Careers News
Term 4: Career News
We are partway through Term 4 and although we still have several busy weeks ahead with wrapping up Semester 1, exams, head start and end-of-year activities, many students are starting to think about finding a part-time job over the summer. December and January are a very busy time for retail and hospitality businesses and if you’re looking to make some extra cash with your free time this is a great time to start a new casual job or pick up some extra shifts.
Where to search for jobs?
Job websites (Seek, Indeed) – these types of websites feature job advertisements that you can filter based on your neighbourhood, part-time or full-time positions and industry. Many employers use these websites to advertise positions and you can often apply online through these sites as well.
Networking – using contacts you might already have, whether that’s family friends, sports coaches, neighbours etc. These connections can also act as strong references for you.
Company and organisation websites – larger companies, organisations and government departments will often advertise positions directly on their websites. Check for ‘careers’ or ‘join the team’ tabs on their websites.
Events – Especially before a busy period like Christmas and the summer holidays businesses will sometimes participate in or host career expos or hiring fairs. You can drop into these events and meet the hiring managers or representatives, ask any questions you might have and get a sense of the different positions they are offering and how to apply. You can search whether there is something similar happening in your area and make sure you attend prepared with some copies of your resume and a firm handshake.
Centrelink – If you are registered with Centrelink they will be able to provide you with information about applying for jobs and will be able to connect you with services or programs that can help you find employment.
Notice boards – Check the notice boards at your local cafes, grocery stores, post office etc. These can be good places to find odd jobs that residents might be offering like babysitting, house and pet sitting, yard work etc.
Cover letter versus resume
A resume is an essential document that summarizes your contact details, experience, achievements, and qualifications. A resume shouldn’t be more than 2 pages long and use a concise, dot-point format to share information. You can generally use the same resume to apply for many different jobs.
A cover letter is often requested with your resume and this is a more formal, personalised document where you are writing a formal letter to the employer. In your cover letter, you will be expanding on your resume and going into more detail about the parts that are relevant to that specific job.
Resume Tips
The average resume is scanned for about 25 seconds so you want to make sure your resume is concise and easy to read. You will likely be 1 of many applicants so if the manager has trouble finding your contact details he’ll likely move on to the next candidate.
If you are applying online make sure your resume is in a Word or pdf file. Many businesses use software programs to filter and sort submitted resumes so making sure your file submission is readable is very important.
MyFuture, Microsoft Word templates, Year13 and the school’s career website all have great online tools to help you write a resume or cover letter including tips, templates and step-by-step guides.
Aviva Mulloy
Careers Advisor