1.
Be prepared to spend time to plan your career
The competitive job-seeking
procedures will the biggest tests of your career, so prepare well!
You have years of
professional life ahead of you
Despite financial pressure
don’t rush into an unproductive or dead end position
Learn to be relaxed,
cheerful& confident. Be brave, and develop a thick skin!
Don’t be too serious or too
aggressive (don’t talk too much)
But also don’t be too timid
or quiet (don’t say you’ll accept “any job”)
Learn how to reduce the risk
an employer feels that you won’t fit into their company culture
3.
Invest whatever money is necessary NOW to present as
a professional
Have you passed the ‘
Commitment to Job-Seeking’ test? Do all those “one-per centers”!
Clothing (observe what
others in your field are wearing and be like the best of them)
Car (no professional in
Victoria is without access to a car, even if not always used)
Professional email,
answering machine. Use business card where possible.
4.
Research your industry
Make a prioritized list of
all prospective employers (Yellow Pages/Internet)
Visit their web sites; learn
names of people; visit their offices; collect their publicity and
reports
Learn about Australian
codes, standards, and regulations.
5.
Research the job market
Meet working people,
especially in your field. Use the magic words:” Can you help me?”
Cold calling: visit possible
employers in person or ring them to enquire about the company
Have a look at how others in
the workplace present themselves and relate to each other
Learn all the different
names of job-types and industry sectors; collect work terms& jargon.
Be realistic about where you
fit into the local workforce now. Don’t over-sell yourself.
Your resume is an
advertising brochure for what you can offer an employer.
Make your resume specific
for each employer and each different type of job.
Get a native or fluent
English speaker to read your documents.
7.
Fully utilize networks available to you
Your own family, friends;
your community.
Volunteering, community
groups (Lions, Rotary, clubs, churches, charities, sports)
Professional associations--
ask if you can become an associate member (fees often discounted).
8.
Don’t apply for many jobs
Research every job you are going for thoroughly
Ring up and ask for more
details of the job e.g.:
Location; size and type of
team; larger context of the job (who the clients are etc.)
What specific local
experience really essential? If this is a strict criterion, don’t apply.
Company name, or at least
details of its operations.
Job Description- see if
there’s a specific document.
Key Selection
Criteria- see if there’s a specific document; fully answer each one.
9. Prepare and practice the answers to key
employer barriers and questions
What local experience have
you had? Be up-front and answer this before
they ask it.
You are over-qualified for
this particular job. Answer this before they ask it.
What can you do? (Show how
much you know about the current situation in the local industry).
Tell me about yourself.
(Describe yourself as a professional ready to work in the local workforce)
Don’t give up
This is a competitive
economy: you must prove that you have this quality
If you are energy, employers
will notice and be put right off.
If takes time and probably
many attempts at personal contact before success.