WELCOME Employability: Professional Career Start Strategies & Job Search Olivia Doyle Weds 25 November 2015

Swinburne SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 2 Olivia Doyle International Student Advisor - Employability International Student Life Tel Katrina Sardellis Global Career Adviser Centre for Career Development Tel

Swinburne Aim To provide you with useful insights to build your employability and launch your professional career Themes -Communication -Networking for success -Career planning & research strategies -Job readiness -Job search strategies “learning to search outside the square” Overview of seminar

Swinburne Wednesday 25 November 9.30 amWelcome - Your professional career starts NOW 10 amJob search strategies (including LinkedIn) amBreak 11 amWriting effective resumes and cover letters 12 pmBreak pm Interview skills 1.15 pmSwinburne support services 1.30 pmClose Program agenda

Swinburne PowerPoint slides from today’s seminar will be available on line: employability/ employability/ 5

Swinburne Presentation slides can be accessed at: 6 UPDATE LINK Your professional career starts NOW

Swinburne SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN Your professional career starts now It’s not easy to find professional employment in Australia in the current crowded employment market ‘International students are too focused on their studies and think about careers and employment too late in the careers lifecycle.’ Rob Lawrence, Improving the employment outcomes of international students’ 2013 ‘Professional experience provides a point of differentiation in highly competitive global labour markets.’ Blackmore et al, Australian international graduates & the transition to employment’ Why you should focus on your career while at university

Swinburne SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 8 What is professional experience? Professional experience is more than employment International students often align employability only with employment – it encompasses much more! You can demonstrate your commitment, skills, abilities by getting involved in a diverse range of events & activities

Swinburne Why your professional career starts now 9 It is challenging to find professional employment in Australia and internationally Make the most of the 2 + years at Swinburne to build your key employability skills Contacts / network

What skills and attributes do employers look for in a graduate….

Swinburne Employer expectations activity RankJumbled Key Selection Criteria Teamwork skills Aptitude Leadership skills Cultural fit Adaptable Communication skills Academic results Interpersonal skills Work experience Motivational fit SSourource

Swinburne Employer expectations activity  The survey results in the table have been jumbled  Work in pairs or with a group  Match the Key Selection Criteria to the correct rank by listing the corresponding numbers in the left-hand column (ranking 1 being most important to 10 being least important)

Swinburne Employer expectations activity - ANSWERS RANK Ordered Key Selection Criteria 1Communication skills 49% 2Academic results 24% 3Teamwork skills 22% 4Aptitude 22% 5Interpersonal skills 21% 6Leadership skills 20% 7Work experience 20% 8Cultural fit 19% 9Motivational fit 18% 10 Adaptable 14% Source: Graduate Outlook 2014, Graduate Careers Australia

Swinburne Barriers to employment for international students 14 Employers seek ‘work ready’ graduates “They need to come in job-ready, to hit the ground, become a project team member almost straight away.” Senior Manager, large engineering firm  Work readiness is a key priority among Australian employers.  Employers talk about wanting graduates who are ‘job ready’ or can ‘hit the ground running’.  Work experience is highly valued

Swinburne Soft skills 15 “We're not looking for who's the best engineer. The degrees have sorted that out to some extent. It's how do they cope in that communication area, the soft skills. How you can be an effective team member with your technical toolbox under your arm”. Human Resources, large engineering firm  Employers are looking beyond the qualification for well rounded gradates who can demonstrate a range of ‘soft skills’.  Employers emphasise team work, initiative, highly developed communication skills, motivation and attitude.

Swinburne 16 Communication skills “The question I ask is: ‘Can I see this person as someone that I can sit in front of a client?’ And if so, then I’ll move forward. So it comes down then to a language issue. It’s being able to talk technically but also I need them to be able to talk on the phone and present themselves like any other member in the firm” Midsize accounting firm company  Employers are looking for graduates who have a confident command of English and can express their ideas freely in a team environment.  Graduates need communication skills that can span a range of workplace situations (clients, colleagues, social situations)  Written communication skills are also highly valued ( s, report writing, etc)

Swinburne Australian employability skills The Australian government research has identified 8 key employability skills which are vital to work on during your studies:  Communication  Teamwork  Problem solving  Initiative and enterprise  Planning and organising  Self management  Learning  Technology

Swinburne International employer skills expectations 18

Swinburne Self reflection 19  Think about your own skills in these key areas  How do your skills compare?  How are you working to further develop your skills?  Do your own self assessment and put together a development action plan

Text line Swinburne 20 Announcing International Student SKILL DEVELOPMENT SEMINARS Stay tuned for details in semester

Meet Ella Chan Former international Master of IT student at Swinburne University Now Senior Business Analyst with large Australian consulting company While at uni Ella: >Really made an effort to understand the Australian community >Moved into a flat with local students >Attended lots of social events with Australians >Joined uni clubs- was Vice President of the IT Society >Barracked for a footy team >Part time job at McDonalds >Started own IT support business >Volunteer website developer for Hawthorn Community House >Joined group projects with local students >Joined Australian Computer Society and attended events >Developed strong IT skills – Excel, Access etc

Meet Anh Nguyen Former international Bachelor of Business student at Swinburne University Now part time accounts clerk still looking for full time professional employment While at uni Anh: >Focussed hard on his studies – gained a credit average >Lived with Vietnamese relatives >Worked part time in family Vietnamese restaurant >Played soccer in a Vietnamese student team >Joined uni group project teams with other international students

Which international student are you? What can you do to improve your employability?

Swinburne 24 International students’ expectations “I mean just try really hard with your English, and keep an open mind. Don’t just hang your hat on going to work with the Big Four, because there’s some pretty good work that small firms do and with good clients” Director, small accounting firm  Many international students have unrealistic expectations of post study employment  Careers are often non-linear and impacted by unpredictable factors  Be open to exploring different paths and ‘stepping stones’ towards achieving your career goal.  Think outside the box

Swinburne 25 Strategies to your employability Make a career plan  Start planning as early as possible  Make the most of the services and opportunities available at Swinburne to fine-tune your skills  Make an appointment with a careers adviser, attend workshops and industry events  Step out of your comfort zone  Participate in a wide range of extra curricula activities at uni and in the local community  Create networks in the community – this will assist you to find work experience & employment  Work experience  Relevant work experience is ideal, but a part-time job is also valuable  Capitalise on your networks to find a work placement  Consider getting overseas work experience – either at home or elsewhere