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Welcome to Careers News

Dear Student,

Welcome to the June edition of Careers News. This month we have started a new regular column called Bigger, Better, Brighter! where we will be highlighting some of QUT's exceptional students, and showing you what steps they're taking now to improve their employment prospects in the future. This month we feature journalism student Melanie Arnost, who definitely knows how to get her foot in the door of a tough industry!

We've got some great news for all our Health students too - the QUT Health Careers Fair has now been confirmed to take place early July - make sure you come along for your chance to mingle with potential employers.

We wish you the best of luck for your end of semester assessments and the lead up to exams.

And remember - if you have any feedback, questions, or ideas for articles you would like to see, email us at careers@qut.edu.au.

Regards,
QUT Careers and Employment Team

Spotlight On

QUT CareerHub

If you're looking for work - whether it be graduate jobs, casual work while studying, vacation employment, volunteer opportunities or work experience - then we have the resource for you!

QUT CareerHub is an online database where employers can advertise job vacancies directly to QUT students. Any currently advertised positions that close within the month are listed in the Featured Jobs section of each Careers News e-newsletter, but new jobs are being added every day, so make sure you check back regularly!

CareerHub is also more than just a jobs listing website! As well as advertised jobs, you will find an array of resources to help you with career planning and employment preparation. There are info sheets that can help you with resumes, cover letters, selection criteria, interviews, identifying your personal transferable skills etc., as well as a list of helpful websites, a news section, and a list of our upcoming events, including careers fairs, employer presentations and career development workshops.

Click here to register for your free online profile, and take advantage of all the help CareerHub can offer!

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Bigger, Better, Brighter!

This month we've asked final year QUT journalism student Melanie Arnost to discuss what steps she's taking while still at University to increase her employability. Read ahead to hear what she's doing and find out whether our Career Counsellor think she's on the right track!

Melanie Arnost

In the past I have been an intern at Ten News, and last year on a leave of absence from my studies, I spent nine months as an AYAD developing a radio station and training broadcasters in Vanuatu. I have worked at an MP's office, volunteered at Radio 4EB and in February this year I began working at Nine News as a Script Assistant. In mid-2009 I went to China on a QUT field-reporting trip, completing work experience with an ABC Foreign Correspondent. I have also spent the last few months as an intern with 612 ABC's Brisbane Breakfast show. I have done three live crosses and a few of my packages have played on the program.

This year, I decided to participate in the QUT Mentor Scheme which has been absolutely fantastic. While most are assigned mentors, instead I decided I would take a chance approach a contact I met during my stint in Vanuatu: Chief Executive of Australia Network Bruce Dover. To my surprise, he was more than happy to help, and thanks to him I'll be heading to Melbourne in June for an internship at the Asia Pacific News Centre.

As for what to do in the future, I am happy to do any job as long as it is in the journalism industry. I love broadcast in all its forms, whether radio or TV. I am interested in documentary work as well and would love to eventually work as a foreign correspondent for a big international news channel. I am wholeheartedly grateful for the skills I have learnt through Journalism at QUT. Its strong emphasis on practical work has definitely proved worthwhile during experiences like these.

Dr. Alan McAlpine's response

It is great to see students taking advantage of work integrated learning opportunities. These experiences Melanie has taken up will help her make links with employers, apply the theory she is learning at University to a real work place and also help her to build networks in her industry of choice. The wide range of opportunities that she is gaining will also help her recognise the different ways organisations work within the same industry and allow her to determine which organisatio'ns values fit with her own - all useful stuff when making future decisions about career opportunities.

I am also impressed by the initiative she took in finding her own mentor. The attitude and skill of being proactive not only brings opportunity, as Melanie is finding out, but also a vital skill in future employment, regardless of the industry you wish to get into.

My piece of advice to Melanie is to consider what she wants to learn from each of her experiences. Having clear goals of what she wishes to learn each time will not only help while she is on placement, but also afterwards to clearly articulate what she has gained. I suspect she will get more than she anticipated anyway! The skills she is learning are not only important in taking her first step when she completes her degree here at QUT, but will be skills that she can apply to all future decisions she makes throughout her career.

**If YOU would like to be featured in our 'Bigger, Better, Brighter' section of CareersNews, just email us at careers@qut.edu.au with a few paragraphs discussing what you have been doing to increase your employability.

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That's a Toughie!

Ever drawn a blank during an interview? There you are in your freshly-pressed pantsuit, feeling confident, your impressive CV setting you apart from the crowd. You've made it absolutely clear that you're best person for the job, even cracked a joke with the interviewer about last night's episode of Masterchef. Then, just when you think it's safe to pop open the champagne the interviewer looks up from his notes and with all seriousness says: "So, tell me, how many piano tuners are there in the entire world?"

Some truly strange and wacky questions have crept into job interviews in recent times. Some test your logic, some are loaded with tricks, and don't seem to make any sense at all. However, these off-the-wall questions are designed to make potential employees think quickly and reveal their true personality. Their answers to such questions will indicate to the interviewer whether they will be a good fit for the company as well as how confidently they can react in spur-of-the-moment scenarios.

Google is notorious for asking some of the strangest and hardest interview questions in the job market. Anything from "How many golf balls can you fit in a school bus," to "Design an Evacuation Plan for San Francisco," is fair game in order to test the creativity and calmness of anyone wanting to work for one of the biggest companies in the world.

Here's a selection of ten quirky questions used by real employers. How many can you answer?

1. How much would you charge to wash all the windows in Seattle? (Google)
2. What is the probability of breaking a stick into 3 pieces and forming a triangle? (Google)
3. What's the most important part of the sandwich? (Subway)
4. How would you design a spice rack for a blind person?
5. How are M&Ms made?
6. How many times a day do the minute and hour hands of clock overlap? (Microsoft)
7. Cut a cake into eight equal parts using three cuts at the most (NetApp)
8. Why are manhole covers round?
9. How many vacuum cleaners are made in the United States every year? (Google)
10. A train leaves Los Angeles at 15mph heading for New York. Another train leaves from New York at 20mph heading for Los Angeles on the same track. If a bird, flying at 25mph, leaves from Los Angeles at the same time as the train and flies back and forth between the two trains until they collide, how far will the bird have travelled? (Microsoft)

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Telephone Interview Tips

In today's time-poor world and competitive job market, many employers are using telephone interviews to narrow the pool of candidates. A strong performance in the telephone interview is crucial in determining your chances of scoring a face-to-face interview, so it pays to be prepared!

Don't get dropped! When possible, use a landline rather than a mobile - you shouldn't have to worry about the call dropping out or static connection. Also, be sure to disable your phone's call waiting function before the interview.

Eliminate distractions. Conduct the call somewhere quiet and private. You won't impress employers if they can hear background noise.

Have reference materials nearby. Prepare a list of speaking points and questions you'd like to cover. In addition to a pen and paper, you should also have your resume, the job description and any background research you've done on the company within arms reach.

Keep the conversation flowing. Speak clearly and articulate your thoughts beyond muttering "uh-huh" and "OK". After the employer outlines some of the duties, you might say something like "those aspects of the job really interest me". Let the interviewer complete their thought or question before responding.

Be all smiles. While it may seem unnecessary to concern yourself with facial expressions and body language that nobody will see, smile and maintain good posture while you answer questions. This mental trick will help you project a more enthusiastic, confident and positive image even over the phone.

Follow up. Promptly send the interviewer a thank you email, using it to reiterate your strong interest in the position, and emphasise a few of the skills or qualifications that make you the right person for the job.

Weekend Professional

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Featured 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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