Career Resources - Hints & Tips

The term "career management" is a bit abstract for some people. It sounds like this fluffy, indefinable concept that doesn't really mean a whole lot. In reality, career management is a very significant and specific process that, when done properly, helps to ensure long-term career success.

In order to get the most out of your career, you have to put some effort into caring for it. Left to its own devices, your career may end up wildly off course. Without a structured career management plan, you'll quickly find yourself doing what's easy or convenient or what others want you to do. You may discover that your future goals don't align with your present-day actions. And, before you know it, your career will be managing you.

1. Career Management is a Lifelong Process

The first point to understand is that career management is not a single event; it's a part of your career journey. Don't put it off until you suddenly realize there's a problem. Just like a car, regular maintenance will help ensure a smooth ride.

2. Career Management is an Active Process

You can't simply sit back and let others do the work for you. Otherwise, you'll end up in someone else's career! You have to be an active, engaged participant.

3. Career Management is a Structured Process

I believe that career management is most beneficial when it is carefully structured. Without structure, most of us would neglect it until an emergency came along. Structure helps keep the process moving at a steady, stable pace regardless of what's happening.

4. Career Management is about Establishing, Tracking and Correcting

• Establish Goals: The real nitty-gritty of career management is in understanding what you're trying to achieve. This, for many people, can also be the hardest part. Each goal should be broken down into tasks that, once completed, will achieve the goal. A timeline can then be created to map each step along the way.
• Track Goals: Monitoring progress is a satisfying and useful strategy. Career management involves regularly checking in on established goals and the movement being made. This helps prevent stagnation and ensures career goals are being methodically incorporated into the rest of your life.
• Course Correct: Career goals will change and grow just as you do. Part of the career management process involves monitoring and adjusting them as needed. Each step along the way will heighten your understanding of what you want and how to get there. The map isn't set in stone. As you move forward, the career management process will help you identify new paths and new destinations.

Participating in a structured career management process demonstrates the important role that career plays in your life as a whole. For most people, your career can provide you with the means to achieve a great number of other personal goals, like buying a house or starting a family or traveling the world. Work also occupies a huge portion of our time spent on this planet, so managing your career is clearly a worthwhile investment of energy.

You have received an invitation to interview for a new job: congratulations!

If you're going to impress at interview, you need to prepare thoroughly. This page sets out what to do to prepare, some pointers about how to behave and react in the interview and what you might expect at an interview.

The most important thing to remember about any interview is that it is a two-way process. It is as much about you finding out whether you want to work for the company as them finding out whether they want you. This means it is important to present yourself as you really are, not pretend to be something you're not.

Preparing For the Interview

Your preparation before the day of the interview needs to be on two main fronts:

1. Research the Organisation

Find out as much as you can about the company.

Look at their website, and any information that they have sent you, and see if you can find their mission, objectives, any value statements and the like. It's helpful to be familiar with the organisation's guiding principles. Also try to find out how the job that you have applied for fits into the organisation.

Make a list of the questions about the organisation, ideally around work, such as the team you will be working with, or the work that you will be doing on a daily basis. It's OK to ask about the on-site gym and the holiday allowance, but don't sound as if you're only interested in getting away from work!

It's probably not a great idea to ask whether you'll be able to work part-time at this stage. Either you should already have done that before applying, or you need to be prepared to work the hours stated.

2. About you

You need to sit down with the job specification and your application, and develop some new examples of how you meet at least a few of the requirements. It is fine to talk about the examples on your application form or CV/covering letter, but it's useful to have a few new ones too. Describe the situation in one sentence or less, and focus on your actions, the results that you achieved, and how you knew you were successful.

It's also helpful to prepare answers for some of the standard icebreakers, such as 'Tell me a bit about your current job', or 'Tell me why you've applied for this job'. Your answers should focus on your skills, and how you can use them in the new job, again based around the person specification. Don't learn them off by heart, but have a good idea of what you want to say.

Tests and Presentations

Some interviews require you to make a short presentation, or to take a test. The details will always be included in the letter inviting you to interview, so you'll have time to prepare. If you've been asked to make a presentation, don't assume that there will be PowerPoint, or that you'll be standing in front of a group.

You may be invited to bring a handout. It's worth spending a bit of time making a one-page handout that fully summarises your presentation, whether it's a mind-map, a picture of some sort, or your five key take-home messages. Think about what you want them to remember from your presentation, and make sure that's clear from your handout.

Attending the Interview

Some General Dos and Don'ts

Do:

• Arrive in good time. The interview panel may be interviewing a lot of candidates so do not keep them waiting.
• Dress appropriately. Some organisations, especially technology companies, have a very casual dress code but, for most, a suit will be appropriate interview wear. Remember that you are being judged on the appearance that you present.
• Act appropriately, which usually means following the interviewer's lead. If you are offered a hand to shake, then shake it, but don't offer your own hand if nobody else seems interested.
• Engage with the interviewers. Smile, make eye contact, and build rapport.
• Answer the questions that are asked, using relevant examples where at all possible.

Don't:

• Be afraid to blow your own trumpet a bit. After all, nobody else is going to blow it for you; however do not lie or exaggerate. If you want the job, be enthusiastic and positive.
• Be over-familiar or share too much information. For example, the interviewers don't want to know how you're going to manage your childcare.

What to Expect in the Interview

How Many Interviewers?

The letter inviting you to interview will probably state who will be interviewing you. It's often three to five people, because that removes any individual bias, so don't be surprised to walk in and find a roomful of people. One will probably take the lead, and explain who will be asking questions as well as the role of the others.

When you're asked a question, reply to the person who asked the question. The others may intervene, either during or after your answer, in which case you'll also need to reply to the intervention. Again, reply to that person and not to the group generally.

Presentations

If you've been invited to give a presentation, you will probably be asked to give it immediately after introductions. If there's a time limit for your presentation then keep to it. If you can't see the clock in the room, then put your watch on the table in front of you, to make sure that you're keeping to time. If you're running short, cut your presentation and move to the conclusion.

Types of Questions

Interviewers often like to start with an easy 'ice-breaker' question, such as "What do you do in your current job?" or "Tell us why you applied for this job?" If you've done your preparation, you'll be ready for this.

Modern interviews tend to be 'competence-based', which means that they focus on your skills, and how you can demonstrate them.

So questions will often be in the form of:

• Tell us about the time when you...
• Can you give us an example of a time when you...
• From your previous experience, how would you deal with a situation like...

If you don't have much work experience, don't worry. Be prepared to say "Well, I haven't actually had to do that yet, but this is what I would do in the situation". If you're being interviewed for a job where you don't have much experience in the field, the interviewers will usually try to help by giving you hypothetical questions and asking you how you would approach a problem. They know you don't have much experience, but they're trying to give you a chance to show that you can do the job.

The interviewers are not trying to trip you up as a general rule so, if you get a question that you don't understand, just say so and ask them to expand a bit.

There are still interviewers around who believe in the benefits of asking 'off the wall' questions like 'If you were a car, what type would you be?' and 'What are your best and worst traits?' Just humour them! Have a fairly bland and generic reply prepared such as 'Well, I'm not sure what type of animal/car/bird/whatever I'd be, but I do know that I set myself high standards and am not happy unless I'm working hard!"

At The End

At the end of the interview, you will probably be asked if you have any questions.

It is usually a good idea to ask a few questions about the organisation or role at this point. However, if you really don't have any questions, perhaps because you spoke to someone from the organisation before the interview and they have answered all your questions, then it's fine to say so. Do explain that it's because you spoke to [name] and they were able to answer all your questions ahead of time.

It's also acceptable to ask when the organisation will expect to let people know the outcome of their application.

It may also be worth asking if there is anything that they feel that you didn't address as well as you could have done, or that wasn't entirely clear. It gives you a second chance if you were a bit nervous and didn't answer as well as you could have done early on.

And Finally...

Before you leave, thank the interview panel for the chance to attend the interview and say that it was nice to meet them. Smile, gain eye contact and shake hands if appropriate. Always leave a good final impression.

You will find out in due course if you were successful. If you were not then it can be a good idea to ask for feedback. You may gain some useful tips and advice to improve your chances at your next interview.

Do you know how to make your case to an interviewer? Follow these 10 interview tips to boost your chances of landing the job.

Even the smartest and most qualified job seekers need to prepare for job interviews. Why, you ask? Interviewing is a learned skill, and there are no second chances to make a great first impression. So study these 10 strategies to improve your interview skills.

1. Practice good nonverbal communication

It's about demonstrating confidence: standing straight, making eye contact and connecting with a firm handshake. That first nonverbal impression can be a great beginning -- or quick ending -- to your interview.

2. Dress for the job or company

Today's casual dress codes do not give you permission to dress as "they" do when you interview. It is important to know what to wear to an interview and to be well-groomed. Whether you wear a suit or something less formal depends on the company culture and the position you are seeking. If possible, call to find out about the company dress code before the interview.

3. Listen

From the very beginning of the interview, your interviewer is giving you information, either directly or indirectly. If you are not hearing it, you are missing a major opportunity. Good communication skills include listening and letting the person know you heard what was said. Observe your interviewer, and match that style and pace.

4. Don't talk too much

Telling the interviewer more than he needs to know could be a fatal mistake. When you have not prepared ahead of time, you may ramble when answering interview questions, sometimes talking yourself right out of the job. Prepare for the interview by reading through the job posting, matching your skills with the position's requirements and relating only that information.

5. Don't be too familiar

The interview is a professional meeting to talk business. This is not about making a new friend. Your level of familiarity should mimic the interviewer's demeanor. It is important to bring energy and enthusiasm to the interview and to ask questions, but do not overstep your place as a candidate looking for a job.

6. Use appropriate language

It's a given that you should use professional language during the interview. Be aware of any inappropriate slang words or references to age, race, religion, politics or sexual orientation -- these topics could send you out the door very quickly.

7. Don't be cocky

Attitude plays a key role in your interview success. There is a fine balance between confidence, professionalism and modesty. Even if you're putting on a performance to demonstrate your ability, overconfidence is as bad, if not worse, as being too reserved.

8. Take care to answer the questions

When interviewers ask for an example of a time when you did something, they are asking behavioral interview questions, which are designed to elicit a sample of your past behavior. If you fail to relate a specific example, you not only don't answer the question, but you also miss an opportunity to prove your ability and talk about your skills.

9. Ask questions

When asked if they have any questions, most candidates answer, "No." Wrong answer. Part of knowing how to interview is being ready to ask questions that demonstrate an interest in what goes on in the company. Asking questions also gives you the opportunity to find out if this is the right place for you. The best questions come from listening to what you're asked during the interview and asking for additional information.

10. Don't appear desperate

When you interview with the "please, please hire me" approach, you appear desperate and less confident. Reflect the three Cs during the interview: cool, calm and confidence. You know you can do the job; make sure the interviewer believes you can, too.

Below is a resume critique checklist designed to help you develop a new resume or ensure that your existing resume is designed correctly - and effectively engaging the reader.

First Impression

• Does your resume look like it was developed using a run-of-the-mill resume template? Or is it unique and original?
• Does your resume have a professional format and design or does it look like you simply typed out information on a piece of paper?
• Does your resume have clearly delineated sections and white space? Is your resume easy to read?
• Does your resume accurately reflect your career experience? Is it too long? Is it too short?
• Does your resume include a summary of qualifications so that the reader can quickly ascertain your value as a candidate?

Appearance

• Does your resume design include bolding, bullets and lines to help delineate information and guide the reader's eyes to the most important content?
• Is there a good balance between text and white space? Does your resume appear crowded?
• Are the left and right margins even?
• Does your resume use an appropriate font and is the font size consistent throughout your resume?
• Is your resume longer than one page? If so, does the second page contain a heading and is the page break formatted correctly?
• Does your resume provide the reader an overall visually appealing presentation?

Resume Sections

• Are all resume sections clearly delineated and labeled?
• Is your resume formatted to provide the reader the most important sections of information first?
• If your resume is a chronological resume is your work history listed in reverse chronological order (most recent job first)?
• If your resume is a functional resume is your most important work experience and skills listed first?

Career Goal

• Have you clearly stated and articulated a career goal or objective?
• Is your career objective near the top of your resume? Is it presented in such a way that it stands out?
• Is your resumed targeted to a specific career goal? (Resumes should not be one-size-fits-all)
• If this is a career change resume, is the career objective clearly stated and does the resume show how past experience qualifies you for your new career goal?

Accomplishments

• Does your resume include meaningful career accomplishments?
• Are the accomplishments specific? Are the accomplishments substantiated by numbers, details and concrete information?
• Are the accomplishments clearly separated from responsibilities?
• Do accomplishment states begin with strong action verbs?

Relevance

Does your resume have a specific career objective? Is the career objective directly relevant to the hiring managers' needs?

Does your entire resume support and substantiate your career goal?

Does your resume employ action verbs, industry acronyms, and buzzwords? Is the resume keyword rich?

Does your resume include awards, affiliations, and information that support your career objective, while omitting irrelevant personal information?

Writing Style

• Is your resume written in first-person voice with personal pronouns, such as me, I and my, avoided?
• Is the flow of information logical and easy to understand?
• Is the resume completely free from typos, grammar and syntax errors?

Your resume is a marketing tool. It needs to demonstrate:

• That you are employable
• How you meet the job and the organisation's requirements
• That you have the right qualifications and education
• That you have the right experience and skills
• That you have the right level of professionalism for the job

How Long Should My Resume Be?

There is no set length for a resume. A resume varies in length depending on your experience and education. If you haven't worked much before, one or two pages is best, but three pages is okay if you've got a lot of study and work behind you.

Make sure you don't pad out your resume. If your resume is only one page, as long as it's well-presented it might get better results than a two-page resume full of unnecessary information.

How Should I Order My Resume?

Generally it's always good to present the information on your resume in this order:

1. Contact details
2. Opening statement
3. List of key skills
4. List of technical/software skills
5. Personal attributes/career overview
6. Educational qualifications
7. Employment history/volunteering/work placements
8. References/referees

Not everything in this list must appear on your resume every time, and the order can change from application to application.

The most important thing is to get the most useful information across first. For example, if your education history is not specifically related to the job, put it toward the end of your resume, behind the information that is related to the job.

Do I Need to Change My Resume for Each Application?

You need to tailor your resume to every job application so that it responds to the specific requirements of the job you're applying for.

You might not need to change much, but you do need to make sure your opening statement, your key skills and your personal attributes all respond to the needs of the role, based on the job ad (if there was one) and the research you've done into the job.

You should also tailor your resume to show how your work experience specifically meets the needs of the job you're applying for.

How to Tailor Your Resume

Ways that you can tailor your resume include:

• Using your opening statement to link your experience and education to the organisation and the requirements of the job
• Listing your most relevant key skills first
• Including examples of achievements that meet the advertised requirements of the job
• Including specifically relevant key words and phrases throughout your resume

Contact Details

Make sure you include your name, email address and a contact phone number on your resume. You don't have to include your home address, although there might be some situations when doing so would be a good idea.

Don't include your contact details in the header of your resume. Recruitment software sometimes has difficulty reading information in headers or footers, so it's a good idea to avoid headers altogether.

You can put your contact details in the footer of your resume, but if you do, you must make sure they're also in the main body of the document.

Opening Statement

An opening statement is a summary of who you are, where you've studied and/or worked, and what you bring to the job. It should be about six lines long and written in first person without the personal reference (i.e., don't say "I did this" - say "Did this" instead).

Your opening statement should start with one sentence about who you are and what you bring to the job, then describe the skills and attributes you have that suit you to the job.

Key Skills & Strengths

Your resume should include a list of between 10 and 15 skills that link your experience to the job you're applying for.

If the job you're applying for was advertised, either the ad or the position description may provide a list of skills and experiences that are essential for doing the job. It may also provide a list of "desirable" skills and experience. Your list of key skills & strengths needs to respond to all of the items on the "essential" list and as many items as possible on the "desirable" list.

When putting together this list, think of things you've done or learned to do as part of:

• Jobs you've had
• Your studies
• Any work placements you've done
• Any volunteering you've done

Technical/Software Skills

This is a short list of the names of software or technology you know how to use. Examples might include:

• Word processing or spreadsheet software
• Programming languages
• Tools (e.g., cash registers, EFTPOS)

Personal Attributes

If you haven't got much work experience, a list of personal attributes can be another way to demonstrate that you're the right person for the job.

Things you could include in this section might include ways you can demonstrate that you are reliable, honest, trustworthy or quick to learn new things.

You can include between three to five personal attributes, but make sure you don't include them instead of your key skills.

Educational History

Your Educational History only needs to show your highest level of education. You don't need to include your results, unless showing them proves how well you're suited to the job.

If you can, you should also include a few bullet points listing your academic achievements (e.g., school or class captaincies, awards you've won, or groups you've been part of).

Employment History

When providing your employment history, start with your most recent job and go backwards from there. Give the position title and the dates you worked there.

If you haven't had a job before, you can use other things to demonstrate your experience, including:

• Work experience you've done through school.
• Work placements or internships that you've done through tertiary or vocational institutions.
• Volunteer work you've done.

For each job provide a list of the things that you achieved while in that job, and the significant contributions you made to the organisation. Make sure that these achievements and contributions match the key skills and strengths listed earlier on your resume.

References/Referees

Your resume should list two people who can positively recommend you as an employee. Ideally your references will be people that you have worked with before. Provide their name, their position title, and a way that they can be contacted.

Testimonials

A testimonial is another good way to prove that your skill and experience is what the employer is looking for.

Getting a testimonial can be as easy as asking a colleague, teacher or previous employer to write a couple of sentences about you. Ideally the people you get testimonials from should also be included in your references.

You can include any testimonials you get as part of your educational history or your employment/volunteering/work placement history.

Usually it's enough to include one or two testimonials in your resume. Any more than two is probably too many.

Keywords

A lot of recruitment agencies use software that scans applications for key words and phrases. Applications that don't use the right keywords tend to be automatically rejected.

Key words and phrases that this software looks for can include the names of:

• Skills
• Jobs
• Activities
• Qualifications
• Software
• Tools

To make sure your resume has the right key words and phrases, check out the job ad and make a list of the words and phrases it uses. If you don't have a written job ad to refer to, you can use a job search engine to find other ads for similar jobs and see what kind of keywords those ads use.

Once you have a list to work from, start adding those words and phrases to your resume. Good places to add keywords include:

• Your opening statement
• Your list of key skills
• Your educational history
• Your employment history

What NOT to Put On Your Resume

Here are a few things not to include on your resume. Note that there may be circumstances when including some of the following information shows that you're a good fit for the job. If that's the case, including that information would be a good idea.

Personal Information

You don't have to provide any personal information on your resume. There's no benefit to be gained from providing information that could be used to generalise about you as a potential employee.

Your resume doesn't have to include:

• Your birth date
• Your gender
• Your address
• Any ailments or disabilities
• Your health status

A possible exception to this might be when providing this information would give your application an advantage (e.g., if the employer is looking for someone young, or a female applicant). In these situations, consider including such information if you think it would strengthen your application.

Typos or Factual Errors

Submitting a resume or cover letter with spelling mistakes will guarantee you don't get an interview. You should spell-check your resume before you send it, but you should also get someone else to read it as well and check for mistakes you might have missed.

Double-check everything that you include in your resume. If you mention the company's name, make sure you get it right. If you mention the name of places you've worked before, make sure you get that right. Mistakes on resumes are worse than typos.

Images and Graphics

Don't include images or photos on your resume. Not only are images disliked by recruiters and HR professionals, they can also create problems with recruitment software.

Content in Headers

Many resumes only feature the applicant's name and contact details in the header of the document. Some recruitment software is unable to read information in headers and footers. If you do include information in the header and footer of your resume, make sure you include it in the body of the document too.

Fancy Formatting

Stick to easy-to-read fonts and formats. This makes it easier for recruiters to review your resume. It also means any recruitment software that reviews your resume can easily read the information. Good fonts to use include:

• Verdana
• Arial
• Century gothic
• Calibri

Don't use large headers to break up the sections of your resume. Use a 10- or 11-point font for your main content and a 12- or 14-point maximum for headers.

Information in Tables

Some resume templates present information in tables to help with layout, but some recruitment software is unable to read tables. Your resume should only be formatted using line breaks and simple formatting (like setting multiple columns across the page).

PDF Versions of Your Resume

Some recruitment software can't read pdfs. Unless a job ad specifically says to provide your resume as a .pdf, you should always only submit your resume in word format (.doc or .docx).

Reviewing Your Resume

Having someone else review your resume is extremely important. Make sure you use someone who will actually tell you if they think something isn't right. People you could ask include:

• Co-workers
• Former employers
• Teachers
• Career guidance counselors
• Your parents or guardians