For many online students, one question sits behind every assessment: “How will this help me in my career?” For Bachelor of Accounting student Talitha, Work Integrated Learning (WIL) answered that question by giving her the opportunity to work with a real client, solve real business challenges, and discover where she wants her career to go.
At Swinburne Online, WIL fits around your schedule, just like our flexible online courses. Whether you take part in a placement, internship or industry project, you’ll get hands-on experience and valuable insight into your future career.
Building confidence for the professional world
To find out more about our business projects, we spoke to Talitha about her project experience. As part of her Bachelor of Accounting degree, she decided to complete a project with a not-for-profit organisation based in regional Victoria. She chose the course to build on her bookkeeping and business experience while working towards a career in accounting and finance.
“The experience changed how I think about my future career,” Talitha says. “I have always been interested in accounting and finance, but it showed me that I also enjoy the problem-solving and advisory side of business.”
Working with a real client gave Talitha insight into the different ways accounting skills can be applied in a business setting.
“I realised that I enjoy looking at the bigger picture, understanding what is not working, and finding practical ways to improve things, which has made me more interested in roles where I can combine accounting, business analysis, communication, and client support.
The experience has made me feel more confident about moving into the workforce because it showed me that I can apply what I have learned to a real business situation. It reinforced that I have practical skills, professional judgement, and the ability to contribute useful ideas.”
Lessons beyond the project
Like many Swinburne Online students, Talitha was already juggling multiple responsibilities. Between parenting, work and study, taking on a real consulting project could have felt overwhelming, but instead, it became an experience that inspired more confidence.
“I have learned how to manage deadlines, communicate with others, solve problems, and keep going even when things feel overwhelming,” she reflected.
(Work Integrated) Learning beyond Studying
“My Work Integrated Learning experience gave me the chance to step beyond typical assignments and work on a real business problem with a real client. I gained a much stronger understanding of how consulting works in a real business setting. Especially how important it is to ask the right questions, listen carefully to the client, and build recommendations that are realistic for their situation.
It helped me see how the skills I have developed throughout my degree can be applied in a practical way. Instead of just analysing a case study, I had to think about real constraints, real people, and real outcomes.”
Working with a real-world client
One of Talitha’s biggest takeaways was how different a real-world project is from a typical university assignment. She was challenged to navigate uncertainty, identify the core problem, and refine the approach as her understanding of the client’s needs evolved. The experience highlighted the importance of adaptability, critical thinking and effective stakeholder engagement in a professional setting.
“I was surprised by how much the practical side matters. A good recommendation is not just about what looks best on paper — it needs to suit the client’s resources, budget, time, staff, volunteers, and capacity to implement it.”
Developing industry-ready skills
Through the project, Talitha had to apply classroom knowledge in a real-world setting, helping her gain a deeper understanding of problem analysis, stakeholder management, strategic thinking and implementation planning.
“This experience helped me develop my communication, problem-solving, research, teamwork, and project management skills. I had to think more like a professional, not just a student completing an assessment, and practise breaking down a broad problem into smaller parts, analyse the evidence, and turning it into practical recommendations.”
The project also helped her develop greater confidence in communicating ideas clearly and thinking critically about how her recommendations would be received by a client. This, in turn, encouraged her to think more strategically about whether proposed ideas were realistic, aligned with the client’s needs, and could be implemented effectively.
Advice to future students
“I would recommend Work Integrated Learning to other students because it gives you experience that you can’t get from a textbook alone. It helps you build confidence, understand how your degree applies in the real world, and develop professional skills that employers value.
For me, it was one of the most valuable parts of my degree because it connected everything I’d been learning to the kind of professional I want to become.”
Ready to explore Work Integrated Learning?
To learn more about gaining practical experience during your studies, contact the WIL team or keep an eye on our blog for more WIL Project articles coming soon.
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