La Trobe University

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Preparing resumes and job applications

• Careers and Employment
• www.latrobe.edu.au/careers
• Level 1 Peribolos East
• Mon- Fri 9am -5pm

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• Purpose of the resume/employer

• Selects a future employee by assessing
• Can you do the job?
• (Your skills, qualifications and experience)
• Will you do the job?
• (Your motivation, attitudes and career)
• Will you fit into the team?
• (Your cultural match)

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• Telstra crucial qualities
• An ability to work with people
• A commitment to customer service
• Effective self management
• Well developed communication and interpersonal
  ability
• An orientation towards achieving results
• Capacity to manage information and make decisions
• Commercially relevant technical expertise

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• Resume
• Professional presentation
• About 2-3 pages
• Basic information to include
• Personal details
• Education
• Relevant Skills and Achievements
• Employment history
• Additional Training/Professional Development
• Extracurricular activities/Interests
• Referee contact details

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• Personal Details (name, contact details)
• Education (most recent first, dates,
  institutions, majors, thesis topic, academic
  achievements, technical skills acquired)
• Employment (most recent and relevant first,
  dates, employer name, position, responsibilities.
  Remember to include volunteer, community,
  vacation work and course related work experience)

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• Employers are looking for
• Evidence of your academic and non-academic
  achievement
• Work experience
• Part-time, vacation, or voluntary work
• Extra-curricular activities
• Clues to achievement, motivation,
• Leadership qualities
• Teamwork skills
• Attitude
• Potential clients you can bring

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• Skills employers are seeking
• Communicating ideas and information
• Planning and organising activities
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Working with others in teams and independently
• Solving problems/thinking laterally
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Using technology/mathematical ideas techniques
• Collecting, analyzing organizing information
• Source Employer Satisfaction with Graduate
  Skills www.dest.gov.au/highered/repts.htm

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• Good marks are useful but there is more to being
  an employee
• Student Society involvement
• Community involvement
• Sports
• Part-time work
• Language skills
• Travel
• Other interests
• Computer skills

• Commitment
• Teamwork
• Ability to plan and organise time
• Can be useful
• Indicate a well-rounded
  individual
• Language of business

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• Relevant Skills and Achievements ( what are the
  skills required of the position and how can you
  demonstrate that you have them?)
• Use short statements using action words to
  demonstrate these skills. Use specific examples
• Decide where to include these in your resume

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• negotiated
• designed
• prepared
• established
• developed
• compiled
• coached
• organised
• supervised

• Action verbs achieved
• administered
• created
• delivered
• initiated
• managed
• analysed
• demonstrated
• implemented

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• EMPLOYMENT
• Insert date (from-to)
• Position held
• EMPLOYER 1
• Describe experiences/skills (use action words
  eg)
• Prepared
• Participated in..
• Designed..
• Responsible for..
• You may want to expand in one paragraph on any
  key skills/achievements acquired or
  responsibility held.

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• Additional Training/Professional Development
  (include examples of any additional relevant
  courses undertaken)
• Extracurricular activities/Interests (allows
  employers to get a broader picture of you)
• Referees (select appropriate referees, specify
  their position and contact details ask
  permission)

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• Other suggested headings
• Career objective
• Career Summary
• Key skills (relevant to the position you are
  applying for)
• Technical skills
• Computer skills
• Professional Skills Summary
• Course-related work experience

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• Extracurricular activities
• 200..-current
• Committee member,..
• Publicised functions and publications
• Assisted with the production of the newsletter
• Competed in..
• 200
• Captain .team
• -Responsible for selection and motivation of
  players
• -Organized training sessions
• -Liaised with other clubs to fix venues and
  match times

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• Professional memberships
• Student member of The Institution of Engineers
  Australia (demonstrates your professional
  orientation and commitment to ongoing learning)
• Give the dates of your membership

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• Cover letters - One A4 page
• Use name of employer (or Dear Sir/Madam)
• Nominate the position for which you are applying
• Mention your interest in the firm
• Highlight the extent to which you match the
  requirements of the advertisement
• Outline any further points in your
  favour
• Thanks and method of contact

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• Tips for a good resume
• Marketing document visual impact
• Format information must be clear and easy to
  read
• Present information in sufficient detail to show
  what you have to offer
• Target your resumes and covering letters
• Research and ensure you are suitable for the
  position
• Avoid unsupported claims (back up claims with
  specific examples)
• Bullet pointing is a good idea
• Data is best placed on right hand side
• Good cover letter

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• Addressing key selection criteria
• Create a new document
• Break the criterion into key points
• Can use a (STAR) approach for each response
• Situation Provide a brief outline of the
  situation or setting
• Task Outline what you did
• Action Outline how you did it
• Result Describe the outcomes
• Use dot points for clarity (generally)
• Not strong on a criterion - refer to skills
  required and indicate your
  willingness to
  learn nb Essential Careers Guide

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• Reference sources
• Essential Careers Guide La Trobe University
  Course Careers Service, 2007
• Villiers, Ann D., How to Write and Talk to
  Selection Criteria.4th edn., Mental Nutrition,
  Canberra, 2005.
• Faust Bill and Faust, Michael, Pitch Yourself.
  2nd edn Pearson Education Ltd, Harlow, 2006
• Websites
• www.latrobe.edu.au/careers
• www.graduatecareers.com.au
• www.seek.com.au

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• Purpose identify your reader
• Avoid temptation to give every detail
• Avoid redundancy and repetition
• Use parallel terms
• Keep sentences short
• One main point per sentence
• Keep the subject and verb at the beginning of
  sentences close together

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• Careers and Employment
• Ground floor, Peribolos East, Mon-Frid 9-5pm
• Make appointments for
• Career counselling
• Resume checks
• Graduate Opportunities Published by the Graduate
  Careers Australia plus other publications from
  Hobsons press etc
• Purchase Essential Careers Guide 5 per copy
• View CDs/Videos re Interview Skills, Assessment
  centres etc
• Register online at the careers website
  www.latrobe.edu.au/careers for JOBS -
• Graduate,full time, part time and casual
  employment
• EVENTS-Job-hunting seminars (resumes, graduate
  recruitment, interviews and more)
• Access to Going Global website
• FAQS
• NEWS