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Office of Alumni, Careers and Employment

 

 

Job Seeking Skills

Vacation Employment and Work Experience

You will need to be well organised to be successful. Identify what your skills and abilities are, who you desire to be employed or placed with and research the market well. Securing vacation employment and work experience requires a similar approach to the graduate jobsearch, so quality effort needs to be applied.

Step 1 - Skills Matching

What is it about you that makes you employable - in a competitive labour market, what is it about you that makes you special amongst the other people studying the same field who are also looking for vacation/work experience? Conduct a self-assessment about what you have done so far, what you are good at, what are your personal values - being helpful, enterprising, environmental considerations. What sort of person are you - creative, pedantic, outgoing, analytical? Examine the vacation employment forms, go to employer recruitment talks and look at what skills and attributes the employer is looking for. Write down examples from your own experience of where you have demonstrated those skills in the past. Many of them will be transferable skills.

Step 2 - Research

Set up a job information database - research organisations and industries so that you can sell yourself more effectively. To do this, access the following resources:

  • Bridging The Gap - South (Telephone: (08) 9339 8377) provide insurance cover ($25) and encourage you to find your own placement but they may be able to locate placements.
  • Careers Reference Centre (Telephone: (08) 9463 1305).
  • Murdoch University Careers Centre Vacancy Service.
  • Yellow Pages
  • Print media - industrial publications, classifieds, news articles and business reports.
  • Directories (Small Business Association, Australian Stock Exchange etc).
  • Who's Who publications.
  • Graduate Careers Council of Australia publications such as Graduate Opportunities (available at the Careers Centre for $6.00) and the Gradlink Internet database.
  • Networking.
  • Informational Interviewing.
  • Internet.

Step 3 - Applications

Ring the company and find out the name of the person you need to contact.

Your application letters should be concise and relevant, clearly stating your objectives and what you can offer the organisations. This can be done effectively after completing the above 2 steps.

Advise that you will have insurance cover for your placement. This can be arranged via the Student Guild or Bridging The Gap.

Application forms can be supported by a brief resumé if you wish to provide additional information. It is advisable for you to submit a cover letter with your application form. It can help your application look more professional and shows that you don't mind applying the effort. Your resumé should indicate your skills, achievements and additional information which makes you interesting. Above all, it should reflect your competence.

If no reply in one week, phone and ask to speak to the person to whom you have written. Ask verbally.

When you have dates to start and finish your work experience, contact Bridging The Gap - South for an appointment and visit them to arrange insurance.
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