Getting Career Ready

It’s never too early to start acquiring skills, knowledge and tips to help you get career ready. With the competitive nature of the job market, every small step you take can help you stand out from the crowd. Read on for our top tips to boost your employability potential.  

  First things first, before you can get your dream job you need to land an interview, and to get the interview you need to get noticed with a killer resume. Your time at uni is the perfect chance to gain new skills and experiences to give your resume that extra boost. Whether that be through an internship, volunteering, adding to your extracurricular activities by joining a club (bonus points if you help run the club, showcasing your ability to work in a team and be a leader), or by excelling in your studies. The best way to get noticed is to have something that makes you stand out from the pack. Make sure you tailor your resume for each position you apply for to show your enthusiasm and strong work ethic.

Once you land the interview, that’s when your theoretical skills need to be shown in a practical way. Basic interview tips include researching the company you are interviewing at, practicing your answers to commonly asked interview questions, dressing in a professional and neat manner (overdressed is better than underdressed), remembering the names of your interviewer and of course being punctual and arriving on-time.

Common interview questions are ‘behavioural questions’, which involve an explanation of how you behaved in the past when dealing with a particular situation. Such as “describe a time when you failed and how you overcame it” or “share an example of a situation where you had to assume leadership of a team”. The best way to approach these questions is by using the STAR method: Situation Task Action Result. This is the interviewer’s way of seeing your past response to situations to determine how you will act in future similar situations. You can read more about the STAR technique here.

Another way to get your foot in the door of companies you are interested in or industries relevant to your degree is through networking. According to several studies, around 70% of people find employment through networking. It’s important to remember that anyone you meet could be an important professional contact for you in the future, so always treat everyone with respect and try to maintain the relationship by checking in with them frequently, whether that be through LinkedIn or via a check-in email.

Your specific school at university will likely hold industry networking nights regularly throughout the year so it is good practice to make the effort to attend these events. Joining a student club relevant to your degree is another way to network with individuals in your field.

There you have it! These top tips will ensure you’ve started your job search off on the right foot. Want to further enhance your employability? Then be sure to check out our first-ever Careers & Employability Fair happening at the Gold Coast campus. Details below.