It's never too early to start thinking about your career. Regardless of where you are in your degree, these steps will set you up for wherever you鈥檙e headed.听
Think of your resume as your first impression with a potential employer. It should clearly convey your skills, experience and any other relevant information that makes it clear that you would be a good fit for the job. Remember your employer may be looking at hundreds of resumes at a time, so try and make yours stand out.
鈥淵our resume should just be an overview of your education, your capabilities and skills, any recognitions you鈥檝e received and a brief overview of your employment history so an employer can say 鈥榶es I鈥檝e got a good picture of this person and now I want to find out more.鈥欌 鈥 Erin Burke, People Development Program Manager at Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities
Want more tips on how to write a competitive聽resume? .
Cover letters are your way to tell an employer exactly why you鈥檙e suitable聽for the job, so it鈥檚 important that they are tailored to each position you apply for. From reading your cover letter it should be clear not only why they should pick you, but also why you鈥檝e picked them 鈥 tell them why you鈥檙e interested in the role.听
鈥淵our cover letter needs to be succinct, say exactly why you want to work for that company, a brief summary of who you are and where you want to be and what kind of roles you鈥檙e looking for. It doesn鈥檛 need to be anything too complicated or an exact break down of everything you鈥檝e ever done.鈥 - Hannah Dewar, Recruitment Lead Australia at FDM Group
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An interview is your opportunity to show off your personality 鈥 if you鈥檙e genuine, honest and confident, you鈥檙e sure to leave a lasting impression. While it鈥檚 not always easy to stay on top of the nerves, if you do your research and get prepared you鈥檒l have nothing to be worried about.
鈥淪how some personality, try not to be too stiff and rehearsed, if you鈥檙e coming from a place of genuine interest and involvement then that will show. It鈥檚 definitely important to do some back ground research into the company, there are often some technical or contextual questions asked.鈥- Josh Mar, People & Culture Team Assistant at Evans Dixon
Not sure what kind of questions you'll be asked? .
If you鈥檙e looking to beef up your resume then look no further than extracurricular activities. That鈥檚 right, you can impress potential employers just by getting involved in clubs and societies. It shows that you鈥檙e motivated and willing to put in extra effort, even if the clubs don鈥檛 directly relate to the role, but of course bonus points if they do.听
鈥淒emonstrate that you鈥檝e got some of the qualities we鈥檙e looking for, and you can do that by telling us about times you鈥檝e done some mentoring, coaching or been part of social clubs and activities. It shows motivation, and commitment and reliability.鈥 - Lieutenant Paul Coughlan, Aerospace Engineering Officer at Royal Australian Navy MIEAust CPENG NER and part of the Specialist Recruitment Team
Check out the that are available to get involved with.听
Put all that theory into practice by getting out of the library and into an internship. Not only do internships look amazing on your resume, they're set up to give you lots of support without the scary expectation of already being an expert.
鈥淚nternship give you invaluable experience and a taste for what kind of career you鈥檇 have in a certain work place. They give you exposure to senior leaders and a network of communities and people that are really passionate about the early career space and watching people evolve in their careers.鈥- Angela Leslie - Senior Early Career Specialist at Telstra
to search for internships and part time work opportunities.