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So many jobs, so many companies, sooo many choices! Being a newbie in the job market can be a daunting experience. Where do you start when you’ve never had to navigate job applications, interviews and assessments before? Right here! Our recruitment experts have put together five top tips to help you find and land your first job.
Start with You
Take a look at yourself. What are your core strengths? What are your preferred work environments? What would you like to be doing in five years’ time? Before you get your job search underway, decide what type of role you would like to aim for and why. If you’re unsure, chatting to a career’s advisor or recruitment consultant can be a good idea. They can give you an idea of the different jobs that are out there, and help you zoom in on a few suitable and rewarding options.
Create a winning resume and cover letter
Brush up your resume or create one from scratch. If you don’t have heaps of work experience, don’t worry! Hiring managers will be more interested in your potential at this stage, so highlight your key strengths, showcase your achievements and shine a spotlight on your interests. Work on your cover letters too, making sure that each one is carefully targeted to the role you are applying for. It can be a good idea to keep track of your applications (dates, roles, hiring manager names and contact details, etc.) in a dedicated spreadsheet, especially if you’re using multiple platforms. At a glance, you’ll know what you’ve done and when, and who to follow up with.
Consider building a LinkedIn profile. It’s a great platform for developing your professional presence and networking with other professionals.
Get a foot in the door!
There’s so much you can do both online and offline to further your job search. Check out job listings on recruitment agency websites or search engines such as SEEK and Indeed, where you can search for specific roles by area and set up job alerts. Click on a few roles and get a feel for what employers are asking for – and then apply if you think you are a suitable candidate. With a little online research, you’ll also find resume templates, information on what to expect at interview, and heaps more useful resources.
Don’t forget face-to-face opportunities! Careers fairs and recruitment events can be great ways to find out about different jobs and organisations and connect with the people working there. Ask questions, gather brochures and business cards – and follow up! If you’ve had an interesting discussion with a company representative, there’s no harm in sending a brief email to thank them for their time and ask if there are any upcoming internships or job shadow opportunities.
If you’re at uni, tap into your alumni network. Chances are you’ll find former students working in your first-choice organisation or similar companies. While alumni may not hand you a job on a plate, many will be happy to provide you with job-related information and advice. Also look at joining an industry-related group at uni, where you can connect with like-minded peers and potentially access professionals working in the field.
Really prepare for that interview
Before the big day, make sure you’ve researched the role and the organisation in detail. Try to anticipate some of the questions you’ll be asked and prepare responses to them. Go armed with a couple of questions of your own to show you’ve done your homework. Every recruiting manager likes to see preparation and enthusiasm! Oh, and dress appropriately. Look the part and if in doubt, dress up rather than down.
Be persistent
It can take time and effort (and a lot of applications) to land your first job. Keep at it but leave a little time for living too. Persistence pays off and you’ll soon find a role you love and the chance to embark on a rewarding career journey.
Good luck!
At Optimal Recruitment we are experienced in helping candidates navigate the job market. Give us a call today on 02 8416 4181.
Aaargh! You’ve been putting it off for weeks. Writing that pesky first resume. Don’t despair! Follow our top ten tips below and you’ll be one step closer to securing your dream job.
- Keep It Simple
So, you might want to experiment with font and colour. Great if you are a wannabee graphic designer. If not, stick to a readable font, like Arial, Times New Roman or Calibri, throughout. You can still play around with bold and italics to highlight important features.
If your resume runs to more than one page, consider including a header or footer with your name and contact details. Sometimes, recruiters print out resumes and this ensures none of your info goes astray.
- Contact Details
Casual voice mail messages, such as “Hey, dude. Surf’s up…etc.” (Yup, we’ve heard them all before) are a big no-no. Record something short and polite. You’re looking for work, not catching your next set. Equally, blasting your caller with on-hold music is not cool.
Check your email message is professional and appropriate. How about keeping shazzarocks@hotmail.com for your personal contacts, and using sharon.rock@hotmail.com in your job search instead?
- Education
List your high school name, location, and dates of attendance.
If applicable, also list your university/college name, location, course title, dates of attendance, and qualification level achieved.
Impressive final grades? Make sure you include them too.
- School/College/University Achievements
Think about what you achieved at school, college and/or uni. Did you hold a position of special responsibility, e.g. class captain? Did you receive any awards? Were you a member of any school teams, music groups, or associations?
This section shows that you did more than just turn up for class and sit the end-of-year exams.
- Personal Attributes
Tell the recruiter what qualities you offer them as an individual. Ask others, such as teachers, university professors, and close family friends, how they would describe you. Or check out your past school reports. Focus on positive descriptions, e.g. motivated, keen to learn, reliable, honest, good team player, and strong communicator. And don’t list too many!
- Skills
This section should focus on your proven abilities, e.g.
Intermediate Software: Word, Excel, Outlook, Internet
Basic Software: PowerPoint, Photoshop
Languages: English native speaker, fluent Italian (written and spoken)
Bear in mind that recruitment agencies and potential employers will often test your software skills, especially if they are essential for the role you are applying for.
- Work Experience
Demonstrating work experience, whether paid, casual or voluntary, can make or break your resume.
Include details, such as employer name, location, role, and dates of employment. And then show how you made a difference. What were your responsibilities in the role? What did you achieve?
If you worked on the crew at Macca’s, you could talk about working as part of a team, delivering top quality customer service, and the challenges of producing results in short timeframes.
If you helped out in the family business, focus on your contribution. Perhaps you designed a new spreadsheet to capture important information, or assisted customers in-store.
- Interests
Along with #5, this is your chance to tell recruiters and potential employers more about you as an individual. Interests should generally fall into three categories:
- Relevant to the job
If you’re applying for a role at a building consultancy, an interest in modern architecture could be a real plus. Just make sure you can talk about it in some detail.
- Showcase for your skills
Don’t just list one word, like “Sailing”, and leave it at that. Mention your participation in local regattas, and any good race results; include your role on the yacht club social committee.
- Plain quirky
Juggling, acrobatics, and collecting paperclips show your originality, and can be useful conversation openers at interview stage.
- Referees
Include the full name, job title, organisation, email and telephone number of two referees. Ideally, these should be people you have worked with, such as a shift manager or team leader. If you don’t have much prior work experience, you could always ask someone who knows you well, e.g. a family friend or high school teacher to be a referee.
Ask your referees before providing their details to recruiters and potential employers.
- Spellcheck
Run a spellcheck through your resume, then print out a copy and read it from start to finish. Ask a couple of trusted friends or family to look through the final draft. They might just find the one error you’ve overlooked.
You’ve been in your job for a couple of years and you’re thriving. You’re smashing all your targets, and ticking all the boxes in your performance appraisals, but your success is not reflected in your pay package. Rather than threatening to down tools unless you receive more $$$ on the spot, hang in there and plan ahead. Here is our step-to-step guide to asking for and getting the pay rise you deserve.
BUILD A h2 CASE
First, check out your job description. Are you meeting and exceeding all the requirements of your role? Have you taken on additional responsibilities that are not mentioned in your job description? Have you made suggestions that have been implemented in the workplace? If yes to any of these questions, then start to build your case. Make a list of your achievements and, if possible, quantify them. Highlight how many benchtops your team have made; specify the total client billings you have generated over the last six months.
Next, look outside your workplace at the wider employment market. Look at job ads for similar roles in the area; study online salary surveys and trends. Find out whether you could potentially earn more elsewhere and note important data. This research will not only help you to justify your request for an increase, it will also help your boss escalate that request to senior management.
BOOK A MEETING WITH YOUR BOSS
Rather than catching your boss on the hop, book a meeting with her and specify that you are wanting to discuss your performance and pay. Timing is crucial here. Fix a day when your boss is not submerged with work; you want her to be open to discussion. Equally, ensure that the current business climate in your workplace is conducive to talk of a pay rise. If the CFO has just quit, or a merger is looming on the horizon, you’d be best to hold off!
BE PREPARED TO SELL YOURSELF
If you don’t ask, you won’t get it! Asking for a pay rise can be a confronting and challenging experience, which is why some employees never get around to it. But you’ve done your homework and you know you’re worth it. So, go into that meeting with courage and confidence. Be upfront about what you bring to your role and the company and support your argument with the research you have carried out. Have a clear idea of the pay package you are after but go in higher so there is room for negotiation. Once you’ve stated your case, ensure you listen to what your boss has to say and respond appropriately. This should not be a battle, but a reasoned discussion between two professionals with a positive outcome for both sides: you receive your pay rise and your boss gets to keep a valued employee on her team.
CONSIDER YOUR OPTIONS
All being well, you’ll get the pay rise you are asking for, but what if the response is ‘no’? Don’t lose your cool! First, ask your boss what you can do to achieve that increase in six months’ time. Perhaps there is an aspect of your role where she feels further development is required or perhaps she is privy to company information about future expense cuts and frozen pay. In both instances, consider whether you are best off staying in the role and working your way towards a new pay review or looking around for a new position in another company.
Good luck! We hope you get the pay rise you deserve.
With so much advice, tips and information out there on how to land your dream job I am feeling stressed from the sheer volume of what I need to know and I haven’t even interviewed yet.
We have put our heads together in the office and come up with a list of what NOT to do for your interview. Common sense… Most likely but we have taken the stories and comments from hiring managers we have heard over the years and compiled a list for you.
What not to do, to get that job
- Don’t be late for your interview
If you are running late call the hiring manager or recruiter and let them know. We understand stuff happens and it can be unavoidable but tell someone otherwise your punctuality will be questioned and it’s not a good look. On the flip side don’t be super early it’s annoying having you waiting in reception 45 minutes before. Turn up 5 minutes before the interview is scheduled.
- Wear appropriate clothes.
Have you heard the expression ‘dress to impress’ well it works! Depending on the role you are going for, you may not need the full suit and tie but are shorts, singlet and thongs the best you could do?
- Don’t sit in reception on your phone
Turn your phone off or put it on silent, you don’t want it ringing during your interview. Take the time to observe and see what is going on, it’s amazing what you can see when you are not glued to your phone.
- Don’t smoke just before your interview
We understand it might help you to not be so nervous – but the smell will be noticeable no matter how many mints you chew.
- Do not take a takeaway coffee cup into the interview
We understand it’s the norm to walk around with a cup in your hand but now is not the time or place. It also makes it awkward when you go to shake hands and your hands are full. We won’t even go there with chewing gum!
- Don’t bag out your previous employees
Yes, your old employers might be awful but if you criticise them in the interview the hiring manager won’t be impressed and it’s a small world out there. You may give the impression you could be difficult to work with.
- Don’t sit down before you are invited and bring your enthusiasm!
Wait until you are told to sit down, its common courtesy. Ensure your body language is sending the right signals. Make eye contact with the hiring manager, ensure you have a solid handshake and be happy, no one wants to chat with someone who is sour.
- Don’t answer the question with ‘it’s on my resume’
This is one of our pet hates, we want to hear your answer, how you articulate and communicate what you have done not just a one-word statement.
- Watch your language
Obviously swearing is off limits but how often do you say umm when you are talking or ‘like’ or do you finish your sentence with yeah. Practising some sample interview questions before your interview may help you to be more articulate.
We hope we haven’t scared you off with all our don’ts, be yourself and try to enjoy the experience no matter how nervous you may be. One last thing; treat everyone you meet with a smile from other people in the lift, the receptionist, to walking past desks towards the meeting room – these could be your potential colleagues, bosses and they will share their impressions of you later. Make sure you are seen in a positive light.
We would love to hear any stories or experiences you have had during your interviews from either side of the desk.
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