How Hatch is kick-starting student careers

Alana Bolton

When Alana Bolton moved to Australia from Canada to study the full-time MBA, she knew she wanted to build her leadership skills and expand her global network. What she didn’t know was where she would work when she graduated.

It’s a common challenge for many full-time MBA students, one which often results in them returning to their home country after graduation. Alana had no plans to leave Australia, but she had to ask herself where she was going to get the necessary experience to be hired after her MBA.

This question was answered when she was introduced to Hatch. Co-founded by University of Sydney alumnus and The Iconic founder, Adam Jacobs, Hatch aims to help students with their first career steps.

“We founded Hatch to create the opportunity for people to use their careers as something they can explore, rather than feel trapped by," said Adam. "We spend more time at work than anywhere else, and most people do not find their work rewarding. We think this is an important problem to solve.” 

Through connecting with Hatch, Alana was given the opportunity to complete an internship at Channel Nine. This internship quickly transformed into a permanent role, which will continue after she graduates. 

“My internship at Nine has been fantastic,” said Alana. “I work as a consultant in a very diverse team implementing organisational development initiatives and change and transformation projects. It is a highly developmental role and I have been able to apply my MBA learnings daily. It has allowed me to continue to develop my leadership skills on the job, while I complete my MBA."

Lara Collins

Alana is not the only full-time MBA student who has been assisted by Hatch.   

Although initially sceptical, Lara Collins decided to approach Hatch after listening to Adam present to her cohort. Her fears were quickly put to rest and Hatch worked closely with her, discovering her skills and interests while searching for a job that would work for her. 

“Before I knew about Hatch, the big issue was finding work that complemented my MBA. Being a student with a timetable that shifts around made it nearly impossible to find work that was both fulfilling and rewarding. Once I found out about Hatch, it eased my mind knowing that I was connected with an organisation that wanted a student and was willing to work around class schedules.”

Hatch helped Lara find not one, but two, internships – Perpetual Limited and Qantas. Both roles gave her new experiences and challenges and have helped bring her MBA to life.

"The MBA program does an amazing job with experiential learning inside the classroom and it’s shaping us to be successful in the real world after completion of the MBA." said Lara. "The Hatch internships add an additional application of concepts that might otherwise not be possible.”

Prachi Aggarwal

For Prachi Aggarwal, the experience was similar. An international student from India, Prachi decided to study the MBA as it would help her get the right perspective and knowledge to succeed in the corporate world. Hatch helped her to secure relevant work experience and break through the barriers.

“Hatch has been an integral part of my Sydney journey. I was able to secure a role as a Data Analyst at Westpac through written, video and face-to-face interviews facilitated by Hatch," said Prachi. "As an international student, it can sometimes be challenging getting a foot in the door and to secure relevant work experience and Hatch is an amazing platform to help make this happen.”

Since working at Westpac, Prachi has gained real world experiences, while utilising the skills she learned in the MBA.

“It has been one of my best work experiences. There aren’t enough words to express how significant Westpac’s experience is to me, it has become an integral part of my MBA journey here.”

For Adam, these experiences are what Hatch is all about.

“We want to build a future where all people can find and do meaningful work. We're starting out with young people, helping them gain much-needed experience and perspective so they can make a deliberate and informed choice about where they want to start their career. “

If you are a current student who is interested in what Hatch can offer you, visit their website for more information.