Archaeology student Emily’s WIL experience

Emily Runzi

 

“Choosing Flinders University for my degree was one of the best decisions of my life. I have received so much support and guidance from staff at Flinders and I feel very lucky and proud to be a part of this university.” 

Studying a Master of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Management at Flinders University, Emily Runzi had the opportunity to do her Work Integrated Learning (WIL) at Extent Heritage, a company that specialises in urban heritage, archaeology, cultural and historic landscapes. Based in Philip Island, Victoria, Emily completed all her studies at Flinders remotely and feels she has received the same quality education and qualifications as on-campus students.  

With the help of Flinders Work Integrated Learning (WIL) team, she landed a great opportunity at one of Extent’s excavating sites in Melbourne. Before her placement, Emily had no experience with commercial archaeology or work with heritage consultancy. The work experience provided her with the tools to explore a new perspective and develop new skills for her future career. Describing her placement experience as “a highlight of [her] degree”, Emily gained practical knowledge and experiences that are invaluable to her professional future.  

The benefits of a placement 

Emily says that her placement has helped her realise what sort of work she wants to pursue in the future. The placement has also opened her up to lots of different experiences and has helped her make a lot of connections with people and broaden her horizons. During her studies at Flinders, Emily developed strong networking skills and was shown pathways to be able to excel in the industry. She applied these and after only one week of her placement, Emily was offered to work at the excavation site and has since worked on another two excavation sites in Melbourne.  

Now that Emily has completed her work experience, she says that her views on consulting archaeology have changed: I have a better idea of how professional archaeologists adapt to time constraints and work with other groups, such as construction workers, to collaborate on a project. The skills and knowledge that I have gained from my degree with Flinders have made me look towards my future and a career in archaeology with confidence and excitement.” 

How the HASS WIL team can support you 

The College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences has a dedicated and experienced team that will help you with every step of your placement. Through an industry placement, you will have the opportunity to practice what you’ve learned through your studies.  

Emily confirms that while going through the process of finding a company to do her placement with, the WIL team was incredible: “The support that I received from Dr Daryl Wesley, Dr Heather Burke, and Niki Hasler, as well as Chris and the team at Extent for this placement is something that I will be forever grateful for, and which I am sure will have a positive impact on my future for many years to come.” 

If you want to find out more about how HASS’ WIL team can support you, email chass.placements@flinders.edu.au or call (08) 7421 9860. 

Posted in
Archaeology WIL