The Summer Vacationer/Internship Program at Telstra
Applying (and getting accepted!)
This blogpost is a reflection on the three months I spent at Telstra as part of their Summer Vacationer’s (Internship) program within the Data Analytics and Management Pathway. I want to share my journey of landing the internship and my experience at the company for all the potential interns/graduates that will be looking at Telstra as a place to gain experience. This blog is part one of a two part series on the internship and details the application process. I hope this helps you!
Applying for internships, jobs, or anything else for that matter, is always nerve wracking. You have to put yourself up for scrutiny, to make yourself vulnerable and be open to getting rejected. I remember last July when I was struggling to meet all the deadlines, fill in the so-many different applications and go through all the different steps in various hiring processes.
Among these applications, the Data Analytics pathway at Telstra was my moon-shot! It had everything I would have wanted from an internship experience and more. But some part of me also felt that it was too long a shot for me to land. Maybe I was just wasting my time by applying as I wasn’t good enough to be accepted. Don’t we all feel that way sometime? I am glad I pushed through those doubts and anxieties as I had no idea how much my life was about to change through that one application.
The first step: An online application form
The application process for Telstra was one of the smoothest one’s I experienced. It started with a simple enough application form where I could share details about myself, my education and experiences. We were also required to share a resume, an optional cover letter and our university transcripts. I got through this round! And received an invitation to participate in the next steps.
The key to this step was a clear, concise resume and a cover letter that highlighted my motivations for the application along with the skills and capabilities I would be bringing to the table.
The second step: An Online assessment and Video Interview
The next step was a round of diverse assessments. This second phase had four different sections which assessed us on our psychometric abilities, our work ethic, our programming/coding capabilities and a behavioral video assessment. Each section was unique in its own way and tested us on different facets of our personality and capabilities.
The psychometric testing was conducted by means of various games we had to play! This part was very fun. The professional ethic assessment was conducted by means of a work-place conversation-simulation to see how we would react to different situations. The coding test had four questions for us to solve, each of varying difficulty. And finally, the most intimidating section (for me!) was the video interviews.
I had participated in a few other video interviews before this and had had no luck in clearing them. So I was definitely scared. However, the recruitment team had shared very clear instructions for us to answer the behavioral questions posed. We were asked to use the CAR (Context, Action, Result) method for answering. This was the first time I had even heard of it! Nonetheless, I dedicated myself to learning all I could about the CAR technique and dove head-first into the assessment section. The questions were nicely framed, to the point and made me think deeply about my own experiences. At the end of multi-attempts for each question (yes, you’re given multiple attempts to record your answers!), I finally finished the section and was happy with my submission. Although that little voice in my head was still chiming that I didn’t do well enough! But to my surprise, I did get through!
The key to this section was following the instructions shared by Telstra. For me, the CAR method really helped me perform better in the video assessment section. It also helps to answer the questions with diverse experiences from your life to highlight a breadth in your capabilities. For the remaining three parts of this phase, each person will have an individualistic approach to the same.
The third and final step: Face-to-Face Interviews with a case study component
After almost three weeks of waiting, I got the email inviting me to the next and final round of interviews. I was ecstatic. I was hopeful. And so nervous! In a world with no COVID, this interview would have been on-site at one of Telstra’s offices. But since we were in the middle of the pandemic back in August 2020, the interviews were conducted virtually.
This final round had three separate components. A Q&A session with graduates at Telstra. A Case-Study. And the Virtual Final Interview. The Q&A session was hosted a day before the case study and the interview. The purpose of the Graduate Q&A was to allow us to get an inside picture of life at Telstra. This was my favorite part of the process! No other company had such a component in their hiring procedure and it made Telstra even more distinct for me. I got to interact with many graduates from Telstra, some international students like me, and got to know more about the culture, work and growth opportunities at the company.
Finally, the D-Day was here and it was the moment of truth! The final interview. And the case study, of course. The case study was designed in a manner that I was given the same an hour before my interview session. I had to analyze the same and provide recommendations to my interviewers based on this. My interview was hosted by two people, both from my chosen pathway i.e. Data Analytics and Management. Post the case study discussion, the conversation was free flowing and quite fun! They had some specific questions for me as well as some instantaneous questions that came up during our conversation. It turned out to be much less intimidating than I had built up in my head. I got to experience one of Telstra’s values: We Care, in action, as the interviewers made me feel calm and at home.
The key to this section, for me, was authenticity, open communication and the CAR method. I was able to highlight my experiences and skills that aligned to the role as well as talk about my expectations from the program.
Within a week of this final step, I received the call that I had been chosen to participate in the internship program. I still remember the fluttering of my heart on that early spring morning, how I held my breath while the recruiter built up to the revelation!
And how happy I was to know that I had landed my moon-shot and all my efforts had paid off.
P.S. More about my experiences during the program in the second part of the blog.
