Swinburne makes grand final of Microsoft Protégé competition
In Summary
A group of Swinburne University of Technology students have made it to the grand final of the Microsoft Protégé competition, which will see them pitch their best ideas to Microsoft executives in Sydney.
The Swinburne team beat over 100 university teams from around Australia, to make it to the final four.
Since making it to the finals, the students, Georgia, Kimberley, James and Vania, have been busy putting the final touches on their marketing plan, which addresses a case study from Microsoft , asking entrants to create a strategy that encourages teachers and students to download Microsoft Office.
Georgia, a first year advertising student said that the competition had exposed her to many areas of the marketing industry.
“During my time in the competition I’ve had to do a whole range of tasks, which included creating an accurate $200,000 budget, as well as source media buying costs,” Georgia said.
James, a third business student said that his experience in the Microsoft Protégé competition had already been advantageous for his employability.
“I was recently applying for IBL jobs and to make it to the finals of the Microsoft Protégé competition attracted a lot of attention from potential employers,” James said.
When the four students are flown up to Sydney they will have two days of workshops with Microsoft, where they will be given access to expert advice, as well as working with a mentor to perfect their pitch.
Kimberley, also an advertising student, said that she believed her team’s success was partly due to their diverse skill sets.
“We have been able to draw on our different areas of expertise and have a really well-rounded team. I think we will have a good shot at winning,” Kimberley said.
The winners of the competition will be announced on Friday 21 August.
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