a guide to career planning - western sydney university · a guide to career planning has been...

A Guide to Career

Planning

This article has been developed by the Careers and Employment team of the University of Western Sydney. Last reviewed 14 March 2005. This article and other articles in the series may be accessed from CareerHub by registered students and staff of UWS.

www.uws.edu.au/careers

© 2005. A Guide to Career Planning has been written by Barbara Mackie, Careers Consultant at the University of Western Sydney. Please contact the Careers and Employment service at UWS on (02) 4620 3191 if you wish to use or copy any portion of this document. Permission to use this material may be granted provided the original authors are acknowledged in any subsequent publication or handouts. Barbara wishes to acknowledge the Careers and Employment team for their contributions and assistance in collecting ideas, editing and updating the Guide. The Careers and Employment team at UWS include Jan Thomas, Jackie Simpson, Liz Ross, Gillian Tan and Leigh Mabin.

Contents An Introduction to Career Planning Career Myths ……………………………………………………………… 4-5 A Career Planning Model ………………………………………………… 6-7 The Career Planning Process …………………………………………… 8-9 The Mysteries of Career Planning ………………………………………. 10 The Career Planning Elements in Action Igniting Your Passion …………………………………………………….. 11 Knowing Your Interests …………………………………………………... 12-13 Identifying Your Values …………………………………………………... 14-15 Articulating Your Skills ……………………………………………………. 16 Skills Through Stories ……………………………………………… 17 Using a Skills Audit ………………………………………………… 18-19 Skills Audit ………………………………………………………….. 20-31 Understanding Your Personal Style ……………………………………. 32 Developing Your Networks ………………………………………………. 33-34 Maximising Your Education ……………………………………………… 35-36 Describing Your Experience ……………………………………………... 37 Gaining Industry Knowledge …………………………………………….. 38 Listing Career Opportunities …………………………………………….. 39 Developing Your Action Plan A Career Planning Inventory …………………………………………….. 40-41 Ideas For Getting Started ………………………………………………… 42 Sample Action Plan ………………………………………………………. 43 Your Action Plan ………………………………………………………….. 44

Career Myths We’ve all heard the myths; sometimes we are even caught saying them. Here are the common graduate career myths and how to debunk them. All the good jobs are with the big international firms This is clearly not the case. A majority of graduates are employed by small to medium enterprises, some become self employed and others enjoy the freedom associated with contract work. Whatever decision I make will sentence me to life Career exploration and planning are lifelong activities. Just as you will continue to learn and upgrade your skills throughout your life, you will develop and manage your career along the way. Recent research suggests people have up to 5 significant career changes in their working life. Regard each position as a stepping stone on a fabulous journey to an unknown destination. My first graduate role will be my dream job Perhaps you’re thinking that you’ll also be earning $150,000 pa and the organisation will give you a swish car, a state-of-the-art mobile phone, a laptop and international travel to lure you away from the rival companies which are also desperate to employ you. Perhaps you don’t believe this, but your family have unrealistically high expectations of you. Either way, do a reality check. Investigate the current recruitment situation for your field such as the conditions, salaries, expectations and likely career progression. You may need to start at the assistant or entry level and work your way up to your dream role, perhaps even gaining a few year’s experience first in a related field. Never let this stop you dreaming, planning or applying for those golden jobs, as you never know when the big break will occur. I’ve wasted my time at uni doing the wrong degree No learning is wasted learning. Switching mid-course may add another year or two to your formal education. You invest considerable cost and energy in changing course: make the most of it. You may be surprised how often some of your initial study comes in handy. If you completed the first course and are now doing another, you will find the duality of your skills give you a unique edge and this will open up opportunities not available to your peers. Sometimes the best career decisions you will make will be to not complete something. A job for life The good old days of a secure job are becoming a distant memory. There has been a dramatic shift to part-time, contract and casual work. Many people have responded to this shift by developing ‘portfolio’ careers – a marketable blend of experience and skills that enable the professional to take consultancy, transitory and contract work. This is the modern career – more movement, greater flexibility and intensive periods of work activity. Many people enjoy the positive aspects of this type of work and are very successful in managing their job changes and income to suit. The best way to get work is to send out hundreds of resumés This is not the most effective method for getting work. Sending off 100 unsolicited resumés may yield one or two responses if you’re lucky. You are likely to get a more promising response if you send out 10 or 20 resumés to carefully selected organisations. Always call the organisation first and speak with someone who performs or supervises the sort of work you want to do. Make sure you put the effort in and tailor each resumé and covering letter to the organisation and their requirements. Keep track of all the resumés you submit so you can follow up the progress of the application.

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Career Myths (cont.) The labour market has flattened out – what’s the point in looking for jobs in my field? It’s true that the market in some areas makes it difficult to get graduate work easily. If you talk yourself out of getting work, then you are creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. Become more inventive about your job-finding skills. Use both the traditional (newspapers, recruitment agencies, on-line job boards) and non-traditional methods (networking, professional associations, information gathering, direct approach) to give yourself a greater chance. Review your resumé, application and interview technique to eliminate the possibility that this is the reason you are missing out. Get advice, keep actively looking and stay positive – your motivation and attitude play a large role in your presentation and appeal to employers. Loyalty pays off Loyalty certainly featured more prominently in the careers of past generations. Unfortunately, economic rationalism has encouraged organisations to make some harsh and expedient decisions about staff. Many professionals have experienced a redundancy or retrenchment; it is no longer unusual to hear of such stories. This forced a cultural shift in attitude to a ‘dog eat dog’ mentality with an emphasis on competition. However, there is still a backbone of employers who value hard work, high levels of competence and a loyalty to the company. We can no longer expect loyalty to pay off across the board. I failed a couple of subjects – I’ll never get a graduate position You’d be surprised how many successful people in executive roles failed a couple of subjects at uni. Eventually, in the big scheme of things, this becomes a minor aspect of your education. What is more important is how well you bounced back – revised your study techniques and performed better the second time round. Turn your record into a good news story and focus on the positives. It is important to be realistic too. You may have significantly reduced your chances of being recruited to a graduate program of a national organisation. There are alternative pathways to graduate positions – you may need to start small and be prepared to work your way up. A careers test will sort our my career decisions Wouldn’t that be terrific! No responsibility, no hard decisions to make and no effort involved. Then how come it didn’t happen for us all at school? There are a range of career inventories, tests and instruments around – some ‘measure’ (‘indicate’ is a better word) skills, interests, aptitudes, values and personality styles. They can be very useful if you want to do some self-discovery and understand yourself better. The results of these indicators are best explained in a consultation with a trained career professional. The results can help you work out for yourself some career opportunities that would be appropriate to explore further; sometimes the results confirm that you’re on the right path (or not) and sometimes the results don’t tell you anything you didn’t already know about yourself. These days a degree is worthless Twenty five years ago, less than 3% of the Australian adult population had a degree. A degree would earn you some level of respect in society. Today, more that 25% of the Australian adult population has a degree. This has created a different attitude to the degree – it’s sometimes seen as a baseline qualification. There’s some expectation that throughout your career you will complement your undergraduate degree with professional accreditation, professional development, short courses, and possibly postgraduate study. Your degree is not worthless: people with no post-secondary qualifications have higher levels of unemployment that those with a degree and earn significantly less, on average, over the course of a lifetime.


The Career Planning Model Career Planning can be reduced to ten essential elements (or influences) which form part of a set of interrelated processes which, when put together as a whole, is a career planning model. The model we use in Careers and Employment at the University of Western Sydney appears below and provides the framework for careers education and service provision at the university.

Passion Career Interests Opportunities

Gathering information

This model had been adapted from ‘The Wheel’, a Career Planning model developed by Norman Amundson and Gray Poehnell in their book Career Pathways. (2004). 3rd edition. Ergon Communications: Canada. The career planning process in the middle has been adapted from Allen L. Hammer. (1993). Introduction to Type and Careers. Australian Council for Educational Research: Melbourne.

Networks

Personal Style

Values

Skills

Education

Experience

Industry Knowledge

Making Setting contacts goals

Making decision

Career Planning



The Career Planning Model (cont.) The ten elements of career planning cover: Passion Natural curiosity, intense emotion, enthusiasm that drives action, often

not a rationale choice

Interests Preferences, things you like and enjoy doing

Values Personal beliefs, principles by which you conduct your life

Skills Abilities (things you have learnt to do well) and aptitudes (things you think you could do or are willing to do with training and experience)

Personal Style How you typically go about doing things, thinking and feeling in different situations, how you interact with others

Networks Making connections and building channels of communication

Education Your educational qualifications, patterns of study, formal and informal learning and considerations for further education

Experience Paid and unpaid work, social and community groups, travel

Industry Knowledge Key employers, employment conditions, qualifications required, trends, research, professional development opportunities

Career Opportunities Knowing which occupations are available to you and being open to a range of options

There are many other possible influences on career planning which are not addressed specifically in this model. These include factors such as age, gender, self-concept, health, location, mobility, disability, ethnicity, race, culture, sexual orientation and socio-economics. The advantages of this career planning model are:

It is a simple and easy to follow guide It offers a practical and balanced perspective It allows for the influence of time and development (the elements may vary in

significance over time) It supports a variety of career strategies and techniques It is grounded in the best aspects of career theories available It encourages the view that career planning is an ongoing process and lifelong skill

In general, if you put sufficient energy into exploring each element of the model, the inner circle process of career information gathering, making contacts, decision-making and goal setting will become much easier to manage. You’re not expected to make all your decisions now – your career management is a lifelong process that will continue to unfold as you gather more experience and information. Some people feel more comfortable beginning with their goals and working outwards. If your goals are fairly clear, the process of working your way through the essential elements is still valuable. Look for opportunities you may not have considered, open up to new ideas and alternative pathways and develop a range of contacts and networks. Think of your long term options if you have your short term options already decided. In this guide each element of the model is described and offers ways to explore each one further. Your journey through the model can be done as a self-reflective activity, with the help of a careers practitioner or in a group setting with an experienced facilitator. Complete the Career Planning Inventory as a first step in understanding your journey.

Careers and Employment, University

The Career Planning Process Where I am Where I want to be There are 4 steps to unravelling yo

Gathering information Making contacts Making decisions Setting goals

This process is not linear, i.e. generatimes and begin over again as your gadditional knowledge. This is quite nand goal-setting with an open mind a Gathering Information

Develop a list of career options t Collect information on each of th Determine information such as c

professional associations, possibduties and responsibilities, curre

Arrange to visit and observe peoreally like, and see if you can ima

Making Contacts

First work through your known nfriends, colleagues

Then develop new contacts throunetworking functions, career expprofessional placements, vacatio

Don’t be shy about developing ythese skills are invaluable in makposition you hold throughout you

Use your resumé as a business can

Gathering information

Making contacts

Setting goals

Makingdecision

Career Planning

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ur career plans:

lly you will go through each step in the process several oals change or are redefined by experience and

ormal. It’s healthy to approach major decision-making nd to be flexible to new ideas.

hat appeal to you e career options ourses of study, accreditation requirements, relevant le career progression, likely salary and work conditions,

nt trends ple in similar roles, find out from them what the job is gine yourself doing this work

etworks for relevant contacts eg academics, family,

gh professional associations, industry journals, os and events, work experience programs, industrial and n work

our networking and cold-calling skills as you will find ing contacts, gaining work and in every professional r life card and leave it with as many relevant contacts as you


The Career Planning Process (cont.) Making Decisions

Assess your general decision-making style – how you normally approach major decisions and how you know when you have made the ‘right’ decision?

Explore how you could improve on making decisions eg how much research you do, how current is the information and advice, which sources are appropriate for which decisions, and the conditions under which the decision needs to be made

Learn how to weigh up your alternatives and clarify the criteria upon which you make your decisions

Making decisions about career choices can be particularly overwhelming but not a life sentence – learn how to stepping-stone your decisions to fit with current deadlines

Setting Goals

Develop life goals that include not only work, but also cover your plans for travel, family, friends, location, relaxation, health and fun

If you don’t feel comfortable setting specific career goals at present, begin working on goals that clarify the type of work you want to do and the type of work you don’t want to do

Think about how confident you are about your current career choices and your capacity to achieve those goals

Imagine yourself in these career roles and assess your levels of confidence in how good you will be at this work

Determine your current short-term and longer-term goals List the action steps to achieving your goals Prepare your goals and action plans at the start of career investigations Apply timelines for completing the action steps and make a date with yourself to review

your goals Review and update your plans on a regular basis and you will develop excellent career

management skills to see you through your life

The Mysteries of Career Planning

Career planning in its simplest form is about making occupation choices. In its more complex form it is about life planning.

I don’t know where to start This is a common response from most people when they face the mysteries of career planning. While effective career planning will take some effort and exploration, once you have some clear steps to work through, the whole process is reasonably clear. We hope that developing your career plans will be an enjoyable experience for you. Is it as simple as ticking the boxes? Wouldn’t it be terrific if you just had to ‘tick the boxes’ on an inventory and magically your future would be revealed? Naturally, it would be a satisfying and successful career! On the other hand, maybe you’ve already begun the process of career planning and didn’t realise it. The Career Planning Model and the Career Management Inventory in this guide outline ideas for you to consider for each of the elements of career planning. You may be pleasantly surprised at how much you have already done. The inventory will also highlight clear steps you can take to prepare yourself for planning and managing your career. I know my career destination If you have clear career goals, and you’re confident your study is leading you in the right direction to fulfil these goals, then consider yourself very fortunate. Many people do not have this level of clarity. Taking yourself through a career planning process can still be a valuable activity as it may highlight for you a number of career opportunities in your field you haven’t previously considered eg in accountancy there are some fascinating emerging careers such as forensic accounting or maybe you hadn’t considered auditing as an option. New career fields develop in response to the demand for new skills to meet changing business needs and the introduction of new technology. If your short-term goals are clear, you may also want to look at your longer term career goals, consider postgraduate study that will complement your undergraduate degree and explore the career pathways this might open up for you in the future. I have no idea what I want to do Don’t stress too much – you’re not alone! This lack of career direction is more common that most people realise. Perhaps you’ve chosen a degree that is very broad or you have specialised in a number of majors. Don’t undervalue your education, it will all lead somewhere. Sometimes, the career planning process will highlight for you a range of possibilities, but not clarify which particular path appeals to you most. Learn to be comfortable sitting in your indecision while you put some energy into assessing your skills, values, interests and personal style. At the same time you can make some serious contacts with a range of people who do the sort of work you find interesting – spend time with them, learn more about what they do, and try and imagine yourself doing similar work. Your career path may be a series of stepping stones until you stumble across the field you really love. Give yourself time and relish every experience and opportunity along the way. For you, career exploration is the key to unlocking the doors that will lead to valid choices. Don’t put pressure on yourself to make career decisions until you have more information.


Igniting Your Passion Passion is an unusual topic to write about in relation to careers. Yet, time after time, when people are interviewed about their careers, the word passion keeps popping up. Passion is an intense emotion, a deep feeling or enthusiasm. Some people refer to their passion as a natural curiosity. When people talk about their passion in life, they have not made a rational choice – it is part of who they are. We often associate passion with a particular talent, such as music, performance or art. However, people can also have passion for a cause (the environment, animal rights, refugees) or for a deeply held interest (fostering learning or personal growth in others, gardening, a business venture). There is no rhyme or reason to our passions. Passion may be innate or may relate to a childhood influence or trauma (but not always). Finding your passion (and don’t feel bad if you don’t find yours at this stage in your life) may provide you with career direction or it may be a hobby you enjoy in your spare time. However, passion is a critical first element in career planning as it is at the heart of your identity and your motivation. Passion is the element that keeps people going, makes us put in that extra effort, do additional work or reading or study in our own time. Passion explains the way some people will delight in work that can seem very mundane or obscure to other people. Ask three people who are established in their careers about their passion – what they enjoy about their work and what keeps them going. Ask them about the people they admire in their field and what or who influenced them to take up their occupation. Listen to their stories and see if you can elicit their passion. What is your passion?

………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………


Knowing Your Interests Interests are your preferences, the things you like or the things you think you would enjoy. Think of all the activities you enjoy and draw up a mind map. These items can be anything – including things you enjoy doing at work, organised sporting activities, a hobby, a social event, community activities or activities from your home life. Include anything you enjoy, even things like relaxing with a favourite book or taking a bath. The idea of the mind map is to free you up from structured thinking and to encourage you to jot down as many ideas as you can. Aim for 20 interests.

My interests


Knowing Your Interests (cont.) Now, do a bit of an analysis of your interests by listing your interests from your mind map in the left hand column and then complete the other columns. Which interests have you actively pursued in the last 6 months? Which ones are free or involve minimal cost? Is there a balance between solo activities and socialising with others? Which personal needs are your interests meeting for you? Are there any interests, hobbies or activities you would like to get involved with in the next 6 months? What patterns begin to emerge about your style, likely skills and preferred types of job activities? Which interests are most relevant for your resumé? Do any of your interests indicate an affinity for any particular occupations?

Interests

Last time

Cost

A = Alone O = with others

P = Physical M = Mental E = Emotional S = Spiritual

List the interests you intend to put into your resumé:

………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………

This activity has been adapted from the work of Norman Amundson from an Australian Association of Career Counsellors conference presentation, Melbourne 2002.


Identifying Your Values Values are your personal beliefs. Your beliefs determine what is important to you and are the principles by which you conduct your life. Values are often associated with beliefs about personal behaviour, beliefs about how people should interact with one another, economic beliefs, religious beliefs, and moral issues concerned with justice. How are values connected to career decisions? Whether you realise it or not, major decisions, including choosing careers, are usually based on your values. Therefore, it is important to identify your values when planning your career. For some people, their work values are clearly defined. Decisions about career pathways, employers to work for or the type of work undertaken may be based on these values. For example, some people choose not to work for banks, insurance companies or organisations that sell tobacco or alcohol because of their personal beliefs and preferences. Some people have firm opinions about ethics, politics, the environment or policies regarding equal opportunities for disadvantaged groups, and make career decisions according to their value system. For other people, their particular value system is not yet clear. They may be happy to consider working for any number of organisations. These people may be more concerned with immediate rewards such as their salary, work conditions and opportunities for promotion or travel than with aligning their personal values with those of a company. Generally, as people move through life and gain experience in a number of roles and organisations, their value system develops and becomes clearer to them. Their values may even change as a result of their experiences. Those happy souls who express satisfaction with their position and company would generally agree that there’s a match between their job and their personal values. Those who express a sense of discontent with their job are often able to identify a conflict between their values and those of the job, organisation or industry in which they work. A frequently expressed area of tension is between career progression and family responsibilities. Another common example is the tension between commercial and creative considerations. Determine the values of the organisation where you intend to work Some organisations will express their values explicitly; others will indicate their values through the goals and mission of the company. A browse through the company website and promotional literature will normally provide some hints. Remember that espoused values and real values are sometimes at odds – actions speak louder than words. Look at the track record of the organisation. Talk to people already working in the company or in the industry for more specific information. Determine Your Values Talking through your study and work experiences with someone else is one way to help you identify your work values. Think about three significant events that have occurred that had an impact on you:

………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………



Identifying Your Values (cont.) Talk about your experiences to someone else by explaining:

What happened? How did it have an impact on you? Why it was significant? How did it affect your behaviour or opinions? Does the event guide how you would make decisions in the future?

A story will emerge from the answers to these questions. Look beyond the detail of the event to explore the themes. Identify the underlying belief systems that contribute to the behaviour and the decisions arising from the event. Think about what is still important to you.

In my professional work, I value the opportunity for…

Not important

Important

Very important

A balance with work/family/health/interests A clean work environment A sense of achievement A sense of belonging A sense of fulfilment Adventure Autonomy in my decisions Being ambitious Choice in my location Clear roles and regulations Contributing to the organisation and others Creative expression Demonstrating my competence Displaying integrity and ethics Earning a lot of money Enjoying my work activities and colleagues Extending my knowledge Having power over others Having recognised authority with my peers Helping others Holding a position with status and prestige Independence in my work practices Influencing others Job security Many challenges Meeting my spiritual needs Precision in my work Public contact Recognition for my skills Taking on a leadership role Variety in work tasks and projects Working alone Working at a fast pace or with deadlines Working to a routine Working with current technology Working with others Working without pressure and deadlines


Articulating Your Skills Skills are abilities (things you can do) and aptitudes (things you think you could do, or are willing to do, with training and experience). A skill is a learned ability to do something well. Most graduates underestimate the number of skills they actually have; this limits their career exploration and job search. Your goal is to gain an accurate picture of all the skills you have. Transferable skills Transferable skills are the strengths and abilities which develop over time and which can be used in a variety of work, social or other situations. Knowledge of your transferable skills will help you find career options which use those particular skills. The process for identifying skills There are several ways to identify your transferable skills. There are a number of tests and inventories available commercially to assist you with this process. In this resource, we suggest two methods to identify your skills. Firstly, you can explore past successes or accomplishments (‘stories’) as a means to discovering not only your skills, but also your interests and career values. Secondly, we have included a Skills Audit which provides a comprehensive list of graduate skills for you to consider. Start by reflecting on your personal, university, work, social, community and school experiences to identify a comprehensive list of skills unique to you. It is best to think about achievements and positive experiences. However, it is also reasonable to think about things that didn’t go well if you focus on what you learnt from the situation and how you would do things differently in the future. Here are some ideas to get you thinking about your skills, interests and values in general terms:

Things you loved to do as a child eg childhood game Things you achieved during senior high school eg production of a play, debating team Things you felt very strongly about eg an observation of a situation or interaction

between others Things you have done, made or produced eg an artwork, a presentation Things that would not have been achieved without your contribution eg an event or a

celebration Things you have learnt that will stay with you forever eg a mistake or an idea that had

significant consequences Things about a place you have lived eg a location or a house Things you are really proud of eg something you would like others to know about you Things you enjoy doing eg a leisure activity, a social event, a part of your work Things about a job you have done eg where you felt appreciated and productive Things about another person who influenced you eg a mentor, family member, friend Things about university eg a realisation, a subject, and event Things about a job you would love to do eg your dream job

Articulating Your Skills (cont.) Skills Through Stories Describe your greatest achievement or something you take great pride in. What lead up to the event? Why is this significant for you? What happened after? Describe a time when you displayed a leadership quality or made a positive impact in a team situation. What happened? Who was involved? What did you do? What was the outcome? Who do you admire? Name a hero, a family member, a friend or someone you admire. What personal qualities do you admire? How are you similar to them? Identify the skills that emerge from your story and jot the skills in the margins. Tell your story to two other people and ask them for the skills they see in your stories. Jot these down as well. Next, you might like to complete the Skills Audit on the following pages. Remember that your stories are a more powerful way to understand yourself better and also identify your key skills. Simply ticking boxes on a Skills Audit makes us run the risk of being lazy, less credible and present as less unique in a selection situation.



Using a Skills Audit In this document there is a Skills Audit which lists sets of transferable skills common to university students and graduates. These skills are grouped under key skill areas. There is also a reference to identifying your professional skills and other skills. Benefits of Identifying Your Skills You can use the Skills Audit as a basis for:

Preparing a professional and polished resumé Addressing selection criteria as a part of job applications Responding confidently to interview questions

Assumed Basic Skills As university students and graduates, there is an assumption by employers and the community that you possess above average levels of literacy and numeracy. Also assumed is that you have a broad general knowledge and that you are developing a sound theoretical knowledge in your professional field. Evidence for Your Skills It is important that you are honest when providing a list of your skills. Most students are too modest and omit many of their skills, disadvantaging themselves during a recruitment process. If you can’t clearly identify your skills for a potential employer, then they will be unlikely to spend much time trying to draw it out of you at interview. On the other hand, some students make vague and overstated claims about their skills and are unable to support their claims when asked to provide further details. You must be able to provide evidence for your claim to your skills in order to be credible and convincing. You can do this in a number of ways. Here are some examples:

Be able to talk about your skills concisely, clearly and confidently Provide examples of achievements, particularly where you can quantify the outcome

with statistics such as profit increases, staff retention, savings for the company, reduced turnaround times, improved customer feedback, improved grades, better team performance

Produce certificates, references or qualifications Demonstrate by simulation, presentation or test Show a portfolio which includes a sample of your work such as reports, articles,

models, photos, summaries, videos Ask for Input After you have identified your skills, it’s important to receive input from others. We are often ‘blind’ to our own strengths, either taking them for granted or being too modest to shout our skills from the rooftops. Show a trusted friend, family member, mentor or work colleague your completed skills audit and ask for feedback. Input from others can identify as well as validate skills and experiences that may otherwise be overlooked or undervalued. This step is can be vital in improving your attitude about your marketable skills and your chances of succeeding at interview.


Using a Skills Audit (cont.) Work on the Gaps Also, use this skills audit to think about your skill deficiencies. Think about:

Which areas you need to improve, or to find ways to gain further experience? What specific skills are expected of the jobs you like? Which skill areas could you set as a priority for developing over the next six months?

Validate Your Claims Remember that no one is an expert in everything. In your resumé, avoid nominating a broad area such ‘good communication skills’. Instead list the specific skills within that broad area eg chairing a meeting, mediating a dispute, writing a formal proposal. Give some examples to support your claim. Be clear about your key strengths. What are your top three skills? Think about which skills or groups of skills you most enjoy using. How well do these fit with your field of study and career goals? What other career options do your skills and interests open for you? For each skill you tick in the Skills Audit, consider the following questions:

What did you do when demonstrating this skill? (be specific about the task) To what extent did you use the skill? (entry level, basic, mid-level or high-level

competence) In what situation did you use the skill? (where were you and who was involved?) What was the outcome of your contribution? How can you demonstrate or prove this skill? Are you able to describe this skill confidently and convincingly to others? How can you further develop this skill?

Examples of Effectively Describing a Skill I UsummarisedU the issues raised in a difficult project meeting with five final year students in my Building Management course at UWS. I focussed on ‘what’ rather than ‘who’ when giving the summary. This enabled the project team to re-focus on the team goals and objectively assess the issues. We ended up making some clear decisions and the project progressed to the next stage. The summary is recorded in the team meeting minutes. I UdesignedU a new procedural system for inter-office communication and file transfer while on industrial placement with a community-based service. This organisation has over 45 locations in NSW. The new system was implemented after my placement finished, and management reported a streamlining of processes. Improvements included a reduction in lost files (down 85%), elimination of double handling (saving an average of I.5 hours per officer per week) and resulted in an estimated savings of $150,000 per year for the organisation. Continual Review Your Skills Audit will not be completed in one attempt. Just like polishing a resumé, it will take time and perseverance. Keep reviewing it and remember to add in any newly acquired skills and experiences.


Skills Audit Professional Skills Your professional skills describe your experience in your specific professional area. Look back over your texts, lecture notes, essays and assignments for clues. List the professional tasks you are capable of performing as a result of your studies and any professional experience you have gained. Examples (depending on your area of study) may include:

Designing a marketing brochure Preparing an engineering site plan Writing lesson plans Preparing a legal brief Writing a business strategy Evaluating a software design Preparing a business proposal

It is critical you list your relevant professional skills on your resumé. Many students undervalue the skills they’ve gained at university, and assume that without 3-5 years experience in the field, their skill levels at graduation are not worth mentioning. Your resumé will clarify the extent of your experience and so listing your professional skills in the context of your studies and experience will sound credible and realistic. Recruiters do not expect new graduates to have 20 years experience with world-class expertise in their field. Yet not mentioning your professional skills at all gives an unbalanced view of your capabilities. Don’t expect that simply listing your degree on your resumé will indicate your professional skills – your degree is unique in terms of your subject major, electives, major projects, and the focus of extra research or work experience and placements. Ensure you do the analysis of what you have to offer the potential employer and list this clearly on your resumé. List your professional skills:

………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………


Skills Audit (cont.) Generic Skills Most of your other skills are generic or ‘soft’ skills, i.e. skills that have been developed at university, work and through community activities. Generic skills can be grouped under the following headings:

Communication Skills Teamwork Problem Solving Planning and Organising Initiative and Enterprise Critical Thinking Technology Self Management and Learning Cultural Awareness

These headings are too broad to be meaningful to recruiters. On the following pages, each skill heading has been broken down into a subset of skills. Select just 3-5 key skills you possess under each heading and make your own assessment as to the extent of your skill. Note in the right-hand column the example you could talk about at an interview to convince recruiters you have this skill. Add additional skills if this list does not include all your identified skills. Use the following definitions to describe your skill level:

1 = Basic introductory, have had little exposure, consider this a developing skill

2 = Intermediate have had 6 – 12 months experience, could perform this function in a job with some supervision and guidance

3 = Advanced have had 1-2 years experience, could perform this function in a job with high level of confidence

Skills Audit (cont.) Generic Skills Communication Skills 1 2 3 Example Advocating on behalf of others Brainstorming ideas Chairing a meeting Checking understanding Clarifying discussion Coaching others Concluding an interaction Contributing to a discussion Debating ideas and opinions Demonstrating appropriate behaviour Demonstrating confidence Editing a paper or article Evaluating information Formulating communication strategies Influencing to gain acceptance of an idea or plan Listening effectively Lobbying stakeholders Maintaining a sense of humour Mediating a dispute Negotiating to gain agreement Networking with contacts Presenting ideas and opinions Proposing ideas Publishing a newsletter Questioning appropriately Recording discussions and meetings Responding to requests Summarising information Using communication tools effectively Using diplomacy and tact Writing grammatically Writing well structured papers

1 = Basic introductory, have had little exposure, consider this a developing skill 2 = Intermediate have had 6 – 12 months experience, could perform this function in a job with some

supervision and guidance 3 = Advanced have had 1-2 years experience, could perform this function in a job with high level of

confidence


Skills Audit (cont.) Generic Skills Teamwork 1 2 3 Example Attending meetings punctually Celebrating team accomplishments Chairing a group discussion Clarifying team roles and tasks Collaborating on projects Contributing appropriately to a task Directing a group project Encouraging others and their work Fostering cooperation Giving appropriate feedback Initiating ideas and strategies Leading and taking responsibility Managing conflict Managing the limitations of others Motivating others to achieve goal Motivating self to achieve goal Performing an agreed task Producing a result Promoting services or products Receiving feedback constructively Recognising own strengths and limitations Recognising the skills of others Representing the views of others Resolving differences of opinion Showing consideration for others Supporting effective team functioning Understanding different perspectives Utilising the knowledge of others Working ethically Working with a diverse range of people



confidence


Skills Audit (cont.) Generic Skills Problem Solving 1 2 3 Example Analysing facts and assumptions Anticipating problems Applying a systematic approach Applying knowledge to new situations Defining the problem Designing contingencies Developing a range of options for solution Developing creative solutions Evaluating options for solution Evaluating results Facilitating team involvement in solving problems Following up outstanding tasks Identifying factors contributing to the problem Implementing solutions Learning from experiences Making realistic decisions Preparing an action plan Reviewing plans Selecting the best option using subject knowledge



confidence


Skills Audit (cont.) Generic Skills Planning and Organising 1 2 3 Example Calculating the risk to achieve a goal Defining specifications and standards Delegating responsibility Demonstrating a professional approach Designing appropriate strategies Establishing an action plan Evaluating progress of tasks Identifying material resources Identifying people as resources Managing a budget Managing risk factors Meeting deadlines Motivating self and others Seeking opportunities to facilitate resolution Setting attainable goals Setting priorities for tasks Working under pressure



confidence


Skills Audit (cont.) Generic Skills Initiative and Enterprise 1 2 3 Example Assessing competitive advantage Commencing a business enterprise Demonstrating creativity in introducing an idea Demonstrating tenacity in following through with a plan

Demonstrating political sensitivities Determining the commercial viability of a product or service

Developing business goals Discussing business practices Identifying customer requirements Liaising with stakeholders and sponsors Marketing a product or service Preparing a situational analysis Selling a product or service Supervising staff and projects Taking the lead in developing an idea Writing using a range of business communication methods and protocols



confidence


Skills Audit (cont.) Generic Skills Critical Thinking 1 2 3 Example Absorbing a quantity of information Applying appropriate criteria Challenging assumptions appropriately Critically assessing information to establish relevance and bias

Defining parameters of a problem Determining appropriate criteria Developing a budget accurately estimating expenses and income

Evaluating information Evaluating sources of information Exploiting new ideas and technologies to access information

Formulating well-reasoned arguments Formulating well-reasoned conclusions Identifying assumptions Integrating facts, concepts and principles Keeping accurate and complete records Locating information Observing behaviour and interaction Presenting non-verbal data to support an argument Ranking information Recording information objectively Researching effectively using a variety of sources Selecting information Sorting data and objects Summarising key information Understanding complex theoretical ideas Using qualitative methods Using quantitative methods Utilising methods of information gathering Working at the macro level Working with details Working with statistical data



confidence


Skills Audit (cont.) Generic Skills Technology 1 2 3 Example Competence in database design Competence in database use Competence in presentations Competence in spreadsheets Competence in word processing Effective use of e-mail Effective use of Internet Using appropriate commercial and technical applications

Using appropriate IT tools for communication and research



confidence


Skills Audit (cont.) Generic Skills Self-management and Learning 1 2 3 Example Accepting responsibility for outcomes Applying knowledge to new situations Asking for help Assessing own learning needs Behaving appropriately in both formal and informal situations

Demonstrating professional behaviour Developing a value system Developing and implementing life goals Developing ethics and integrity Expressing ideas and concerns Formulating opinions Giving appropriate feedback Identifying communication barriers Learning from experiences Learning using different styles and methods Maintaining a life-work balance Making decisions wisely Managing change and uncertainty Managing personal finances Managing personal health Managing stress Managing time effectively Perceiving different perspectives Receiving feedback constructively Recognising your strengths and limitations Reflecting on events and experiences Resolving conflict Tracking learning and development Using diplomacy and tact



confidence


Skills Audit (cont.) Generic Skills Cultural Awareness 1 2 3 Example Attending training sessions to increase awareness of cultural issues

Considering equity and procedural fairness in decision-making

Encouraging arrangements to help staff balance work and individual needs

Encouraging involvement of others in planning and decision-making

Fulfilling employment or committee roles coordinating events or policies relevant to cultural issues

Implementing a workplace diversity program at a place of employment

Knowledge of other cultures and religious beliefs Learning, or fluency in, another language Maintaining a safe workplace Providing opportunities to develop others to their full potential

Recognising skills of others Resolving issues of discrimination Supporting collaborative work practices Understanding of varied belief and value systems based on travelling experiences

Using diversity of team members to improve practices

Valuing contribution of others Working knowledge of relevant legislation



confidence



Skills Audit (cont.) Other Skills, Aptitudes or Special Talents You may have developed other skills you wish to include in your resumé. Examples may include:

Playing or teaching a musical instrument Creating artwork or designs Studying a non-vocational or interest subject

Other Certificates or Qualifications If you have other relevant qualifications, include these on your resumé as well. Examples may include:

Current driving, bus, truck or machinery licences Trade certificates First Aid, Lifesaving certificates Responsible Service of Alcohol

Understanding Your Personal Style Personal style and personality are difficult to define and label. And yet, philosophers, psychologists, social scientists and many others who study human behaviour have observed certain patterns and similarities in people. There are many personality indicators that attempt to classify traits. Your personal style may be a determining factor in selecting an occupation or type of workplace. People who feel like a ‘fish out of water’ in their job have often chosen work that doesn’t fit well with their personal style. The aim is to make career choices that will utilise your strengths based on your personality traits. A word of caution is in order here: basing your career choices on personality indicators alone is not a predictor of job satisfaction, nor is it a measure of skill. Personal style descriptors may include any of the following (or the respective opposites!): Determined, outgoing, reserved, creative, independent, tolerant, resourceful, mature, analytical, considered, spontaneous, trusting, positive, logical, objective, structured, flexible, decisive, empathic, innovative, dominant, sociable, responsible, collaborative, accepting, spiritual. When I think about myself… My greatest strength is: What I like about myself is: In my own personality, one thing that causes me the most trouble is: If you are interested in understanding more about your personal style you may wish to attend one of our Myers-Briggs Type Indicator workshops Understanding Your Personal Style using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Refer to CareerHub for details and registration.



Developing Your Networks You’ve heard of speed dating – the new game is speed networking. Corporations, professional associations and business umbrella groups (such as the Chamber of Commerce) have plugged into networking as an essential business activity in the new millennium. Networking is about making connections and building channels of communication. Talk to everyone you already know and then move into uncharted territory. Deliberately make contact with people and organisations which may benefit you and your career. Join associations, business groups and social clubs and make yourself known. The only trouble is that some people find networking a lot easier than others. Tips on how to improve your networking skills

Assemble a list of names and organisations that could be of value Set yourself some achievable goals –making just one new call a week may be

enough to get your networking off the ground Convince yourself that this is not the time to be shy – make yourself get out there and

chat Schedule in some debriefing time to recover if you find it particularly straining Go with a friend for moral support if that helps Talk to everyone – sometimes the most useful contacts are from the most unlikely

sources Get a business card, even if it is one you make yourself – be in a position to easily

hand out your contact details if asked Ensure you have a current resumé, preferably one that has been checked by

someone you trust Let people know you are about to finish your studies, indicate your enthusiasm and excitement about the future, give them an indication of the career areas that interest you and you’ll be surprised at how keen most people will be to help you out. Only ask for what they can give: it is a lot easier to provide information than it is to provide you with a job. The benefits of networking can dramatically outweigh the discomfort you may first experience when in a networking situation. Networking can lead to critical support and advice from others, current and unpublished information about jobs and vacancies, ideas on new or emerging career opportunities and a validation of your skills and capabilities. The skills you develop in refining your networking charisma are the same skills you’ll need for working in a professional environment: high level communication skills, listening skills, building rapport, displaying confidence and information exchange. Don’t be afraid to develop these skills.

Developing Your Networks (cont.) Ideas for networking sources Write down the names of people you know who could assist you with information about the sort of work you would like to move in to. Ask for their recommendations about who else you could talk to. You’ll be surprised at how helpful people are when asked politely and how quickly your networks will grow. peers, students …………………………………………………………...........

postgraduate students …………………………………………………………...........

alumni …………………………………………………………...........

academics …………………………………………………………...........

professional associations …………………………………………………………...........

people employed in the role …………………………………………………………...........

work experience supervisors …………………………………………………………...........

current employer …………………………………………………………...........

previous employers …………………………………………………………...........

work colleagues …………………………………………………………...........

school contacts …………………………………………………………...........

friends …………………………………………………………...........

friends of friends …………………………………………………………...........

flatmates …………………………………………………………...........

neighbours …………………………………………………………...........

sport groups …………………………………………………………...........

social groups …………………………………………………………...........

community groups …………………………………………………………...........

committees …………………………………………………………...........

work colleagues …………………………………………………………...........

previous supervisors …………………………………………………………...........

clients …………………………………………………………...........

family …………………………………………………………...........

friends of family …………………………………………………………...........

local businesses …………………………………………………………...........

chat rooms and news groups …………………………………………………………...........


Maximising Your Education Review your undergraduate education As you approach graduation, you need to learn how to translate your units of study into a set of comprehensive professional and generic skills that you can offer a potential employer. Add any skills gained through professional work experience, cooperative education and community activities and ensure you have a summary of your relevant skills in your resumé. Take a look back at the units of study you have completed at university and through any other learning institution eg TAFE. Select the subjects which seem most relevant to your preferred career direction and/or in which you achieved your best results. Also think about the subjects you particularly enjoyed. Review the key learning (theoretical knowledge and practical skills) you gained from the study (lectures, tutorials, projects, fieldwork, research, group work, additional reading) and what this means you can take into a job role. You might have to go back over your assignments, notes and texts to do this thoroughly. Example Unit of study Consumer Behaviour Key learning topic What I produced/developed Skills acquired or developed Consumer needs Survey of toothpaste product

packaging according to different market segments

Survey design Survey testing Survey analysis using SPSS

Customer communication Preparation of different communication strategies to advertise product

Writing advertising copy Designing brochures Telephone techniques

Unit of study Key learning topic What I produced/developed Skills acquired or developed



Maximising Your Education (cont.) Unit of study Key learning topic What I produced/developed Skills acquired or developed






Describing Your Experience Think about all the jobs you’ve had, the community or sporting groups you’ve been involved with, and the extracurricular activities you participated in at university and senior high school. You may also have experience through travel or assisting with a family business. You may have attended short courses conducted by organisations where you worked, such as in-house courses on safety, customer service, complaints handling or trainee management courses. Determine the transferable skills you’ve gained from these experiences and ensure these are clearly expressed in your resumé. Many students are fortunate enough to also gain professional work experience (paid or voluntary) while still at university. You may have achieved this through organising your own work experience, professional placements completed as a part of your degree or through a Cooperative Programs project or research award. Many students complete major projects as a part of their course at university, often involving the application of theory to practice for a real or imagined organisation in a teamwork setting. Reflect on these experiences and ensure they are prominent in your resumé. If you have retail or fast food experiences but no corresponding experience in your professional field of study, it’s important that you try and gain some professional and relevant experience before you graduate. Identify organisations that could provide such opportunities and make contact with the Human Resources department to enquire about paid or unpaid experience. It’s possible to negotiate to spend a few days or a week in your vacation time (sometimes one day per semester) with an organisation observing a professional practitioner or a team of practitioners in your field. More often than not, you’ll have the opportunity to ‘get your hands dirty’ by assisting with the work, attending meetings, going on site visits and learning from experienced professionals. Generally it will be up to you to make the opportunity happen. Make the most of any openings by preparing for the experience and giving a 110% effort. While there, build your networking skills, make contacts, sound enthusiastic about the chance to work in the organisation and don’t be afraid to ask for a referral to another organisation toward the end of your placement. List the top five experiences you’ve had that would add value to your job applications and resumé:

………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………

List the people who could vouch for your experience and who would be willing to be a referee on your resumé:

………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………


Gaining Industry Knowledge Complete the map of key information about your industry. Gather your information from your networks, mentor and people working in the industry. Follow up any gaps in your knowledge. Repeat this activity if you are considering more than one occupation.

This activity has been adapted from an Industry Map designed by Jackie Simpson for UWS Career Development Programs in 2003-4.

Occupation

………………………….

Industry or career role models

Job agencies Professional skills required

People you know who do this type of work

Preferred organisations or employers & their

recruitment deadlines

Useful websites Graduate or entry level position titles

Further study and professional accreditation

Publications & Journals

Professional Associations



Listing Career Opportunities For graduates there is a range of careers possible across all industries (manufacturing, finance, health, hospitality, education, service, IT, mining); the corporate sector; at all levels of the public sector as well as community and non-government agencies. Keep up-to-date with industry and labour market information. Research the emerging career opportunities in your field and any niche markets or skills (or combinations of skills or degrees) that will give you an edge in the competitive market. Learn more about the positions that interest you most and don’t limit your search to traditional position titles. Some position titles sound very flash – don’t forget it will be likely you will start off with entry level work or in administrative roles unless you have considerable experience in your field. As a fresh graduate, you will probably have the word ‘Assistant’ in your job title. Traditional Much of the angst of deciding ‘what I’ll be when I grow up’ is the focus on job titles. There is pressure (quite often supporting and loving) from family and friends to come up with the magic job title – ‘I’m going to be a xyz’. Even more disconcerting is the pressure you put on yourself to answer the mystery of life by having a clear job goal. By all means, investigate occupations and job titles to match your field of study from UWS Graduate Destination Data, Industry Profiles (such as those provided though Gradlink (HTUwww.gradlink.edu.auUTH), My Future ( HTUwww.myfuture.edu.au UTH) and the various Professional Associations) and from regularly scanning newspaper employment supplements. Less Traditional and Emerging Careers However, don’t limit yourself to the obvious and traditional occupations. You might want to use your undergraduate degree as a platform to branch out into other occupations. You might want to look at positions that are broad and suit people who come from a range of study areas. You might want to keep your options open to emerging occupations which are responding to market, global, economic and technological developments. Some of the best ways to find out about these occupations are to keep an eye on the major newspapers (Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian) and your Professional Association. Get involved in developing your network of contacts and keep up with the latest trends and niche markets. Here are some job titles taken from the employment supplements of the major newspapers recently. Have you been looking at these as well as more traditional occupational titles? Write down at least 3 additional occupations you wish to investigate further.

Administrator Project Manager Analyst Quality Manager Client Relationship Coordinator Relationship Manager Communications Manager Reliability Manager Consultant Researcher Development Coordinator Risk Analyst Education Officer Sales Executive Events Coordinator Teacher Executive Assistant Technical Officer Forensic Investigator Web Editor Front-of-Line Officer …………………………………… Knowledge Manager …………………………………… Partnership Development Manager ……………………………………

A Career Planning Inventory This inventory is based on the 10 elements of the UWS Career Planning Model Instructions: Place a cross (X) in one of the boxes (1 - 5) for each question in the inventory. Use the scale I = not true and 5 = very true. At the completion of your career planning program or within 6 weeks, review your answers and this time place a circle (O) to indicate how you answer each question using the same scale. Are you more confident in how you would approach the suggestions made in each question? What specific steps could you take to get a head start on your career planning? Igniting your passion 1 2 3 4 51 I am clear about the things I love to do 2 I have a ‘calling’, a drive, a deeply held motivation for something 3 I can describe my dream job/s 4 I am willing to devote energy and time to pursing this passion 5 If I were unable to engage in work or leisure that related to my passion, I would

feel there was something missing in my life

Knowing your interests 1 2 3 4 56 I can list 10 things I enjoy doing (leisure, sport, activities, work tasks) 7 I actively participate in 2 or 3 key interests on a regular basis 8 I can describe patterns and similarities in the things I love to do 9 I have listed the relevant interests in my resumé 10 I can list 5 activities or work tasks I don’t enjoy doing

Identifying your values 1 2 3 4 511 I can describe the things that are important to me in life 12 I am clear about what I value in a job or career 13 The type of career I wish to pursue fits well with my values and lifestyle choices 14 If selected for more than one job, I know on what basis I would make a decision 15 I know what I am not prepared to compromise on

Articulating your skills 1 2 3 4 516 I can describe 10 skill areas I can apply in a professional work setting 17 I can talk confidently about my unique strengths at interview 18 I am clear about how to further develop my skills to suit my goals 19 I have listed my professional, generic and IT skills in my resumé 20 I can provide evidence to support my claims to each skill listed

Understanding your personal style 1 2 3 4 521 I am clear about my strengths (qualities, skills, attributes and style) 22 I am comfortable describing myself in a job interview setting 23 I know how others describe me 24 I have considered how my personal style fits with my career choices 25 I have an understanding of what makes me unique

Developing your networks 1 2 3 4 526 I have used contacts from family and friends to obtain work 27 I have developed a list of people who have experience in my field of interest 28 I have joined at least one professional association relevant to my field 29 I feel confident about calling people on the telephone to ask them about their

work and to discuss possible work opportunities

30 I have a mentor I speak with regularly


A Career Planning Inventory (cont.) Maximising your education 1 2 3 4 531 I can see the fit between my degree/major and my career goals 32 I can describe the subjects I enjoyed most and why I enjoyed them 33 I have considered additional qualifications and/or postgraduate study 34 I am prepared to keep my skills current after I graduate (formal and informal

learning, on-the-job training, industry accreditation)

35 I have completed projects and research which have allowed me to explore specific topics in depth

Describing your experience 1 2 3 4 536 I have a range of transferable skills developed from study, work and community

activities

37 I am confident about how I can gain additional experience in my field 38 I have examples of my work in my portfolio 39 I have organised to undertake professional work experience before the

completion of my studies

40 I have an up-to-date resumé which lists relevant experience and transferable skills and has recently been reviewed by a friend, colleague or career professional

Gaining industry knowledge 1 2 3 4 541 I have a list of potential employers and organisations I would like to work for 42 I understand which specific skills employers look for in new graduates in my

field

43 I have made contact with 5-10 potential employers to gather information about jobs and careers

44 I can describe the role, duties and expectations of the positions that interest me 45 I regularly read the SMH and/or The Australian to scan vacancies, current

events and relevant business news

46 I have spoken with 2 or more people in the occupations of interest to me 47 I can describe recent trends in my field (mergers, emerging occupations, new

legislation, quality standards, accreditation)

48 I have attended two relevant industry events (expos, fairs, lecture talks, professional development, networking events) in the last 6-12 months

49 I have registered with at least 2 relevant online job boards or agencies 50 I have registered on the UWS CareerHub website 51 I keep track of job advertisements, position descriptions, contacts I have made

and applications I have submitted (in files, folder, scrap book or on computer)

Listing career opportunities 1 2 3 4 552 I can list a range of career options available to explore further 53 I can describe the sort of work I would like to be doing within 3-5 years 54 I can describe the pros and cons of my alternative occupations 55 I understand the opportunities for possible career progression 56 I am open to unexpected opportunities 57 I am comfortable making a number of career decisions and changes in the

future

© 2004. The Career Planning Inventory has been developed by the Careers and Employment team, University of Western Sydney. The concept for this inventory was originally adapted from http://www.cdm.uwaterloo.ca/getting_started.asp



Ideas for Getting Started So, don’t panic. Set yourself some short-term goals if it seems too daunting to set long-term goals. At least have a clear sense of where you have come from. Consider the following bright ideas for getting started on your career track.

Apply for a UWS Cooperative Programs Vacation Placements HTUwww.uws.edu.au/cooperative_programsUTH

Apply for an industry-recognised award Apply for cadetships and internships Apply for graduate programs Apply for jobs in your local area Apply for vacation work Apply to study overseas Attend a conference or industry meeting Attend careers workshops Attend employer presentations (even if you have to travel to get there) Be prepared to travel Be prepared to work your way up Build a portfolio of your work Clip job information and articles from the weekend newspapers Collect Graduate Opportunities from Careers and Employment

HTUwww.graduateopportunities.comUTH Consider further study or practical training Consider part-time study and work Develop your team work and presentation skills Do what you have to do to improve your uni grades Follow through on your curiosity Get a mentor Get involved in student newspapers Get involved with the Golden Key Society Get your resumé checked through the UWS Resumé Review Service Join a professional association Join a Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) team Join Toastmasters Log on to the Virtual Careers Fair HTUwww.vcf.gradlink.edu.auUTH Network, network, network Plan a reward or celebration to mark the occasion of the completion of your studies Practise your interview skills Read the CareerHub articles Read up about Assessment Centres Recognise your passion and attitude Register for CareerHub HTUwww.uws.edu.au/careersUTH Register with relevant Job Boards and recruitment agencies Review your goals and action plan every 3 months Set some clear goals, record them and break each one down into manageable steps Shadow and observe others in job roles you are interested in Shortlist your top 5 organisations and find out their recruitment deadlines Submit articles for publication Try freelance work Undertake an industry training course Update your resumé and gain feedback Volunteer to work for local business or community groups, small-to-medium

enterprises or not-for-profit agencies Work for a suburban or regional centre organisation Work with student clubs and associations Write for/subscribe to a trade publication

Sample Action Plan Today’s date 16.9.05 My career goals are To become a retail manager in the fashion industry, preferably in an internationally recognised store. Steps to achieve my goals Gain additional management experience in current retail role during summer vacation break. Finish degree in Business and International Management with at least a credit average result. Collect references from current and previous employer. Complete Skills Audit and make sure my most relevant skills are listed on my resumé Gain experience in budgeting, planning and staff supervision. This week I will Update my resumé. Prepare a cover letter. Next week I will Approach my store manager about acting in Assistant Manager’s role over Christmas break. Apply to attend the Trainee Management course offered by Head Office. Ask the Manager at another store if I can do a three-day placement with them, observing them in their role. In the next 2 months I will Explore other related career options with current employer eg fashion buyer, training officer. Explore additional career options relevant to degree eg Marketing, Public Relations, Business Development Coordinator/Consultant, Import/Export Adviser. In 12 months time I would like to be Working full-time for a major store, with some experience in buying and product display. I also want to have travelled to UK (4 week holiday) and check out the industry in London. Barriers: the things that are stopping me are (and what I could do about the barriers) Lack of confidence (get more experience, learn from mistakes, smile, give myself credit for what I do well). Insufficient savings (see financial adviser, open a savings account, cut back on spontaneous purchases). Not enough contacts in industry (cold calling, door knocking, prepare networking list) My reward for taking all listed steps will be A day at the beach with friends and a spending spree for summer wardrobe (limit $) Review Date 16.10.05


Your Action Plan Today’s date My career goals are Steps to achieve my goals This week I will Next week I will In the next 2 months I will In 12 months time I would like to be Barriers: the things that are stopping me are (and what I could do about the barriers) My reward for taking all listed steps will be Review Date


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