Business skills & etiquette
International Student Skills
Seminars
Weds 9 September 2015
CRICOS Provider: 00111D | TOID: 3059
Swinburne
Presenter:
Olivia Doyle
International Student Advisor - Employability
International Student Life
Tel 9214 8248
Email odoyle@swin.edu.au
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International Student Life:
Employability support
Swinburne
 Specialist support for international students aiming to work in partnership
with you to develop your employability
 Provide professional insights and guidance
 Connect you with programs, events and activities to advance your
professional career internationally and in Australia
 Employability road map – a professional development guide for each stage
of your Swinburne student life cycle
 More details:
www.swinburne.edu.au/student/international/employability
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International Student Life Employability
Swinburne
 Monthly Employability News
 Regular program of employability seminars
 Skill seminars
 Student appointments
 Connections
 Networking events
 Cross cultural events
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International Student Job Club
Swinburne
If you are looking for a part time / casual job or professional
employment, join our Job Club to get support, share ideas and network
Come along to our informal fortnightly meetings to:
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Find out who is hiring & share job leads
Get advice on job search strategies
Update your job search tool kit
Learn about Swinburne support services
Hear from guest speakers
Support each other
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Swinburne
Semester 2 Job Club Dates
1.30 – 2.30 pm Thursday 10 September in BA602
12.30 – 1.30 pm Thursday 24 September in BA605
11.30 - 12.30 pm Tuesday 6 October in BA605
11.30 – 12.30 pm Monday 19 October in BA602
12.30 – 1.30 pm Thursday 5 November in BA606
11.30 – 12.30 pm Tuesday 24 November in BA602
No need to register – just come along
Dates are also on website
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Agenda
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Distinctive features of Australian business culture / etiquette
Hierarchy & leadership styles
Expectations of employees
Communication styles
Business dress
Networking etiquette
Dining etiquette – the basics
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Why focus on Australian workplace culture, skills &
etiquette?
Globalisation has seen increased recognition of the importance of
understanding links between culture and business success
Your increased understanding will assist you with:
• Transition into the Australian workplace
• Development of strategies to improve your effectiveness in
the workplace
• Improving your employment prospects
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Employment challenges facing people
from multicultural backgrounds can
include:
Swinburne
 Understanding of Australian workplace culture
 Communication skills – verbal & written
 Limited Australian contacts and networks
 Visa restrictions
 Understanding Australian job search techniques
 Lack of local work experience
 Perception of returning home
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Swinburne
What is culture?
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The way we do things around here
What we consider normal
Core values and beliefs
It is dynamic and changing
What is business culture?
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Business etiquette
Organisational culture
Policies and procedures
Value and patterns of behaviour
Ethics
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Discussion
What are some distinctive aspects of AUSTRALIAN
social & business culture /etiquette?
What are some distinctive aspects of other countries
social & business culture / etiquette?
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Cultural differences
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Less obvious hierarchy
International / Asian
Culture
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Appearance of friendly / relaxed
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Time – meeting deadlines
More hierarchy – respect for
managers/seniors – juniors keep quiet
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Value initiative
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Less female equality?
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Team focussed
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More individually focussed
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Multicultural
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Time is more elastic
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Workplace rights and laws
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More community spirit
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Strong OHS emphasis
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B2B relations have interpersonal focus
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Focus on policies & procedures
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Don’t like to say no
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Interest in environmental issues
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Concept of guanxi
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Work / life balance – in some orgzns.
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More community spirit o/s
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Coffee
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Others?
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Sport / BBQs / holiday focussed
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Others?
Australian Culture
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Swinburne
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Australia is one of the world’s most integrated
multicultural societies
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Australians are generally interested and accepting of
other cultures
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No two Australians are exactly the same despite being
raised in the same national, local, and, in the case of
siblings, family cultures – there is always individual
variations
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This also applies in business settings
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Understanding culture in the work place is vital!
Problems and misunderstandings often stem from not understanding
the culture or “the way things are done around here”
“We have a lot of international students in the workplace. Their
technical skills are first class. But I often find I have to go around
and fix up problems caused by differences in communication or lack
of cultural understanding.”
Senior Health Worker
Victorian Hospital
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International student cultural issues
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- Punctuality
- Written communication (emails, letters, reports)
- Unprofessional style
- Inappropriate style – too demanding
- Oral communication
- Clarity
- Too demanding / too quiet
- Too formal / too informal
- Not joining in e.g. office chat
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International student cultural issues
- Attitudes towards female colleagues and managers
- Initiative – don’t wait to be told
- Skills
- MS Office – esp. Excel
- IT technical
- Personal presentation
- Personal space
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The Australian workplace – we are different!
“I often see Australian employees taking the
time to talk to the security guard, the
cleaner and the tea lady, much more than
you would in my country!
Even top management will make sure they
ask about families and get involved if there
is an issue.”
Dinesh
Indian Student
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Swinburne
The Australian workplace – we are different!
“At my work there is a lot of joking and
laughter, which I find to be quite disruptive.
But I realise the other staff members don’t
think it’s a problem, so I have had to
change my thinking a bit.”
Faye Lee
Malaysian Migrant
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The Australian workplace – we are different!
“I was raised in India where it was
unacceptable to question the directions of
someone more senior. It was normal to
follow directions without question. It’s very
different here.”
Nitesh
Indian Migrant
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Swinburne
The Australian workplace – we are different!
“My manager asked me to get the quarterly sales figures. I
requested them from Mr Lee, General Manager of China
operations.
My manager said they were not accurate and blamed me for not
checking them. I explained it wasn’t my fault as Mr Lee
provided the figures – I didn’t want to show lack of respect by
questioning his work.
My manager said I wasn’t showing any initiative.”
Zhang Li
Chinese Intern in Australian company
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Swinburne
The Australian workplace – we are different!
“I come from South Africa. It’s always ‘Yes
Sir’ to the boss. At home people give orders
and others accept. …. Australians don’t like
anything that sounds like an order. They don’t
give them and they certainly don’t take them
well. Its not that there isn’t hierarchy in
Australia, but it’s less obvious.”
Kurt
South African Migrant – Now Australian
Manager
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Key differences between Australian and other workplaces
 Hierarchy and leadership styles
 Expectations of employees
 Communication styles
 Equal employment opportunity (EEO)
 Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S)
 Focus on policies & procedures
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Leadership styles
 Flat organisational structures
 Manager may not have a separate office
 Don’t call them ‘sir’ or ‘madam’ – generally first names
 Respect is earned
 Communications between staff and management are open and direct
 Managers are usually approachable
 Managers often share in a joke, join staff for drinks etc
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Expectations of employees
 Australians love initiative!
 Managers expect you to be able to work out for yourself
what needs to be done, if not – ask!
 New ideas and creativity are encouraged
 Issues or problems are dealt with directly
 Show flexibility / can multi-task
 Team player but can also work independently
 Show enthusiasm and are self-motivated
 Have appropriate skills for the job
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Expectations of employees
Australian Government has identified 8 key employability skills:
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Communication
Teamwork
Problem Solving
Initiative and Enterprise
Planning and Organising
Self-management
Learning
Technology
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Communication
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 Casual and informal speech in the workplace is common – eg greetings
are casual and relaxed
 Direct communication style – appreciate brevity and not too much detail
 Written communication still needs to be professional and formal (careful
with your emails!)
 Managers often ask staff for their input instead of telling them what to do
 Humour is important
 Tend to get down to business quickly with minimum small talk
 Don’t like high pressure sales techniques – like facts & figures and a winwin approach
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Workplace communication tips
 Value sincerity and authenticity – don’t like pretentiousness /
showing off
 Try to be polite, relaxed and friendly
 Join in the jokes and laughs
 Join in social activities – eg Friday drinks
(you don’t have to drink alcohol)
 Talk about what you did on the weekend
Aussie Rules football
Holidays
Cooking
Current events
Sport
Weather
Movies / TV
Weight loss (women!)
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More workplace communication tips
 Shake hands when commencing and concluding a meeting
 Both men and women shake hands
 Personal space – maintain an arms length distance
 Eye contact – very important during meetings and interviews
 Tone and volume of speech - speak slowly, clearly and at a
volume where you are clearly heard
 Smile
Improve your communication skills:
Swinburne
VISIT SWINBURNE’S LAS
Do you use the free services provided by Swinburne’s
Language and Academic Skills?
- Conversation groups
- Workshops
- Individual and small group support
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Equal employment opportunity
- Men and women are treated equally
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Australia has laws protecting all people from
discrimination and harassment in relation to:
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Race
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Religion
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Political beliefs
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Sexual preference
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Age
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Disability
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Gender
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Carer or parental status
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Physical features
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Be aware of your own behaviour and your rights
Discrimination
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Unfair treatment based on prejudices
Sexual harassment
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Unwanted attention / sexual advances
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Sexual jokes, offensive phone calls and emails, displays of obscene or
pornographic photos, pictures, posters, screen savers and internet sites
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Making promises or threats in return for sexual favours
Victimisation / bullying
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Repeated, unreasonable behaviour directed toward an employee
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Useful links
Fair Work Ombudsman
www.fairwork.gov.au
Job Watch
www.jobwatch.org.au
Fair Work Ombudsman ‘You Tube’ videos to understand
workplace rights in 14 languages!
www.youtube.com/fairworkgovau
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Australian culture
Swinburne
Personal presentation
Office dress – esp. for job interviews
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Wear business attire
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Men – preferably dark business suit and tie
 Women – business suit (jacket, skirt, pants) or conservative clothes with
minor decoration
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Limited jewellery
 Take care with personal hygiene, ironed clothes
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Casual Fridays
Appropriate Business Wear - Men
Appropriate Women’s Business Wear
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Networking etiquette
Networking is a key employability skill – but you must know basic
networking etiquette
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What is networking?
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Networking is an essential career skill
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Great way to research industry / positions, get
introductions and career advice
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Networking can uncover ‘foot-in-the-door’ opportunities:
work experience, casual/part-time, temp employment
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Demonstrates initiative, drive and a positive attitude
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Power to market yourself proactively to the job you
want
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Why network?
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 University graduates are increasingly finding it difficult to find
professional employment
 Flat job market
 Credential inflation
 International competition
 Chance to get ahead of the crowd – cut down your competition
 About 70 - 80% of positions are filled without an ad ever reaching
the job market
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International students often lack a strong network
of contacts to provide industry insights, career tips
and employment contacts
You need to create your own network
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Building a professional network
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 University
 Professional association membership
 Professional events
 Employment
 General events / connections
 On line – including LinkedIn
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Networking etiquette tips
Swinburne
 Don’t ask for a job – ask for advice
 Don’t just focus on what your needs & interests – it needs to be a
2 way relationship
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Networking etiquette tips
Swinburne
 Make a confident introduction. Offer both your first and
last name when making an introduction
 Extend your hand first. A handshake always
accompanies a greeting or introduction. (Make sure your
handshake is firm and stable.)
 Show genuine interest and curiosity – build a relationship
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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 Hold only a glass or a plate of food in your left hand. This allows you
to keep your right hand free for the customary handshake.
 Remember names – repeat them back after the introduction. If you
have forgotten you can say ‘Please remind me, your name is …..’
(Wear your name tag)
 Careful with your sales pitch – don’t overdo it but do have an
introductory pitch prepared
 Prepare some interesting conversation starters
 Don’t spend the evening catching up with friends. Say hello to those
you know, but make it a point to spend most of your evening meeting
new people and making new contacts.
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Swinburne
 Close the conversation gracefully
 After you’ve spent approximately 5 minutes visiting with someone
new, let them move on so you both can continue to meet other
people.
 Exiting is as easy as extending your hand for a handshake and
saying “It’s been nice talking with you” or “Good to meet you, I look
forward to talking with you again”
 When you attend an event focus on trying to meet 5 new people –
stretch yourself
 If you don’t know anyone, look for other people standing on their
own and introduce yourself
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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 Help make connections for other people – introduce them and add in
something about their backgrounds or something they may have in
common to help get the conversation started
 Listen actively and ask questions to keep the conversation going
 Exchange business cards
 Be genuine / be yourself
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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 Follow up after the event
Join up on LinkedIn
Organise further catch up
Follow up on any promises / contacts / information
 Don’t focus on ‘what’s in it for me’!
 Do not stand in the corner and play on your iphone!!
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Your professional ‘networking’ pitch (under 30 secs)
When networking you need a ‘pitch’ to introduce yourself
You need to tailor your pitch to suit the occasion and your goals
Eg. job search, business development etc
Consider:
Who are you meeting?
What do you want to learn?
What actions do you want to result?
What can you contribute?
Your professional job search pitch
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Your professional pitch needs to succinctly communicate what you are
qualified to do, and what role / industry(ies) you are ideally targeting
Suggested structure:
 Your qualifications / how you want to “professionally market” yourself
ie. Degree qualified IT professional, specializing in ……
 What role (title) / industry(ies) are you targeting,
ie. Now targeting a xxxxxxxx role within the xxxxxxx sector …
 Ideal role function
ie. Ideally collating, analyzing data and communication solutions
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Dining etiquette – the basics
Swinburne
Table manners play an important part in making a favourable impression.
They are visible indicators of your manners and are important to professional
success.
DO’s
 Introduce yourself to everyone at the table and help to introduce others
 Speak to people seated on either side of you
 Prepare some conversation starters on various topics
Eg industry related, sport, travel, study (nothing controversial)
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Place your serviette on your lap
 Know which cutlery and glasses to use
 Turn off your phone
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Dinner etiquette – the basics
Swinburne
DO NOTS
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Speak with your mouth full
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Start until everyone at your table has been served
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Wave your cutlery in the air
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Don’t text
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Arrive starving
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Put elbows on the table until after main course
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Dinner etiquette – reading the table setting
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Finished eating
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Strategies for adapting to Australian culture
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 Be aware of your own cultural traits and how they differ from Australia
 You may need to adjust your behaviour when necessary to communicate
effectively and achieve your goals
 Observation is the first step in cultural adaptation – watch what is going on
 Pay attention to the actions of people who are similar to you in age, gender,
social role, job
 Consider how Australians are reacting to your behaviour – learn from your
mistakes
 Pick up on the cultural principles – the underlying norms, values and beliefs
You don’t have to give up your old culture and beliefs to thrive in Australia
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Centre for Career Developmet
Swinburne
- Career counselling
- Job search assistance
- Interview skills
- Employer information and on campus presentations
- Going Global international job search data base
- Career conferences, workshops and webinars
- Range of handouts / podcasts:
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Interviews
Resumes
Cover letters
LinkedIn profiles
- What can I do with my qualification
- Networking
- Job search
- Assessment centres etc
SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN
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Free resume / cover letter /
LinkedIn checks
Swinburne
Drop in to have your documents checked by a
Career Practitioner
No appointment necessary
Hawthorn: Monday – Friday
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