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Welcome to Careers News

Dear Student,

Welcome to the April issue of Careers News!

For those of you who were on Gardens Point campus on Monday 28 March, you probably noticed the big QUT Careers Fair that took place along Main Drive. While the fair was held primarily for final year students to find out about graduate opportunities for 2012, it was great to see some middle year students come along anyway, to interact with employers.

It's a good idea NOW for you to realise just how early graduate recruitment takes place. Most major employers recruit for their following year graduate intake in March/April, so when YOU are in your final year make sure you're on the ball right from the start so that you don't miss out on any amazing graduate employment opportunities!

If there is anything you would like to see included in this newsletter, including any news items or information you would like to contribute, please email careers@qut.edu.au.

Enjoy the Easter break!

Regards,
QUT Careers and Employment Team

ACEN Scholarships

Call for applications!

The Australian Collaborative Education Network (ACEN) is the national body undertaking research and projects in relation to work integrated learning (WIL), ie placements, internships, practicum etc within Australia. It liaises and partners with industry, government and not for profit organisations, to identify and promote opportunities to enhance students' learning outside the classroom.

Members of ACEN understand that students may, from time to time, face difficulties in supporting themselves or their families while undertaking a placement or learning experience outside the classroom. It is for this reason that ACEN is providing scholarships. Three scholarships of $1,000 each will be awarded to students undertaking either compulsory or elective units of WIL.

Purpose

This scholarship aims to support students who will face economic hardship in undertaking a WIL / internship placement in Australia in 2011/12.

Eligibility

To be eligible, students must meet the following criteria:

• Have Australian or New Zealand citizenship, or hold an Australian permanent resident visa or permanent humanitarian visa.
• Expect to be studying at least second year level at an Australian University or TAFE College in 2011, and plan to undertake an industry or community placement as part of the program in 2011.
• Experience economic hardship in order to complete the WIL experience in 2011.

Requirements

Applicants who are short-listed will be asked to:

• Confirm their enrolment in an Australian university or TAFE.
• Confirm their placement in a WIL unit / subject for 2011.
• Provide evidence of income for the most recent financial year, and
• Provide to ACEN a one page report and testimonial on completion of the placement.

Please note students need to advise ACEN of any changes in their enrolment status that may impact on their ability to complete, or undertake, the placement for which they are applying for the scholarship.

2011 Applications

• Applications close on 15 April 2011.
• Short-listed applicants will be notified by 30 April 2011 and asked to provide supporting information indicated in the application.
• Successful applicants will be notified by 15 June 2011.

Click here to access the ACEN Scholarship application form.

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8 Tips for Better Email Cover Letters

You don't get a second chance to make a first impression. If you're job hunting and are sending applications by email, the email cover letter is often your first and only chance to convince employers that your resume is worth reading.

Some tips for creating successful email cover letters are the same as for paper cover letters: be professional, with correct spelling and grammar, and - very important - do use them. Other tips pertain only to the electronic medium, and when disregarded, could ruin your chances before your foot is even in the door.

Here are some tips to consider when crafting an email cover letter.

1. Don't waste your subject line

According to Lydia Ramsey, business etiquette expert and author of 'Manners That Sell', what you write in the subject line can determine whether or not your letter gets read. "Don't ever leave the subject line of your email blank and don't waste it by just inserting the job number," Ramsey says. "The subject line should be clear and specific to the job you're looking for." An example: "Bilingual CPA seeks account manager position."

2. Use standard cover letter protocol

Write your letter as the body of the email, much like a standard cover letter. This is your chance to summarise your suitability for the role you are applying for. Use a salutation (use the receiver's actual name if you know it) and a standard closing, such as "Sincerely" or "Kind regards". Make sure you include all contact information in your signature, including phone number and email address.

The Careers and Employment website includes various resources to help you write a cover letter, including info sheets, online modules and faculty examples.

3. Keep it short and dynamic

Managers and recruiters are busy. They want to get the gist of your pitch in 150 words or less. The first paragraph is crucial, according to Ramsey. "Hook the reader in the first paragraph by selling him or her your abilities," she says. "Use short paragraphs and short sentences to give a very brief bio on who you are and what you can do for them, and wrap it up in the second paragraph."

4. Keep it simple

Don't get cute. Save emoticons, abbreviations, wild colours and fonts for your nonprofessional emails. The same goes for humour - chances are, the reader won't think it's funny, and may even find it irritating.

5. Be specific

Don't respond to an ad for a copywriter when you're really a graphic designer, says Diana Qasabian, talent director at Syndicatebleu. "It may be the tight job market, but we've been receiving more and more letters responding to a specific job from candidates who are not at all qualified for it," she says.

"We look for specifics in email cover letters, which means skills and abilities," she adds. "Embellishment and fluff are not necessary. It's not necessary to write, 'I'm a hard worker.' That goes without saying."

6. Keywords are key

Because many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATSs) to find and screen candidates, skill-oriented keywords will boost your chance at being discovered. "ATS tools track keywords that identify skill sets," says a recruiter from a large technology company. "So even if you're not right for the job you're seeking, strong keywords improve the chance that your cover letter and resume will be retrieved in a future search or be selected for a more appropriate job."

7. Play by their words

Take the time to learn the company guidelines for submitting resumes, and follow them. Many companies list these guidelines on their websites. Also, don't include attachments unless they are requested. Some companies block all emails with attachments to prevent viruses.

8. Check it again

Thoroughly spell-check and proofread your email letter. And remember, your email software's spell-checker won't catch grammar mistakes. Send it to a friend first and ask him to check it for content and style. If all your friends are tapped out, or even if they aren't, test your email cover letter by emailing it to yourself, and put yourself in the mind-set of an employer when you read it.

See original article here.

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Are YOU the 1 in 35?

Useful information for your final year

Just a few years ago when the Global Financial Crisis hit the world, many people were predicting doom and gloom, and a tighter job market. But has this really happened? Two recent publications give us some insight in to this topic to help you make your own judgement.

Each year Graduate Careers Australia collates the outcomes of graduates from universities throughout Australia and produces a report indicating the employment outcomes for the previous year's graduates. In 2010 76% of graduates who were available for full time employment had found a full time position within four months of graduation. This is down from the previous two years with 79% in 2009 and 85% in 2008 having secured full time employment over the same period. You can see some of the relevant QUT figures by visiting our Graduate Statistics page.

The Australian Association of Graduate Employers (AAGE) also surveys its members each year on their experience in the market and their plans for the following year. In 2010 these employers reported a drop in graduate recruitment numbers of 22.2%.

Now let's put this in context: In 2003 the number of graduate positions in the surveyed employers increased by 9.8%. Over the following years the numbers steadily increased each year by around 10-15% annually. This means that if an employer was hiring 100 graduates in 2003, by 2008 they were hiring 200+ graduates. The subsequent drop in 2010 (an effect of employers being cautious post GFC) saw the total figure drop to similar to that of about 2007. So we can take from this that the graduate market has been slowly growing over the years and in the 06-08 period we possibly had a boom period with numbers dropping to more realistic level post GFC. I might add, that the predictions from employers are of an increase in graduate employment numbers by 18.6% for recruitment in 2011, making you final year students very lucky indeed.

So is the graduate market really tougher than in the past? I suspect not.

Competition is still high, but it always has been, with an average of 35 applications per vacancy. You should still prepare for this by attending career fairs, talking with employers at employer presentations, by ensuring your resume is up to date and you have honed your employment seeking skills by attending the careers workshops (all of which you can find details on in CareerHub). Make sure you are the 1 in 35!

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Featured Jobs

Casual / Part-Time / Voluntary Jobs

For more information on these jobs, or to search for more jobs, go to the QUT CareerHub link on the Careers and Employment website.

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Upcoming Events

 Workshops

Employer Presentations

For the most up-to-date information, or to view more workshops or employer presentations, go to QUT CareerHub on the Careers and Employment website.

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