Week 2) Resumes, Interviews & Networking

Question 1

Give four examples of employability skills

Answer 1

• Communication
• Teamwork
• Problem Solving
• Initiative and Enterprise
• Planning and Organising
• Self-Management
• Learning
• Technology

Question 2

Give four examples of employable personal attributes

Answer 2

• Loyalty
• Commitment
• Honesty and Integrity
• Enthusiasm
• Reliability
• Personal Presentation
• Commonsense
• Positive self-esteem
• Sense of humour
• Balanced attitude to work and
home life
• Ability to deal with pressure 
• Motivation
• Adaptability

Question 3

Why is self-marketing important?

Answer 3

• Competitive job market – differentiate yourself from other candidates
• Employers respond to positive, motivated people who show initiative in promoting themselves
• The way you conduct your networking can give the employer an indication of attitude and aptitude for the job
• Self marketing at the application stage is good preparation for your job interview, where you need to continue to promote your suitability for the position
• You may get to hear about roles that are never advertised

Question 4

What are the three big questions employers seeking staff ask?

Answer 4

Can you do the job? (Aptitude)
= technical/academic skills

Will you do the job? (Attitude)
+ personal/professional skills and attributes, positive work ethic

Will you fit in? (Culture)
+ cultural fit, team approach

Question 5

What is the traditional job search process?

Answer 5

Hand in application–> interview–> job

Question 6

What is the Purpose of a Resume? (2 main things)

Answer 6

• To get you an interview
• Let the employer know what you have to offer/ Let the employer know you have the necessary:
o Skills
o Knowledge
o Personal Qualities 
o Qualifications


Question 7

Important things a resumé should have:

11 things

Answer 7

• be tailored to the job
• have an “achievement orientation” ie emphasis less on duties than on achievements eg standards and results
• Focus on “achievements” NOT just “history”
• Evidence of how your experience has shaped your skills
• be without error – check spelling, grammar and punctuation
• have clear headings, well spaced and consistent formatting
• be concise but contain quality information
• be no more than two or three pages
• not be an essay – use bullet points
• have most important items close to the beginning
• use positive language and, of course, be truthful!

Question 8

Where should professional relevant awards go in a resume?

Answer 8

Under employment history

e. g. with the company you worked at and the dates
e. g. with the volunteering job you had etc.

Question 9

Where should irrelevant sport or community service awards go?

Answer 9

In the awards section.

Question 10

What does professional membership mean in the resume?

Answer 10

Membership in any legit organisation thats relevant e.g. APS

Question 11

When do I use the title “career objective” vs “career profile”?

Answer 11

Career Profile for experienced applicants only

Question 12

For key personal attributes and skills, I should use full sentences to describe them. T or F?

Answer 12

False. use key words

Question 13

Cover letter tips?

1) something to do prior to writing?
2) to do while writing

Answer 13

• Research potential employer – understand your target market
• Understand and respond to the employer’s selection criteria
– tailor your application to the job and be specific
• Focus on examples, results, achievements – be specific
• Place the emphasis on contribution – a “win/win” - rather than
on what you want eg:

NOT: “I am applying for this job as it would help me gain experience in the welfare sector, further my skills and enable me to gain promotion.”

YES: “I am applying for this job in order to combine two years’ part-time experience as a volunteer in the welfare sector with strong organisational and communication skills”.


Question 14

Tips for interview?

Answer 14

• Be prepared – practice! Book a mock interview
• Understand the question – ask for clarification if needed
• Be truthful and positive – don’t criticise past or
current employers, colleagues etc
• Be genuine – be yourself on a good day
• Provide evidence – examples, results, achievements
• Show self-confidence – believe in what you have to offer
• Give structured answers- STAR (more on next slide)
• Know what’s in your resume and cover letter,
the selection criteria and your research material on the organisation

Question 15

Explain what “STAR” answers in interviews refer to?

How much weighting in percentages is each section worth?

Answer 15

SITUATION AND TASK:
• Tell the story
• Set context
20%

ACTION:
• Demonstrate the competency
• What YOU did/your role
60%

RESULT: 
• The outcome 
• What you
learnt
20%

Question 16

Give an example of a STAR response to the interview question: Tell me about a time when you demonstrated effective written communication skills.

Answer 16

Situation: When I was a volunteer support worker at “Making Children’s Lives Better”

Task: my manager approached me to write a report on the previous month’s fundraising activities for distribution to senior management of the organisation.

Action: I communicated with key stakeholders in order to gauge their views on the success of the fundraising and to note their key recommendations for future activities.
After collating this information, I drafted the report using both quantitative and qualitative research techniques learned during my Psychology studies at Macquarie University.
I summarised the findings into a user-friendly format, then submitted a draft to my
manager for her approval.

Result: My manager very impressed with the quality of the report and made only minor changes before it was distributed. In addition, two managers sent emails to congratulate me on the quality of my report.

Question 17

What is something you could ask if they ask “do you have any questions for us?”

Answer 17

• What are some of the objectives you would like to see accomplished in this job?
• What are some of the more difficult problems one would have to face in this position?
• What significant changes do you foresee in the near future?
• How do you measure success within your organisation?

Question 18

How can the Career & Employment Service in mq help?

Answer 18

• CareerHub (jobs, tip sheets, events, workshops etc.)
• Consultations 1:1
• Resume reviews
• Career Fairs
• Workshops

Question 19

What is career hub mq and what does it offer?

Answer 19

Jobs, tip sheets, events, workshops, etc

Question 20

How might you prepare for placement? (2 overarching things)

Answer 20

1) Familiarise yourself with the workplace
• Where is it, how to best get there, who are the people sitting nearby
• Look at an organisational chart

2) Clarify your role and expectations
• What down the details about the tasks/project, clarify the deliverables
• Who might you work with to get things done
• Write down the peoples names and their job titles
• Ask questions to check that you are gathering the right sort of information
• Keep notes on important information eg your phone extension, IT help desk

Question 21

What are some good work habits to live by during placement with regards to:

Wardrobe and grooming
Attendance and timing
Breaks
Personal calls
Social Networking
Company property
Work presentation

Answer 21

Wardrobe and Grooming
check the dress code upfront

Attendance and timing
contact your boss/ supervisor on arrival each day just to check in always arrive a little early

Breaks
most companies allow up to 1 hour break for lunch
there may be no formal morning/ afternoon tea breaks keep these to a minimum always tell people where you are going if you leave your desk

Personal calls
avoid personal calls (maximum 1 brief one per day)

Social Networking
never go on Facebook at work, no texting

Company property
do not use company property for personal reasons look after anything that has been entrusted to you lock things safely, store carefully

Work presentation
show you are a professional in your demeanour and behaviour. Bring a notebook with you, keep desk tidy, write neat notes, organise your papers in a logical manner, accepting assistance graciously


Question 22

Fun fact: dos and donts.

Answer 22

Do
• Say hello & goodbye to people nearby
• Smile and have good eye contact
• Keep your work space tidy
• Use quiet rooms for personal or confidential client telephone calls
• Put your phone on silent

Avoid
• Talking loudly with your colleagues across the office
• Talking loudly on the telephone
• Mobile phones - Make sure your phone is on silent
• Minimal use of personal mobile phone, telephone, e-mail and twitter at work.
• Eating strong smelling foods – they will make everyone else hungry!

Question 23

What might you gain from placement?

Answer 23

• Confidence
• Practical experience
• Australian workplace knowledge and cultures
• Mock job application experience
• Networking opportunities
• A referee
• A job offer

Also you might build on skills employers are looking for...
• Oral Communication
• Teamwork
• Interpersonal Skills
• Problem Solving Skills
• Written Communication
• Analytical Skills
• Planning & Organising
• Time Management
• Customer Service (Client Focused)
• Self Management

Question 24

….% of uni students get their career jobs via their networks

Answer 24

90%

Question 25

What are the challenges you think you may face in your placement?

Answer 25

• Networking/Interacting with others
• Negotiating with your supervisor
• Cultural shock
• Communication
• Picking up speed
• Not enough to do

Question 26

What were some of the tips from host employers and students?

Answer 26

• Treat it as a paid job (professionalism)
• Show reliability
• Show flexibility
• Show initiative
• Show openness and honesty
• Show a positive attitude
• Show curiosity
• Show helpfulness
• Follow instructions and use common sense
• Ask questions when unsure
• Keep yourself busy
• Build a good relationship with your supervisor and colleagues
• Work with your placement coordinators

Question 27

What does Screening interviews refer to?

Answer 27

the purpose of these interviews is to select a small number of candidates for a second interview.

Question 28

Behaviour-based interviews are?

Answer 28

These interviews assume that by describing your past behaviour, predictions can be made on how you will behave in the future.
Eg ‘Tell me about a time when…’

Question 29

Stress interviews?

Answer 29

These are designed to place you under stress and to see how you react.

Question 30

Sequential interviews?

Answer 30

There are conducted consecutively by different individuals in the organisation. Interviewers compare notes and impressions after the interview.

Question 31

How do you answer a “What are your weaknesses?” question?

Answer 31

Talk about an area you are developing that is unrelated to the position, or a gap in knowledge/skills that you are in the process of overcoming. You need to demonstrate that you have a strategy to overcome any weaknesses.

Question 32

How do you answer question “What are your salary expectations?”

Answer 32

Find a benchmark – talk to people, go to the Careers home page www.careers.mq.edu.au and look at the Graduate Destination Survey. You also need to
know about ‘salary packages’, which include superannuation, holiday leave loading and overtime.