Published by: CCA Publications

A special thanks to James Liang, Yen Tung Chin, Jun Fu
and Advithiya Krishna for making this article possible.

What is the program about?

The IBL program is a 22 week full-time placement with one of the IBL industry partners, organised by the Monash Faculty of IT.

The placement involves taking on a graduate-level role in areas such as business analytics, IT consulting, information security, software development and project management. IBL aims to provide students with a placement opportunity that allows them to upskill personally and professionally and experience working in the field.

How will you benefit through the program? 

The IBL helps prepare university students for their future careers in the IT industry by providing first-hand experience and opportunities to grow and learn while on the job. 

The placement allows students to work within a team and gain both professional skills and personal development in an immersive industry environment. Students will also receive an IBL Placement Scholarship grant of $19,000 and the placement will count as 18 credit points toward their degree. 

The IBL program offers support from Monash academics and guidance from an experienced industry supervisor so you can get the most out of the program and ensure you are supported through your placement as you may feel out of your comfort zone. By experiencing a particular role or working in an industry sector, you will be able to hone in on what areas you enjoy or are of interest to you. And you never know, IBL could potentially help secure your first job out of university as many placements result in job offers before you even graduate. The placement provides valuable industry experience and soft skills that give you a competitive edge as you go forward into your IT career. 

Who is eligible?

Any domestic or international undergraduate students currently enrolled in the following degrees can apply:

• Bachelor of Information Technology

• Bachelor of Computer Science

• Bachelor of Computer Science (Advanced)

• Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) - Software Engineering

• IT Double degrees

  
  

What are the requirements? 

You require a minimum WAM of 65 and need to be studying full-time for the 2 semesters prior to placement and should have 72 credit points toward the IT component of your degree. If your WAM is less than 65, you may still be eligible as part of the supplementary intake. 

Acceptance into the program is based on meeting the prerequisites and the contents of your application. This is followed by 2 rounds of interviews, the first being Entry Interviews which assesses your suitability for going on placement. Then there are multiple Placement Interviews with particular industry partners to assess your suitability at their company. You will also need to complete and pass the IBL Seminar Series (FIT2108), which is only offered in semester 1.

Although you won’t be able to choose where you complete your placement, doing well on both the Entry Interview and Placement Interviews will allow you a better chance at getting a placement with one of your preferred companies. 

When should you apply?

Applications will open in Semester 2 of each year. This year, applications will open 5 August 2024 for the Semester 2 2025/Semester 1 2026 placements and will close 22 September 2024. 

If you are doing a single degree, you will need to apply in the second semester of your first year. If you are enrolled in a double degree or Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) - Software Engineering, you will need to apply in your second year. Make sure to keep an eye on the dates so you don’t miss out!

How it fits into your university experience

If applying in your first year, the placement will either be at the end of your second year or in semester 1 of your third year. If applying in your second year, your placement will be at the end of your third year or start of your fourth year. 

The application and acceptance process will also include a course map consultation to check how you can fit IBL into your degree. It is recommended that students undertake a summer unit before IBL so you can finish your degree on time as the placement itself counts as 18 credit points, only 6 credit points short of a full semester load. 

If you are interested in the IBL program, make sure you keep an eye on the dates and any prerequisites so that you are prepared and eligible to apply. For more information, explore the Monash Information Technology page.

From our CCA Members:

From my experience, IBL is a great way to gain industry exposure whilst you are navigating through your studies – and you’ll likely find yourself learning about things that textbook studies can’t really emulate or teach. During the program, I often found myself taken aback the sheer scale that large organisations operate on, whether it be data volume and veracity, organisational structures, or individual team management. If you are interested in the program, my few pointers would be:

During your application, think about why you want to take the IBL program, and articulate this strongly. During your interviews, think about how you want to present yourself to the interviewer and what you want them to learn about you. Then during your placement, be proactive, take initiative, and leverage the opportunity to learn as much as you can on the job :) .

As the program advertises, IBL focuses on developing business acumen and professional growth, so I would strongly encourage you to keep an open mind when applying – there is always lots to learn even if your role is not strictly technical. That said, everyone’s university experience is different, and the decision to take IBL is up to the individual. Whatever might be the case, best of luck on your journey!

James Liang

The IBL program has been nothing short of transformative for me and I am so grateful for the placement I’ve had. Before the program, I was sceptical of my skills and didn’t have a clear direction of what I wanted to do. My placement has allowed me to explore my interests in algorithms, software development, and data science, and I’m happy to say now that I’ve found an interest in data engineering and AI, combining my interest in data science and software development. I’ve learnt so much from this placement, soft skills and technical skills wise that I couldn’t imagine how much I’ve achieved in such a short amount of time and it has been incomparable to studying a semester in university.

For those who are still unsure of whether or not you should apply, I would say - Just apply! There's always something to gain whether or not you end up with a placement. The interviews are a good place to get a feel on how behavioral interviews generally work. Your interviewers would also be people currrently in industry which provides a good chance for you to ask them any question you have during the interview. For those looking to apply, my tip would be to be yourself and try to treat it as a conversation rather than an interview. Say hi and Introduce yourself first - start the conversation.

Yen Tung Chin

Some things to consider, in no particular order: Don't hesitate to apply!! You have basically nothing to lose, this is one of the few opportunities where your employment history or prior experience isn't scrutinised, and the worst outcome is that you get free interview practice.

In your IBL role, you basically have what I'd call "intern immunity". You can ask almost anyone just about anything and get away with it. Take advantage of this temporary buff to learn new things and answer all the random questions that pop into ur mind and distract ur attention during the day. Satisfy thy curiosity. When you have an actual permanent role and actual work (and expectations,) you'd prolly get frowned upon for the same behaviour. (Disclaimer: use with discretion and at own risk.)

Full time work kinda sucks...imo...esp. when u spend three hours a day on ptv...and it's like basically 7pm when u get home and sit down for like two mins. So take a moment to express gratitude that you don't have to take up that lifestyle just yet and also start developing some sustainable strategies or trying out different strategies(/lifestyles?) to recover / replenish energy / still be able to do the things you want to do without burning out.

Take the time to reflect, frequently, to better understand where your strengths/weakenesses lie, what you enjoy/struggle with, which areas you're most interested in and where you feel like you can make the most impact. Talk to people in the office. Helps to inform future career decisions. Try out different ways of working. Learn about why your/other team(s) work the way they do. What has/hasn't worked in the past, what's changed and why. Strategies. How does your team interact with the rest of the organisation/market. Many opportunities to develop deep/thorough understandings of professional/industry working paradigms and phenomena.

Try out different ways of working. Personally. What kind of meetings / workload / schedules / routines are most effective/compatible with your preferences? Discover how you like to work/collaborate, as well as the preferences of others you work with. Helps with productivity, collaboration, and satisfaction.

Jun Fu

This article is published by CCA, a student association affiliated with Monash University. Opinions published are not necessarily those of the publishers. CCA and Monash University do not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of information contained in the publication.