Information for Students

The WiSC program is a series of workshops, lectures, panel sessions, practical sessions and industry networking activities that is run over the course of a year, beginning in March of each year. Students who are accepted to the program will be required to attend the core components of the program and will have opportunities to attend other workshops and meetings if they feel it fits with their schedule and their interest.

The program starts with personal development sessions around emotional intelligence, strengths, resilience and self-awareness. Leading onto professional development with workshops on developing your online brand, writing applications, learning how to interview well, and learning from industry via networking.

You will: 

• Become part of a community of like-minded women across Science and Engineering Computer and Mathematical Sciences. 
• Receive life-changing personal development sessions that will benefit you both professionally and personally in your everyday life. These workshops will help you establish what your barriers are to success and helping you break them down to achieve your best.
• Have several opportunities to meet with industry partners that will give you insights into what industry and hiring managers are looking for in their graduates and employees, and how to best position yourself for working life.
• Gain insight into the job market before you graduate. 
• Gain practical skills and knowledge around interview techniques, resume writing and your online brand.
• Gain many new contacts both within the University and in industry. 

Meghan Zadow

2021 was a massive year for me, it was the year that I left my comfort zone and absolutely thrived, and the Women in STEM Careers Program was a key part of that. When I applied, I already knew where I was headed, I had a fantastic plan of where I wanted to be in 2, 5, 10 years from now, the problem was that I just didn’t know HOW to get there. Throughout my year in the WiSC program I had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people and was exposed to new experiences that allowed me to gain the professional skills I needed as well as invaluable advice straight from industry professionals.

Without a doubt though, the best and most unexpected part was how much I grew as a person. By the end of the year, I was more confident than I had ever been, more self-assured and now know my worth and the value that I have to offer. I had gained a deeper understanding of my strengths and how to optimise them, I have become more comfortable communicating in professional settings, and I have made what I know will be lifelong friendships. Leaving my comfort zone ended up being one of the best things I ever did for myself, and I do it a lot more often now, albeit with a lot more confidence than I did before!

Hansika Venkatareddy

I applied to the WiSC program in the final year of my Master’s degree as I wanted to equip myself with industry relevant skills and be job ready.
As an International student, I was very keen to see what the program could deliver to women pursuing STEM degrees. This program offered me a wide range of opportunities and series of workshops to develop and hone skills both professionally and personally. 
It was a great platform to connect with emerging women in STEM, all with great vision and passion from various disciplines. Through this program I realised that the end goal was to build competence and confidence in myself and to be able to break all barriers to stand out.
WiSC provided me with a great opportunity to network with professionals from various industries through which I was able to understand where my interests and preferences lie and ultimately helped me to secure my dream job in my dream company as soon as I graduated from the university.  
It is an extraordinary program, and I would encourage all women studying a STEM degree to apply! 

Michelle Wilson 

Achiever, focused, analytical, disciplined and significant are words I did not directly describe myself with before joining the Women in STEM Careers (WiSC) Program at the University of Adelaide. As a WiSC Program Graduate, I know I’m positively more effective, self-confident, and knowledgeable of my personal strengths towards excelling throughout my STEM career.

The program enhances professional networking, employability, leadership and confidence skills; all of these skills are now integrated into my daily professional life! The WiSC networking opportunities helped me to establish relationships with my current mentors, whilst the employability seminars aided in developing my leadership and professional confidence. All these skills I gained during the WiSC program helped me get my first position as an Undergraduate Engineer!

Samantha Bywaters

Participating in the 2021 WiSC program was a very positive and productive experience for me. I am a Masters student who does not attend campus very often as I am undertaking field based research. As such, I found that I was not meeting other students and felt that I was missing out on networking, professional development and industry engagement opportunities. Being part of the WiSC program changed all that for me as I was quickly able get to know many other uni students and meet relevant industry leaders. The course content was engaging and helped to expand my social and professional networks. I would highly recommend this program.

Aiswarya Girija Satheesh

In my last year of University, I realised I still felt a bit apprehensive about entering the workforce, which is when I decided to apply for the WiSC program. I wanted to meet and connect with other STEM students, as well as industry professionals to gain more insight into the field & gear up for the transition from university life to work life. The program was very well structured and covered all aspects of stepping out from university into the world. The networking opportunities in particular helped me meet several inspiring & supportive women who were more than happy to provide valuable insights into the world of STEM. It was very reassuring to know that there is such a strong & supportive network for women in the industry. It really helped set the tone for what we could expect in the workplace, what graduates need to know to be ‘job-ready’, and what companies are looking for. 

Everyone I shared the experience with gained something valuable from this program & I highly recommend it. You learn so much about the industry first-hand from some inspiring people; you learn so much about ‘your brand’ and what you bring to the table, but most importantly, it’s a great learning process that you get to share with other passionate people pursuing a STEM degree/career & leaves you feeling much more excited about your future in STEM.

Angela Manaclay

A bit over halfway through my engineering degree, it became apparent that being ready to enter the workforce wasn’t going to be just about applying the engineering theory that I'd learnt, but also about being able to effectively use my soft skills, branding myself, and taking advantage of my strengths. 
One of my favourite aspects about participating in the WiSC program was being able to develop my personal and professional skills alongside other women in STEM.
I developed my soft skills and identified strengths that I didn’t know I had through WiSC. The course allowed me to improve my communication skills in a professional environment and broadened my understanding of the corporate world through interactions with guest speakers. Additionally, the program expanded my network and gave me the opportunity to meet inspiring women in the industry and create new acquaintances.
WiSC equipped me with the confidence to apply these strengths and skills in my undergraduate engineer position with a private construction company and also led me to take on roles that I hadn't previously considered - such as a teaching position at the university.
I highly recommend the WiSC program to every woman in a STEM degree. With so many opportunities today for women in the STEM industry, programs like WiSC can prepare you and provide you with more confidence as you enter the workforce.

Dorothy Jia

I applied to the WiSC program to learn more about women who have made outstanding contributions to STEM fields and to benefit from their expertise and experiences. My expectations were completely satisfied by this program. I was frequently touched by how valuable and recognising it was for women.
Giving women a voice and making STEM voices heard by more people has been the most rewarding program I have ever been a part of. WiSC was incredibly helpful to me, from the fundamentals, like establishing a personalised LinkedIn page and reviewing my CV, to the more in-depth content, like inviting some of the most influential women in the field to share their perspectives, which greatly improved my abilities and perspective as a graduate. I met my role model on the program and was lucky enough to work with her in the same company after graduating. Through WiSC, I can say that I have grown into a more sophisticated and confident version of myself.