Adam Seedsman has been adding value to RMIT for almost five years leading innovation and industry engagement. It's the strong industry connections that made his son Jack choose to study here too.
As Director of RMIT Activator, Executive Director of Global Partnerships and Engagement and now also the parent of a first year Architecture student, Adam Seedsman sees first-hand the difference that industry experience makes to a career.
“Growing up I was always interested in business and entrepreneurship, but I guess I didn't think of it as that back then. I’ve worked in lots of different industries and the roles that have shaped my career have been wide and varied.
"My current role at RMIT is Executive Director of Global Partnerships and Engagement and Director of RMIT Activator.
“RMIT Activator is something we cooked up in 2015. The idea was to bring everything we had across the University together to assist students, staff and alumni create businesses and learn how to innovate.
"We wanted to give them the 21st century skills and tools they needed to go into organisations and be change-makers. It's been really satisfying to see it come together and make an impact on peoples' lives.”
RMIT’s strong connection to industry resonates as much with his son Jack as it does with Adam.
“My son Jack is a first-year architecture student here at RMIT and I've never seen anyone work so hard. I certainly didn't work that hard in my first semester of University. I sometimes tell people that I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up. Jack’s 19 and he knew he wanted to be an architect when he was 13.”
Jack Seedsman is in his second semester of the Bachelor of Architectural Design and has already secured part time work in the architectural design and media industry.
“He’s really embracing it, meeting lots of new friends and enjoying what he’s learning. The architectural program is one of the best in Australia and the world and the industry engagement in the program is just incredible. The architectural studios Jack can choose from in his studies are all absolutely embedded with industry practitioners sharing their knowledge with students. That’s one of the key things that adds value to the program.”
Adam’s advice to students is to get as much experience in the world of work as possible.
“Having work experience on your resume is invaluable. Get experience that demonstrates that you understand how to operate in a workplace, how to contribute value very quickly and how to apply your studies. It will set you in good stead and put you ahead of the pack.
“We all know that the workplace is changing dramatically. Something I’ve been heartened to see at RMIT is the innovation of the organisation through Learning & Teaching and Research & Industry. University-wide, we’re investing in a digital micro-credentials program RMIT Creds to help students and staff get the skills they need to stay relevant. At RMIT Activator we have a subset of these creds for enterprise skills, things like creative thinking, design thinking, how to use a lean business canvas and pitching yourself.
“What's next for me? Continuing to add value at RMIT, to our students, industry partners and staff.”
Find out how RMIT Activate is helping students channel their skills into professional and entrepreneurial pursuits, and giving them the tools they need to launch their careers.
Find out how RMIT Activate is helping students channel their skills into professional and entrepreneurial pursuits, and giving them the tools they need to launch their careers.
This video shows ADAM SEEDSMAN in the foreground inside a room at RMIT University. There are shots of him talking to camera, walking around Melbourne city, and in a busy office talking to students and peers. There are shots of buildings and traffic, and pictures of Adam’s family.
Duration: 2:09
Audio: Quiet pensive music plays.
Adam speaks:
When I was growing up, I was always interested in business and entrepreneurship, but I guess I probably didn't think of it as that back then. Anything from morning paper rounds right through to working. As I started moving through school, I've always been interested in making money, but also the value of money as well.
RMIT Activate is something that we essentially cooked up back in 2015. The idea here was to bring everything together that we had across the university to assist students, staff and alumni to create businesses or simply to learn how to innovate and give them the skills and the tools that they needed to go into organizations and be change makers. It's been really satisfying to see it come together and to make a real impact in many people's lives. It's interesting being a parent that works in an organization that your children or child's associated with.
My son Jack, so Jack's a first year architectural student here at RMIT, and I've never seen anyone work so hard. I certainly didn't work that hard in my first year or first semester of university. It's interesting. I sometimes say to people I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up. He's 19, and he knew he wanted to be an architect when he was probably 13 or 14 years of age, and he stuck to that right through to now. He's second semester, which he's just started now in his first year. He's involved in architectural studios, and they're all absolutely industry embedded with industry practitioners sharing their knowledge with the students.
Having work experience on your resume is key. Even if it's something you've done as an internship, whether you've done something as a paid opportunity, if it's something that you've done at RMIT, for instance, jobs on campus or our RMIT demand platform that we've kicked off his sidekick. Any experience that you can get that you can put onto your resume, it'll set you in really good stead and put you ahead of the pack.
What's next for me? Adding value at RMIT and continuing to do that. And I think contributing to add value to our students, to our industry partners and to our staff.
[Closing credits]
Title: What’s next…
Visual: RMIT University logo
Text:
www.rmit.edu.au/school-lever
CRICOS provider number: 00122A
Registered Training Organisation number 3046
Acknowledgement of Country
RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Luwaytini' by Mark Cleaver, Palawa.
Acknowledgement of Country
RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business.