexible with their program and rotation lengths'
'When should I apply?
If you’ve decided a graduate program is your ideal pathway into the workforce, you should be starting the application process in your final year of study. If you’ve already identified particular organisations to target for graduate programs, you’ll need to do the research and find out when they open for applications. For instance, government departments will advertise their programs between February and June each year, so you’ll need to be on the ball early in your last year. Our employers page is a great place to start if you want to plan an application timeline for the whole year.'
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