Careers

Careers Information Update

Congratulations to Ruby Robb of Year 11 on being accepted into the University of Wollongong's Summer Master class program. This three weeks Summer Master Class program will allow Ruby to complete a university subject over the summer break. Successful completion of this program means that Ruby will at minimum be guaranteed a conditional offer or admissions interview to a degree that aligns to the Summer Master Class subject she is completing. In addition, should she choose to study at UOW she could be eligible to skip a whole subject.

How did Ruby find out about the program? She read the Careers Newsletter!  Ensure that you read the newsletter so that you can be involved in the many opportunities available to students. The Careers Newsletters can be accessed at https://www.brigidinecollegecareers.com/

Benefits of casual work over the summer

You might be hoping to spend the entire summer holidays vegging out and relaxing and that’s perfectly understandable.

But you might want to consider the benefits of a casual job. Here are the top reasons to go ahead and take the plunge:

1. The most obvious is that you’ll be earning money – you’ll have some fun money to spend, or you could start saving up for a big ticket item, travel, or uni
2. You’ll learn new skills
3. Build up your resume
4. Meet new people
5. Sample different jobs and industries
6. Boost your confidence

Remember, you don’t have to work every day– a casual job could help you achieve all the benefits and still leave you with lots of free time to enjoy the summer.

With the summer holidays fast approaching, there are many Christmas casual positions becoming available. There has never been a better time to look for a casual position. Before you start applying for jobs, it’s a good idea to make sure that you have a resume ready to go and that it’s up to date and that it is going to appeal to potential employers.

Getting your resume summer ready

If you already have a resume, but you haven’t looked at it since you last applied for a job, or you were nagged to get one sorted – it could well be due for a refresh.

• Check your contact and personal details are correct
• Add in any recent jobs you haven’t listed yet (including voluntary and community work)
• Update any skills, awards, achievements that you’ve accomplished lately
• List a couple of hobbies – the more relevant they are to the jobs you’re looking for, the better

Take some time to review your skills and attributes section too.

Don’t forget that if you’re applying for a particular job, it’s a good idea to edit your CV to reflect what the employer is looking for. Never make things up, but it’s amazing how a little re-wording could make you more appealing as a prospective employee.

Creating a resume

If you don’t have a resume and you’ll be applying for your first job, no problem, you’ve got some time to prepare one.

Remember to include:

• Your name, age and contact details
• Education details, including the names of your schools and a list of subjects you’ve studied
• Any other jobs that you’ve had, including volunteer work or work experience
• A list of your skills – don’t be shy
• Awards or achievements you’ve received
• A couple of your hobbies and interests

Keep it brief, simple, honest, and easy to read.

These blogs “It’s all about the resume” and “Create your resume” have a few more tips and ideas.

Or head over to the Super Simple Resume Builder to get your CV whipped up in no time.

Customise the details

Your resume and cover letter is what gets you through the door and into an interview so you’ve got to make them relevant and stand out.

If you’re just planning on going around to businesses handing over your resume, keep it short and sweet. It’s still worth writing a shiny cover letter too- just a few sentences letting the business know why you’d be an amazing addition to their team.

Applying for specific jobs? You’ll need to address skills or other criteria listed in the advert (remember, for entry level jobs the bar shouldn’t be set too high, so don’t be afraid to blow your own trumpet).

If you really don’t think you have many of the skills or experience they’re looking for but you’re still keen on the job – say that in the cover letter. Tell them you’re really keen to learn. It could make a difference.

For access to the information in the links above, you will need to log into your StudyWorkGrow account, a Careers website that our school subscribes to. Information on logging in has been sent to you via email.

Vicki Zafiris

Futures Coordinator