1. Career Pathways Seminars Building Blocks for Career Advancement www.amavic.com.au

2. © AMA Victoria 2008 Open Doors with your CV & Cover Letter

3. Objectives  Application  Cover Letter & CV  What Not To Do

4. Application  Post Graduate Medical Council Victoria  Read PMCV guidelines  Know important dates & deadlines  Get applications in on time  Read the “How to Guide”  Review each individual hospital website and application instructions

5. Hospital Information Sessions Attend hospital information sessions Selection criteria can include your attendance at these sessions

6. Inside Peek: World of Intern & HMO Applications The major teaching hospitals in Victoria will receive approximately: ◦ 690 applications for intern positions ◦ 1019 applications for HMO ◦ Most applications will be asked for on-line

7. How do you stand out? Demonstrate your ability and desire to make the transition  You’ve done the “text book” part now you need to demonstrate how you will apply your knowledge  BPT & Surgical Applicants: Transition into significant training positions

8. Cover Letter & CV: How Important Is It ?  VERY IMPORTANT ◦ Investment into future opportunities  Intern year can mean much more ◦ Potentially career placement of 2 – 8 years  HMO / Registrar / BPT & Surgical Applicants ◦ Fundamental effect on a training placement positions

9. The hidden truths about cover letters?  Employers do read them. Some employers do not accept applications without cover letters.  It is the first opportunity to sell yourself  The quality of the cover letter shows the quality of the applicant  It shows the employer that you are not “scattergunning” your resume and hoping for the best  Don’t rely on spellcheck

10. A Cover Letter Should:  Address the person ◦ If you don’t know who, find out (it will set you apart)  Address the job ◦ Re: Specialist Training Position  Include your contact details  Outline your motivations, particular skills and attributes that you can bring to the position ◦ the better it reads the better your chances  Be clear, concise, informative and compelling

11. Your Cover Letter Is your opportunity to:  To stand out from crowd  To attract the readers attention & keep them reading!  To let the reader know you have made an effort to understand their organisation  To get you to interview

12.  Don’t mix up your health services & hospitals  Don’t restate information that appears in CV  Don’t use complicated fonts  Don’t send it with spelling errors  Don’t send it with mistakes in health service name or what that health service does  Don’t make generalised statements that could apply to all health services/hospitals Cover Letter – What Not to Do!

13. Consequences: Care & Attention  You go to bottom of a very big pile!  What does it say about you?  Will you lack care & attention at work  Will you lack care & attention to patients  Do consultants want doctors on their team who don’t pay care & attention?  How will you be perceived?

14. CV – Another Investment  Sell yourself  Your skills & qualities  Your academic & clinical achievements  Special achievements  Community/voluntary  As well rounded, mature, able to handle role  Set yourself apart from the crowd (in a good way!)  Get you to interview

15. CV - Structure  2 – 3 pages in total (remember the pile)  Photo (often digital required)  Name & Contact  Chronological order – most recent backwards  Employment  Rotations  Education  Conferences  Presentations  Referees

16. CV – Lay Out  Consistent font throughout  Consistent use of:  Headings  Bullets  Page Margins

17. CV – Include  Research activities  Conferences attended  Presentations you have given  Other life pursuits  Volunteer & Community works  Significant achievements

18.  Academic/professional snapshot  Personal snapshot  Medical Students: this can be an important selling tool  Show how well rounded you are  Without “waffling”  List extra-curricular activities, for example  Coaching  Volunteer work  Community work  Self supported throughout university This may be what distinguishes you from the rest! CV – A Snapshot of Who You Are

19. CV – Gaps in Training Include valid reasons for any breaks in training  Travel  Health  Family commitments

20. CV – Check It  Check spelling  get someone to proof read it, critique it  Read it aloud  Pay care & attention to the detail  Don’t miss the little words ‘to’, ‘of’  Review how it appears online as well as on paper

21. Referees  Check individual health service requirements  Contact your nominated referees first  Ensure chosen referees can answer all the questions on the Referee Assessment Form  Check your referees have received the email request from the online system

22. Referees Clinical  Build rapport with consultants  Ensure correct status of referee Ensure referee can answer ALL the questions on the referee assessment form Non – Clinical (Medical Students)  A character reference  Evidence that you are ready to make the transition Interns  Medicine & Surgery  Disciplines of interest to you Specialist Training Applicants  Targeted referees in your chosen discipline

23. CV – What Not to Do!  Don’t send the ‘party’ photo  Don’t send with errors in spelling, grammar  Don’t go crazy with fancy fonts or colours  Just because you can use WordArt doesn’t mean you should  Don’t use a wacky email address  sexypixie666@....

24. Medical Students  When listing your rotations at major teaching hospital include type of rotation & where it was  General Medical Rotation  Don’t list the obvious:  4 cannulations  3 suturing  Exception – extra special placements & electives CV – What Not to Do!

25. Summary  Care & Attention  Investment  Research the hospital  Your future deserves your best efforts

26. Thank you