How to Get Paid Work Experience as an Allied Health Student

They do exist!

This post is presented in partnership with Hireup.

One of the hardest parts about getting a job after uni is not having enough experience.

Doesn’t it feel like sometimes entry-level jobs require 20 years of training, knowledge and skills before you’ve even graduated?

Work placements can often be hard to come by and it’s even harder to balance a part-time job, studying and a social life on top of that.

If you’re an allied health student and 18 years or older, the answer is Hireup.

Becoming a support worker with Hireup means you'll get practical, hands-on work experience in the disability sector. You’ll make a real difference, gain valuable skills to put on your resume and the pay is really good! But don’t just take it from us…

Meet Genevieve Blenkin.

Genevieve is an Occupational Therapist working in a regional hospital in New South Wales. She started working for Hireup in her second year of uni and stayed for the rest of her degree.

Photo: Supplied.

"I wanted some work that could go on my CV that was a bit more of a boost and related to being an OT, gave me hands-on experience and I needed something that was pretty flexible,” she says.

We asked her about her experience and all the reasons why she’d recommend casual support work with Hireup.

It’s flexible.

Not only do you choose the days and hours you want to work, you also choose the clients that suit you.

“Doing a health degree and having lots of classes, I needed something flexible,” Genevieve says.

“Not only was it really flexible, it was very client-driven which I liked. The client got to pick who they wanted to work with them, which aligned with my ethos a lot more and you didn’t work with new people every shift. You also have control the same way the client has control.”

That means you get to choose the types of support you’re comfortable providing, Genevieve says, whether that’s social support or transport or help around the house.

It helps with your degree and getting a job after uni.

Genevieve worked with a mother and son who both had a rare form of muscular dystrophy for two and a half years.

“I got pretty lucky with the one client I was working for. [They] only ever hired allied health students, that was what they wanted, so they really encouraged me to come along to all the appointments, ask questions of the therapists and do some networking,” she says.

“You pick up a lot via osmosis and I was able to draw from those experiences to support my uni work. [It also] helped me when it came to job interviews to be able to pull more examples from the things I’d done and my understanding of it and working with an NDIS funding model.”

It pays well and Hireup take care of everything.

Hireup is your legal employer so you’re not a contractor and you don’t have to worry about all of the nitty gritty details.

Pay includes penalty rates for higher wages on night shifts, weekends, public holidays and overtime.

Tax payments and insurances are also sorted, superannuation is guaranteed and paid training is provided for support workers to access learning opportunities and develop their skills.

“If you already know you want to be in a caring industry, it’s an awesome option compared to all my mates who worked in hospo, not getting paid as much as I was and not getting any experience that related to their degrees,” Genevieve says.

You make incredible connections.

Genevieve says the clients she worked with welcomed her into their home with open arms.

“The clients I was with were like ‘you have to be part of the family’ which was a really unique experience and I’m so grateful for them,” she says.

“I hear that across the board. My friends I was doing uni with were the ones who told me about Hireup and they all had similar experiences.

“The work can be pretty heavy sometimes but it’s got a lot of perks. It’s a really good option and you get a lot of variety.”

If this sounds right up your alley, what are you waiting for? Give Hireup a go! Find out more about the benefits of joining Hireup or register online here.