Career development strategies

Postgraduate career counsellors are happy to assist postgraduate students with their career development, and also help to develop strategies. The sections below are filled with diverse resources to assist with finding suitable job networks and applying for a job that you want.

Resume
Cover letter
Selection criteria
Networking
Interviews

Resumes

A resume or a CV?

While historically there was a difference between the two document types, often nowadays the terms are interchangeable.

How long does the employer take looking at your resume?

Typically an employer will only spend about 20 to 40 seconds on the first examination looking at your resume. This is a bit of a generalisation, however, it is often true and is the time it takes that employer to make a first impression.

What does this mean?

It means that your document has to stand out and tell them what they need to know about you very clearly and succinctly. How you lay out your document and how you emphasise key words and/or experiences is going to be important.

How many pages should a typical Australian resume have?

Generally the rule of thumb is 2 to 4 pages. Often here in Postgraduate Careers we see resumes that are either too short or far too long. As was indicated by the amount of time an employer will look at your resume, the key information needs to stand out and be relevant, but there also needs to be enough detail for the employer to go back to and read more about you that meets their needs.

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Cover letters

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Selection criteria

If you are applying for an academic or government position in Australia you will probably need to address selection criteria in your application. Some overseas universities and governments also use these, but it is more common in Australia.

What are they used for?

Selection Criteria are used as a key component of the selection process. They are designed to bring some transparent equity to the process of recruitment. Generally a position will have between five and eight criteria that the applicant has to answer to that are directly linked to the key duties for the role being advertised.

Addressing selection criteria:

Address each criteria under a separate heading
Analyse and address each part (e.g. oral and written are often two components of communication skills)
Focus on vocabulary used, particularly level, i.e. the level of communication skills required for a postdoctoral researcher will be different than the level of communication skills required for a professors position. You would demonstrate this through the type of example that you provide
Do not refer to your Resume for information
Use active not passive verbs
Try to add an outcome for each action or activity
Have at least ¾ of a page for each SC (except Qualifications). Often it is worth calling the ‘contact person’ to discuss for information and get an idea as to how much information they expect.
Balance up columns with a spread of different activities
Re-group and use Bullet points where possible

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Selection criteria

Networking

What is networking?

Networking, or creative job searching is about making use of the people you know to discover how they, or someone they know, could help or provide you with some useful information. The most common mistake people make is to assume that because the people you know are not in your field of interest that they cannot help.

It is important for postgraduates to network for the following reasons:

Find potential markers for your thesis
Find future employers
Find research collaborators and ongoing professional development opportunities

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Interviews

The purpose of the interview:

The interview is not a "one way street" . Three parties are concerned with the interview. The interviewer, the employer whom is being represented by the interviewer, and you.

The employer generally has a problem that needs fixing or a task that needs doing and wants the best person for the position within a pre-determined salary range, and wants to maintain a positive image.
The interviewer wants to assess your ability to handle all aspects of the position and to fit in with the organization, to further his/her career and to represent the company favourably.
You want to further your career, to present yourself in the most favourable manner, and to assess the company and the position.

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