Employability: Professional Career
Start Strategies & Job Search
Olivia Doyle
WELCOME
23 June 2015
Swinburne
Olivia Doyle
International Student Advisor - Employability
International Student Life
Tel
9214 8248
Email
odoyle@swin.edu.au
Katrina Sardellis
Global Career Adviser
Centre for Career Development
Tel
9214 5360
Email
ksardellis@swin.edu.au
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Swinburne
Overview of program
Aim
To provide you with useful insights to build your employability and launch
your professional career
Themes
-
Communication
-
Networking for success
-
Career planning & research strategies
-
Job readiness
-
Job search strategies “learning to search outside the square”
Program agenda
Swinburne
Tuesday 23 June
9.30 am
Welcome - Your professional career starts NOW
10 am
Guest speaker: Issues impacting international student employment – Dr Cate Gribble
10.45 am
Break
11 am
Job search strategies (including LinkedIn)
11.30 am
Writing effective resumes and cover letters
12.30 pm
Lunch
1.30 pm
Guest speaker: Dr Mark Finn - Cross cultural communication strategies
2.15
Interview skills
2.45 pm
Break
3 pm
Employer insights - Mr Kane Fetterplace, Managing Director Annex Holdings
& Ms Sally Di Martino, Head of HR EISAI
3.30 pm
Swinburne support services & close
Swinburne
Presentation
can be accessed
at:
Yourslides
professional
career
starts NOW
UPDATE LINK
http://www.swinburne.edu.au/careers/pep
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Your professional career starts now
Swinburne
Why you should focus on your career while at university
It’s not easy to find professional employment in Australia in the current
crowded employment market
‘International students are too focused on their studies and think about
careers and employment too late in the careers lifecycle.’
Rob Lawrence, Improving the employment outcomes of international students’ 2013
‘Professional experience provides a point of differentiation in highly
competitive global labour markets.’
Blackmore et al, Australian international graduates & the transition to employment’ 2014
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What is professional experience
Swinburne
Professional experience is more than employment
International student often align employability only with
employment – it encompasses much more!
You can demonstrate your commitment, skills, abilities by
getting involved in a diverse range of events & activities
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Why your professional career starts now
Swinburne
It is challenging to find professional employment in Australia
and internationally
Make the most of the 2 + years at Swinburne to build your
key employability skills
Contacts / network
8
What skills and
attributes do
employers look for
in a graduate….
Employer expectations activity
Rank
Jumbled Key Selection Criteria
Teamwork skills
Aptitude
Leadership skills
Cultural fit
Adaptable
Communication skills
Academic results
Interpersonal skills
Work experience
Motivational fit
SSourource
Swinburne
Employer expectations activity
Swinburne

The survey results in the table have been jumbled

Work in pairs or with a group

Match the Key Selection Criteria to the correct rank by listing
the corresponding numbers in the left-hand column (ranking 1
being most important to 10 being least important)
Employer expectations activity - ANSWERS
RANK
Ordered Key Selection Criteria
1
Communication skills
49%
2
Academic results
24%
3
Teamwork skills
22%
4
Aptitude
22%
5
Interpersonal skills
21%
6
Leadership skills
20%
7
Work experience
20%
8
Cultural fit
19%
9
Motivational fit
18%
10
Adaptable
14%
Source: Graduate Outlook 2014, Graduate Careers Australia
Swinburne
Australian employability skills
Swinburne
The Australian government research has identified 8 key employability
skills which are vital to work on during your studies:
 Communication
 Teamwork
 Problem solving
 Initiative and enterprise
 Planning and organising
 Self management
 Learning
 Technology
International employer skills expectations
Swinburne
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Self reflection
Swinburne
 Think about your own skills in these key areas
 How do your skills compare?
 How are you working to further develop your skills?
 Do your own self assessment and put together a
development action plan
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Swinburne
Text line
Announcing
International Student
SKILL DEVELOPMENT
SEMINARS
commencing Semester 2 2015
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International student employability
SKILLL development seminar series
Swinburne
Seminars
Essential graduate employability skills to build your career


Soft skills employers expect
Tactics to build your skills while you study
Communication skills for the workplace
Meetings, phone calls, emails and other communications in a professional
setting


Polish your verbal communication style
Contemporary business writing principles
Enhancing your performance in work teams

Strategies for working effectively in teams
Business skills & etiquette

Navigating the modern workplace
Using emotional intelligence in the workplace
Strong emotional intelligence is a key to business and career success
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Interact effectively with others
Develop strong relationships
Manage conflict
Personal motivation
Registration: www.swinburne.edu.au/student/international/careers
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International student employability seminars
Winter Term
Seminar
Swinburne
When
Building your own employability – entrepreneurial success stories
ALUMNI GUEST SPEAKER PANEL

Ravi Bhatia
Founder of Primus

Mick Saddler
Managing Director Sopac IT Solutions

Ruben Ramdhony
Wednesday 1 July
3.30 – 5 pm
LANT3K IT Solutions
Employability: Secrets of my career success with former Swinburne Thursday 9 July
international students
3.30 – 5 pm
ALUMNI GUEST SPEAKER PANEL

Dro Poleg
IT & Design

Wei Lei Long
International business

Vicki Fengyi
Marketing

Amrish Jusrut Accounting
Doctoral and masters research candidates:
Thursday 23 July
Career planning strategies to enhance your employability
3.30 – 5 pm
Registration: www.swinburne.edu.au/student/international/careers
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Meet Ella Chan
• Former international Master of IT
student at Swinburne University
• Now Senior Business Analyst with large
Australian consulting company
• While at uni Ella:
>
>
>
>
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>
>
>
>
>
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Really made an effort to understand the Australian community
Moved into a flat with local students
Attended lots of social events with Australians
Joined uni clubs- was Vice President of the IT Society
Barracked for a footy team
Part time job at McDonalds
Started own IT support business
Volunteer website developer for Hawthorn Community House
Joined group projects with local students
Joined Australian Computer Society and attended events
Developed strong IT skills – Excel, Access etc
Meet Anh Nguyen
• Former international Bachelor of Business
student at Swinburne University
• Now part time accounts clerk still looking for
full time professional employment
• While at uni Anh:
>
>
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Focussed hard on his studies – gained a credit average
Lived with Vietnamese relatives
Worked part time in family Vietnamese restaurant
Played soccer in a Vietnamese student team
Joined uni group project teams with other international students
Which international student
are you?
What can you do to improve
your employability?
Guest speaker
Swinburne
Dr Cate Gribble
Senior Research Fellow
Centre Research Educational Futures and Innovation
Faculty of Arts & Education
Deakin University
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Employability: Professional Career
Start Strategies & Job Search
Olivia Doyle
JOB SEARCH STRATEGIES
23 June 2015
Swinburne
Text line
Job search strategies for
professional employment
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Your professional career starts now!
Swinburne
Why you should focus on your career while at university
It’s not easy to find professional employment in Australia in the current
crowded employment market
‘International students are too focused on their studies and think about
careers and employment too late in the careers lifecycle.’
Rob Lawrence, Improving the employment outcomes of international students’ 2013
‘Professional experience provides a point of differentiation in highly
competitive global labour markets.’
Blackmore et al, Australian international graduates & the transition to employment’ 2014
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Swinburne
Job search
Combination approach is best
=
Advertised + Non Advertised
job opportunities
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Diverse graduate approaches to finding employment Swinburne





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
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
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Advertisement on the internet
Consulting family and or friends
Using university careers service
Direct approach to an employer
Using work contacts or networks
An approach by an employer
Careers fair or information session
Other university source (such as faculties or lecturers)
Advertisement in a newspaper or other print media
Registering with an employment agency
Via resume posted on the internet
Other
26%
15%
11%
9%
6%
7%
6%
5%
4%
4%
1%
7%
Graduate Careers Australia 2012
**** Networking is vital!
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Professional job search strategies
Swinburne
•
As a general rule, companies do not advertise unless they really
have to
•
Companies advertise because they do not know of a suitable
person
So up to 80% of jobs are
never advertised….
……networking is the key
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Key steps for professional job search
Swinburne
Step 1 Plan & research
Revisit your career vision to gain clarity about the job
and industries you wish to target
The economic realities of the 21st century means you need an
ideal plan of action plus a second and third option to help you
achieve your career goals.
Understand the market – where is there demand?
Prepare your job search tool kit
Step 2 Explore all job possibilities
Step 3 Implement both pre & post graduation job search
strategies
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Pre graduation job search strategies
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Pre graduation job search
Swinburne
 Ideally start graduate job search at the start of final year
in line with Australian graduate recruitment cycle
 Check out international graduate recruitment cycles
(SE Asian cycle is from September)
 Make connections and network – focus of this session
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Pre-graduation
Internships / cadetships / vacation work
Swinburne
 Many organisations have become more strategic in their approaches to
graduate employment using internships / cadetships to ‘try before they buy’
 This enables employers to gain much more insight into the suitability of a
potential employee compared with the traditional recruitment process
 Offers students opportunity to determine if the organisation matches their own
values, interests and long term career aspirations
 Many internships run during summer vacation period and are advertised
mid year eg May onwards
 Swinburne includes internship opportunities in a range of courses & as stand
alone opportunities
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TAKE CARE - Internships
Swinburne
Internships should be paid unless they are:
- with a not for profit organisation
- part of a recognised study program
- involve educational and learning outcomes for your benefit
Before participating:
- do thorough research
- ensure the placement will be of benefit to you
- be cautious of those for which you have to pay
Fair Work Australia – useful fact sheet:
http://www.fairwork.gov.au/resources/fact-sheets/employerobligations/pages/unpaid-work-fact-sheet
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Pre-graduation insight programs
Swinburne
Some organisations offer structured insight programs to showcase opportunities
Follow organisations of interest to you on social media & websites to check what
may be on offer
EXAMPLE
PwC Technology Academy is a one to two day development program that gives practical experience and
exposure to our technology teams. The program is open to students currently studying a technologyrelated degree.
Students build their employability, technical and commercial skills and get an understanding of where a
technology career at PwC could take and get the opportunity to expand networks with business leaders
OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
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Part time / casual / contract / temp
employment related to your study discipline
Swinburne
Great way to enhance your experience and build useful networks for the future
Sourcing tips:
- Networking with lecturers, professional associations
- Register with employment agencies
- Create opportunities with current hospitality etc employer

Eg bookkeeping, website, flyers, recruitment, policy manuals etc
- Job databases eg SwinEmploy, Seek, Spot Jobs, Hippo etc
- Volunteering with not for profit organisation in a career related role
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Graduate Jobs
Swinburne
Graduate programs
- Structured professional development programs in large organisations
for new graduates
- Applications usually submitted a year in advance
Graduate positions
- Individual positions offered by organisations of all sizes to students
who are soon to graduate/have finished their studies
- Advertised on job boards, company websites or social media
**Often difficult for international students to compete
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Be creative - network
Swinburne
Actively look for opportunities to make connections and gain experience
 More networking tips at end of session
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Post graduation job search strategies
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Post graduation job search strategies
Swinburne
‘In the past many graduates could expect to have an entry level, full time
position in their field by the end of the summer after graduation, however, the
current economy is still recovering and many recent grads will have a longer
search’ GRADUATE RECRUITER, ENGINEERING INDUSTRY
TIPS
 Finding a job, is a job in itself
 Adopt a systematic approach incorporating quality, tailored formal
applications and networking
 Keep a logical job search record sheet
 Be creative about the roles you target
 SMEs offer great opportunities for international students
 Look for pathway positions
 Remember your first job won’t be your last
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Thinking outside the square
Swinburne
Tapping
Text
line into the hidden job market
- Don’t target large corporations with PR restrictions!
- Find your niche market and role through research
Target key companies
Tailor skill set & resume to skills needed
- Be flexible and take opportunities or risks
- Manage your / family expectations
Swinburne
Target organisations with links to your home country
Identify links via:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Australia China Business Council
Australian Chinese Association
Australian Malaysian Business Council
Australia India Business Council – Vic
Australia Vietnam Business Council
Australian Chamber of Commerce
- Eg Singapore, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Beijing
Large multinational companies may also be more likely to employ you via your
home country
Career options
Swinburne
Don’t restrict your career choices to Australia or your home country
You are a global citizen in a global job market
Gain maximum value from your work experience in the early years of
your career
Don’t waste time on low value added employment – first 3 – 5 years is
a key period to lay the foundations of your career
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Print media
Swinburne
- The Age – esp. Saturdays
- The Australian – national focus
- The Financial Review – more specialist / senior
- Specialist industry publications
- Regional papers
Job search databases
Swinburne
 A lot of competition when applying for widely advertised positions
 Typically used Australian databases







Seek
GradConnection
Unigrad
GradAustralia
Jobseeker
Monster
Australian Jobsearch
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Also includes:
-
Resume / cv guidelines
Interviewing advice
Work permits & visas
Cultural advice
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Recruitment / employment agencies
Swinburne
-
Recruit candidates for jobs on behalf of employers
-
Are paid by employers
-
Have a database of candidates – so may not always advertise
-
Recruit for full time, part time, contract, casual jobs
-
Refer to CCD website for agency listed related to your studies
Eg Hays, Talent2, Mosaic
-
Often specialise in certain areas
Eg IT, Accounting, Marketing, Logistics, Trade etc
Useful graduate employment sources
Swinburne
Employment fairs
 The Big Meet
 Held each March & features over 100 employers
 Professional Association Fairs
 Engineers Australia held March / April & features over 70 employers
 CPA Accounting fair
Grad Connection
Job search platform connecting employers and students
www.gradconnection.com.au
Employment guides & websites
Graduate Opportunities
www.graduateopportunities.com.au
Unigrad
www.unigrad.com.au
Whirlpool
Online graduate discussion forum
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Discipline specific job search websites
Swinburne
Accounting/Finance
 efinancial careers www.efinancialcareers.com
Social Science/Psychology
 Job seeker www.jobseeker.org.au
 Ethical jobs www.ethicaljobs.com.au
Design/Media
 Pedestrian TV www.pedestrian.tv
 The loop www.loop.com.au
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Discipline specific job search websites
Swinburne
Engineering/Aviation
 Eng Jobs www.engjobs.net.au
Human Resource Management
 Jobs in HR www.jobsinhr.com.au
Science
 New Scientist http://jobs.newscientist.com/en-au/
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Swinburne
Consider opportunities in regional and rural areas – can
expand your career development and employment options
Additional visa availability
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Networking – the essential career skill
Swinburne
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Why network?
Swinburne

“Networking accounts for about 87% of business in the marketplace,
yet many people continue to neglect networking and fail to see it as
a vital business and career building skill” Henderson, How to Master Networking

Great way to research industry / positions, get introductions and
advice

Networking can uncover ‘foot-in-the-door’ opportunities: work
experience, casual/part-time, temp employment

Demonstrates initiative, drive and a positive attitude

Power to market yourself proactively to the job you want
International student
networking event
Swinburne
Thursday 20 August
Meet employers from diverse fields and gain insights
into the Australian workplace
Pre-event ‘Networking Strategies’ seminar
Date TBC
Register: www.swinburne.edu.au/student/international/careers
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Perspectives on the recruitment process
The way a typical employer
prefers to fill a job
The way a typical job seeker
prefers looking for a job
Responding
to a job
advertisement
From within the
company
Placing a job
advertisement
Swinburne
Using their
networks
Using an
agency
Using an
agency
Using their
networks
From within the
company
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Job search skills for professional employment
Swinburne
Social networking
LinkedIn
Facebook
Why?
All have functions for job search, uploading applications
and getting in touch with people who can help get you on
the track to a brilliant career
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hh0Xa397uGY
Centre for Career Development can advise on your LinkedIn profile
Job search for professional employment
Swinburne
Professional
associations
Text
line
•
•
•
•
Membership based organisations that represent their members in an
industry / occupation
Great networking opportunities
Eg Australian Computer Society, Institute of Engineers, CPA
Great benefits:
Tax deductible
Keep you up-to-date
Demonstrate your interest / passion
Career resources
Conferences / meetings
Student memberships and sub groups
Magazines
Friendships and social activities
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Swinburne
Unsolicited employer applications / ‘cold calling’
You approach employers directly!
But first do your RESEARCH
Advantages
Target your dream employers
Less competition
Demonstrates initiative
Contact can be made via:
Telephone
Social media
Email
In person
Disadvantages
Time consuming
Low success rate
Requires confidence and
strong oral skills
Practice before ringing
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Job search skills for professional employment
Swinburne
Cold calling tips
-
Approach organisations you are interested in / have knowledge of
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Referrals are useful
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Identify a key contact – eg via LinkedIn
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You need to be professional in your contact
-
Expect some rejection
-
Always send a ‘tailored’ cover letter and resume
-
Follow up via telephone or email
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Informational interviewing
Swinburne
- Involves speaking with people currently in a job,
organisation or field that interests you
- Develops your network of contacts
- Helps you make informed decisions about your career
and the related industry
- Provides an opportunity for your to impress potential
employers
- Get recommendations of who to contact from lecturers or
via Professional Associations, friends or family
Final job search tips
Swinburne
Start early!
It takes initiative, persistence, motivation and adaptation to find the job you
want – more often than not, it won’t just fall in your lap!
Politely ask for feedback from employers on why you didn’t make the cut
If you don’t get that first job – or the second, fifth, even tenth – don’t give up!
You’re not the only one who has struggled
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Swinburne
Questions / share your
experiences?