U-Explore Virtual Work Experience Programme in Games, Animation and VFX

Organisation: U-Explore Ltd

Location: All Find out more

JBS Pork Australia Work Experience

Organisation: JBS Pork Australia

Location: New South Wales, Victoria

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Discover Pharmacy: Hear how the degree is changing at Monash

Organisation: Monash University

Location: Online

Date: September 16, 2026

Our Pharmacy program is changing. Find out everything you need to know about the new Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) / Doctor of Pharmacy. We'll cover the course structure, opportunities for professional experience and personal development while you study, and career outcomes.

We’ll discuss courses, careers, and what it’s like to be a part of the Parkville Campus community. We have identified some of the most commonly asked questions and invited students to address them and share their study experiences and advice with you.

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Discover IT: New courses, industry experiences and more at Monash

Organisation: Monash University

Location: Online

Date: September 17, 2026

Hear directly from our Course Directors as they introduce our new courses spanning trending and emerging areas in technology, and learn about the innovative learning model that sets the Faculty of IT apart.

This includes guaranteed real-world experience and industry immersion through our professional practice units and Work-integrated Learning credit points built into each IT degree. We will also talk about our shift toward more flexible, student-driven assessments and how we’re adopting AI-enriched, human-centred learning.

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Swinburne Fashion Portfolio Workshop

Organisation: Swinburne University of Technology

Location: TB225 Hawthorn campus, Swinburne University

Date: September 22, 2026

Are you getting ready to apply for fashion courses and need a portfolio? This free workshop will teach you exactly how to demonstrate your creative thinking and ideas during the design process – without needing to produce a final garment.

No design experience necessary. All you need to bring is your own laptop!

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How to read a job ad properly

A job ad relies on a fairly narrow set of recurring language, even though every ad looks different on the surface. Some of it signals exactly how strict a requirement really is, some of it is shorthand that reveals more about a role than it states outright, and a specific pattern of it is worth treating as a warning sign. Reading a job ad well means knowing which is which.

A job ad also lists the employment type, casual, part-time, apprenticeship, and so on, next to the title, and each comes with a different set of entitlements attached. That's covered in more detail in our guides on casual, part-time, and full-time work and apprenticeships vs traineeships.

Requirement and experience language

Requirements sections rely on a small set of recurring words to signal how strict each point actually is. Reading them accurately is the difference between ruling yourself out of a role you could get, and applying to one you're genuinely not eligible for yet.

Essential / required / must have

These are non-negotiable, usually tied to a qualification, a licence, or a minimum amount of experience genuinely needed to do the job. Missing one of these, especially a qualification or licence, usually means the role isn't realistically available to you yet.

Desirable / preferred / highly regarded

These would strengthen an application without being necessary. Most people who get shortlisted for a role don't tick every box in this category, since the list often reads more like a description of the ideal candidate than a strict checklist.

No experience necessary

This means the employer isn't expecting any prior training or work history in the area, and is planning to provide training once you start.

Entry-level

This describes the seniority of the role within the organisation, not a guarantee about how much experience is expected. It's common for an "entry-level" ad to still list one to three years of experience as preferred, since the term is often used to place the role on a career ladder rather than to describe who's eligible to apply.

Minimum X years' experience

A specific number like this is usually a genuine cutoff, unlike softer phrasing such as "some experience," which leaves more room.

Willing to train the right candidate

This signals that fit and attitude matter more than direct experience for this particular ad, and that a strong application without much relevant history is still worth submitting.

Role and workplace culture phrases

Beyond the formal requirements, the role description and company blurb lean on a fairly consistent set of phrases to describe day-to-day work. Knowing what they tend to signal helps set realistic expectations before applying.

Self-starter

Usually signals a role with less structured supervision or training than average, where you're expected to work things out independently once you're up to speed.

Fast-paced environment

Usually signals a high workload with unpredictable demands, rather than a steady, well-planned schedule.

Flexible availability / flexible hours

Often means the roster changes week to week rather than following a fixed pattern, which matters if study or another commitment needs a predictable schedule around it.

Team player

Signals that the employer values someone who cooperates smoothly with existing staff, over someone with a strong, independent working style that might clash with the group.

Wear many hats / other duties as assigned

Common in smaller workplaces, and usually means the role includes tasks outside the original job description as they come up, rather than a narrowly defined set of duties.

Hit the ground running

Signals that minimal onboarding or training is planned, and that a new person is expected to start contributing quickly.

Competitive salary

A deliberately vague phrase used to avoid narrowing the applicant pool with a specific number. It doesn't guarantee the pay is higher than similar roles elsewhere, and it's a detail worth confirming directly before going too far into the process.

Immediate start

Usually reflects urgency, the role has been vacant for a while, or demand for the position is high, rather than saying anything about the quality of the role itself. On its own it isn't a strong signal either way, though it's something to watch for alongside other issues like vague duties or unusually high pay.

Language that signals a scam

A different category of language points to something more serious: the ad might not be for a real job at all. These are specific, well-documented patterns worth treating as warning signs, not just a badly written ad.

Watch for the following:

· Unsolicited contact through text or messaging apps, rather than a reply to an application you actually submitted

· Pay that's unusually high for very little effort or experience

· A hiring decision made almost immediately, with no real interview or discussion of your experience

· A request to pay a "recruitment fee," buy training materials, or top up an account before you can start

· A request for sensitive personal details, like a Medicare card, driver's licence, or banking details, early in the process, before any formal offer

· A job that involves transferring money, or receiving and forwarding packages, on someone else's behalf

A single item on its own is worth pausing over. More than one is a strong sign to stop the conversation and report it, rather than continuing to engage.

Reading a job ad with this in mind

None of these terms are complicated once they're familiar, and a single job ad usually only uses a handful of them at once. Reading one with this vocabulary in mind takes the same time as reading it without, but leaves you with a clearer picture of what's on offer, and whether it's a role you can realistically get and trust. Our Skills for Work section has more on applications, interviews, and getting ready for your first job.

Melissa Dillon & Robyn Cardamone

Careers

Wellbeing Support