Engineering student Tom Perfrement has been named ‘Australia’s most employable’ in his field, one of 15 UNSW students dominating a list of the country’s top 100 future graduates.
UNSW engineering student Tom Perfrement has been named ‘Australia’s most employable’ in his field. The Co-op scholar is one of 15 UNSW students dominating a list of the country’s most employable future graduates.
The inaugural Top100 Awards, established by recruitment agency GradConnection and Fusion Graduate Consultancy, aims to identify the top students entering the workforce across five fields; Arts & Law, Engineering & Science, Business & Commerce, Accounting and Finance, and Information Technology.
The competition involved a rigorous selection process including written entries, online testing, video interviews, emotional intelligence tests and panel interviews.
Four other UNSW students were top-five finalists – engineering student Daniel Smith, economics student Jessica O’Keeffe, commerce/law student Ann Nguyen and engineering student Alison Goddard. Another six UNSW students made the top 10.
The top 100 were chosen from more than 2500 applications Australia-wide. Students were assessed not only on academic results, but also on skills and experiences including leadership, volunteering, sports and work experience acquired during their degree.
“This award is the culmination of a whole set of skills, as well as attitude, motivation and a drive to succeed,” says Tom, who has a UNSW Co-op scholarship in Chemical Engineering.
“Participating in the competition provided an ideal method to experience and practice standard recruitment procedures,” he says.
Tom says throwing himself into a variety of different activities, including the Student Representative Council and the Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Society, provided avenues to develop skills such as communication and negotiation.
“It helps to get lots of experience under your belt throughout your degree,” he says.
He also credits UNSW’s Co-op scholarship program with increasing his employability skills through opportunities such as industry placements and leadership development.
“I’m passionate about the water industry, particularly through the experience of working with Evoqua Water Technologies and Veolia Australia. Water security and supply of clean water is a growing concern. Increasing energy needs, particularly in developing countries, also leads to increased water usage,” Tom says.
Tom says he is interested in working in consulting once he graduates as it provides the opportunity to work across a variety of industries and develop a diverse skill set – as well as providing a good training ground for those who want to be CEOs.
Media contact: Leilah Schubert, UNSW Media Office, 02 9385 8107.