Opportunities exist across the organisation, with the VIS committed to sharing its expertise and nurturing the next generation of high-performance professionals.
Many interns have parlayed their time at the VIS into full-time careers in elite sport, either with the VIS or with organisations related through sport. The connections made can prove invaluable.
The range of internships offered is also more diverse than some expect when they think of Olympic and Paralympic excellence.
Jyoti Vandana is completing an IT degree at Monash University and has spent the last three months with the VIS IT team working on a cyber security project.
“This experience has definitely made me job-ready and better prepared for what is to come,” Vandana says.
“The experience of working in a professional environment has given me confidence and an opportunity to apply in real life scenarios the skills I have learned in my IT studies.”
Joel Kennedy, a media and communications student at RMIT University, joined the VIS Communications and Marketing team prior to Christmas. He has since spent two days a week at VIS headquarters in Albert Park gaining an understanding of the storytelling and information flow that is an important function within the organisation.
“From the outset, I was able to start working on projects that were relevant to me and my career ambitions,” Kennedy says.
Thomas Oliphant, a marketing student at Monash University, published several feature articles in his three-month internship with the VIS Communications and Marketing team, dealt with media and spent time assisting with a website upgrade.
One of his articles, on the life in Azerbaijan of VIS and Australian rhythmic gymnast Alexandra Kiroi Bogatyreva, was translated into Russian and Azerbaijani and republished by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Sport.
“The workings of the media, the life of athletes and the expertise that surrounds them at the VIS, being able to explore some of the pressures that exist through stories……it was such an interesting and rewarding experience,” Oliphant says.
Of course, opportunities that people would normally associate with an organisation such as the VIS – in health and sports sciences, coaching, analysis and strength and conditioning – also exist.
Applications for nine-month traineeships with the VIS Strength and Conditioning team were recently open.
VIS Physical Preparation Coach, Ben King, is headed into his ninth year at the VIS. King started his career as a physical preparation trainee and has since worked across multiple sport programs including golf, netball, shooting and more recently men's and women's hockey.
He now coordinates the VIS traineeship program.
“The VIS traineeship program is distinguished by the level of mentorship we provide,” King says.
“VIS trainees are provided with a direct mentor in addition to having access to an experienced team of 13 strength and conditioning coaches. This is the hallmark feature of our program and something that is very difficult to replicate in the high-performance environment.
“This strong network enables trainees to consult with and draw on a wide range of experts as they build their own expertise and begin to consider career opportunities.”
