ProGrad Brisbane

At ProGrad we’re always listening to our candidates for information about what graduates are really looking for.  We rely on this information to put together proposals for graduate programs within leading organisations in Australia.  We consult to many companies around graduate programs, and what candidates are looking for.

Historically, we have always seen the best success for graduates within technology companies.  This is due to the growth within these businesses, which offer graduates strong exposure, along with quick career progression. 

Our graduates have also been doing well within FMCG companies, typically within territory management roles and also in online media companies.  Companies which experience good growth opprtunities will always offer graduates a strong career progression.

That said, we need to hear from our candidates directly.  If you have any information to share about graduate opportunities and what you’re currently looking for, please get in touch be emailing info@prograd.com.au 

ProGrad is Australia’s leading assessment, placement and training company.  We specialise in assisting graduates to launch their business career with a variety of leading organisations.

For more information, please visit our ProGrad website or contact our ProGrad Graduate Management Team on 02 8235 8300.  ProGrad currently service Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

Almost 20,000 employees, in more than 120 countries around the world, this large organisation enthuse their customers and build a better future across the globe.

The corporate culture is founded on integrity, courage, teamwork and commitment.

Our client excels through outstanding innovation, top quality, direct customer relations and effective marketing.

Two-thirds of the employees work directly for the customer in sales organizations and in engineering, which means a total of more than 200,000 customer contacts every day.

Our client is looking to bring a graduate on board who is a fast learner, has strong verbal and written communication skills, and has the desire to progress through the business into a management role, within the Cairns location, QLD.

What we are looking for:

• Recent University Graduates who are ambitious and passionate about sales and management
• Graduate candidates from Business, Marketing and Engineering Disciplines are desired
• Construction Industry knowledge desirable
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure
• Strong verbal and written skills

If you are interested in this opportunity please apply now by sending your CV to jenna.daly@prograd.com.au

It is becoming more and more common for candidates to encounter behavioural based questions during the interview process, particularly at a graduate level where it can be hard to assess work experience from a resume.

Our recommendation to all graduates is to learn what is expected from these questions and try to prepare answers in advance of the interview.  There are a few key areas which job seekers need to be aware of in order to prepare suitable answers in advance. 

Here are some examples of these questions:

Time Management / Planning & Organising:

• Describe your involvement in a task or project that had to be done within an agreed time frame and be of an excellent standard.
• Tell me about a time when you were in charge of a project which fell behind schedule. What did you do?
• Tell me about a time when you had to prioritize tasks? 

Attention to Detail:

• Give me an example of how do you stay organized?
• Can you provide some examples of a time when you discovered errors in your work?
• How do you know if a project you are working on is going successfully?

Initiative:

• Can you give me an example of a time that you showed initiative and took the lead?
• Tell me about a time when you identified that a policy or procedure needed changing. Explain what you did in order to bring about your suggested changes.

Communication:

• Tell me about a time when you had to convey complex information to someone.
• Tell me about a time when you had to use your presentation skills to influence someone else’s opinion.

Customer-service orientation

• What was the most difficult customer service situation you ever had to deal with?
• How did you handle the situation with the difficult customer?
• Describe a time when the customer was aggressive towards you.  How did you handle it?

Conflict Resolution:

• Give me an example of a time when you had to resolve conflict.
• Tell me about a recent situation in which you had to deal with a very upset customer or co-worker.  

Teamwork

• Describe a situation where others you were working with on a project disagreed with your ideas. What did you do?
• Tell me about a time when you worked with a classmate or colleague who was not doing their share of the work. How did you handle it?
• Describe a situation in which you had to arrive at a compromise or help others to compromise. What was your role? What steps did you take? What was the result?
• Tell me about a time when you had to work on a team that did not get along. What happened? What role did you take? What was the result?

 We’re certainly not suggesting that you rehearse answers for each and every possible question, but do familiarize yourself with the types of questions that are likely to be asked and try to think of how to handle them.

Interviews are about being honest and so always be truthful about your examples.  For graduates, these examples might not be work related but rather related to your experiences at University.  This is not necessarily a bad thing.  It is merely evidence that employers are listening for.

ProGrad are a specialist graduate recruiter and offer practical recommendations to job seekers at a junior level.  If we can help you in any way, please let us know!

When I’m looking to fill senior roles, we naturally look to recruit experienced people who can bring an established skill set, with a proven track record. 

And so we do the same as many companies, and we advertise online, receive lots of resumes, conduct telephone screening and invite people in for interviews.  With experienced people there is an expectation particularly in interviews that they will perform in a more superior manner to graduates.  The good news for graduate job seekers, is that this isn’t always the case.  With experience, comes confidence and sometimes laziness around preparation and performance in interviews. 

The common mistakes that experienced people make are as follows:

1) A lack of preparation which they are quite often honest about.  They might be “experienced professionals” but they miss the basics of preparation and research.  It comes across as lazy.  If this is how they approach an interview, how will they approach the role?

2) A lack of questionning ability.  This is one of the saddest things to see from an experienced person as it is a fundamental part of any interview, regardless of your experience.

3) Talking too much.  Perhaps this one is more prevalent with experienced people as they have so much more to say.  Talking too much is a crucial error for anyone in interviews. 

The bottom line is that no one is perfect in interviews…but there are some fundamental principles to be aware of when you’re meeting someone in this environment.  Regardless of your experience levels, always research the company and be sure to articulate this knowledge.  Such a basic thing to remember, and yet so rarely so we see it in a face to face interview.

If you’re a recent graduate who is new to job hunting and interviews, take some comfort in what is being revealed here.  Experience doesn’t necessarily lead to a great interview, trust me.  Even with a lack of experience, just stick to the basics and you’re likely to outperform even those with 15-20 years in the industry! 

Davinia

Davinia is the Sales Director of ProGrad Pty Ltd, and is responsible for the sales division within the organisation.  ProGrad is a graduate assessment, placement and training company and specialises in the placement of graduates into B2B sales careers across a number of industry sectors.  For more information about our unique model, please call 02 8235 8300 or visit www.prograd.com.au

Today was a difficult day.  I had to explain to a candidate why they were not getting job offers from employers.  The reason this was difficult is that I didn’t want to say anything that would cause offence, or later upset.  The reason it had to be done however, was that it is hard to improve if this feedback isn’t given to job seekers.

To give you a bit of a background, I have a fantastic candidate who we will call John.  John has all of the raw aptitude to truly be successful in any organisation. He is confident, a great communicator, well presented, he is driven and comes across as motivated to do well.  The only issue is that despite seeing 8 companies for interview, John simply isn’t being offered any jobs.  The jobs he really wants, aren’t inviting him back to a second stage interview.  The jobs he isn’t keen on, still aren’t inviting him back for another interview.

And so this begs the question “why?”

The feedback from the employers had been that John comes across as too confident, too cocky and not keen enough on the roles available.  I know from my dealings with John that he is incredibly keen on the positions, yet this doesn’t seem to be coming across.  So where is he going wrong?

Well, firstly John isn’t preparing in the same manner as the other candidates.  We spend a lot of time briefing candidates to prepare for roles in a certain way and yet he isn’t taking in the same level of preparation to interviews as other candidates.  He is definitely researching the company prior to an interview, but is not able to articulate enough of this knowledge when quizzed in the interview. 

As someone who interviews candidates myself (both senior and junior) it is frustrating and sometimes offensive when meeting a candidate that has not researched the business.  This screams out that this person doesn’t care about the interview.  If they don’t care about the interview, perhaps they don’t care about the company, the role, the interviewer, the management…the time spent investing in the interview itself.  Overall, it can come across as disrespectful.  It’s funny, isn’t it?  How something so small can have such large repercussions?

And yet, the confidence is there in all of us.  We all assume we will be able to “wing it” in an interview and impress the interviewer with our natural charm.  In fact, on many occassions, this probably is enough.  Unless you’re up against an individual that has gone the extra mile to demonstrate their research and understanding of the business they’re being interviewed for.  Then…well, you’re quite literally screwed.

You see, as a potential employer you want to hire the dilligent, hard worker with a genuine passion for your business. In fact, you would probably hire that dilligent, hard worker over the better qualified, more experienced candidate that appeared badly prepared and disinterested.  It seems so obvious what employers are looking for, so how can you ensure that you’re preparing effectively before an interview.

Always make sure that you understand WHAT the company does.  And ensure you can explain it in your own words.  How do they add value, and who do they do this for?  Ensure you can familiarise yourself with their competitors and have a rough understanding of what makes each company different.  Why do clients choose to engage with them and who are some examples you can refer to?  This type of research should be documented and prepared in a structured manner which can be referred to during the interview.  Many of our candidates put together business documents to demonstrate their understanding of the business and the marketplace in which they operate.  When employers see a well presented document, it immediately sends out the right message.

More than anything, its essential to get feedback and learn why interviews might not be going well.  John was keen to hear feedback and took everything on board.  He was in fact pleased to hear what had been happening and even provided feedback to us (as recruiters) which would further help him in interviews. 

Next step from here is to keep proividing John with interviews that are in line with his career objectives and providing some coaching around preparing for interviews and conducting them face to face.  I feel pretty sure that John will find a good role very soon which fits his needs and desires. 

Once he is in there, I have every confidence that he will be a phenomenal success!

Davinia Noble

ProGrad is a graduate recruitment company working on behalf of some of Australia’s leading organisations to assess, place and train graduates into B2B sales and marketing roles.  For more information, please call our ProGrad office on 02 8235 8300.

I have seen some pretty interesting things written about ProGrad over the years.  Some posts have been valuable feedback to hear and whilst no organisation will take pleasure in reading negative comments – we can all benefit from hearing what your customer base has to say.

That said – there are many incorrect statements made about ProGrad and the infamous assessment day.  One blogger stated that ProGrad “claim to be friends with NASA”, which I think we all know is ridiculous. Anyway, that to one side there are a few myths that definitely do need to be put to rest.

1) Firstly, ProGrad do provide water and toilet breaks.  Sounds bizarre to even have to make the point but hey, there it is.

2) Men don’t have to wear red ties to make it through the assessment day, clearly the colour of your tie is irrelevant.  Mind you, a tie is considered appropriate business wear and so we do recommend you wear one.

3) ProGrad is a scam. Not entirely sure where this one originated but ProGrad are simply a business.  We place graduates and charge a fee to our clients for doing so.  We make money in order to operate, it’s pretty simple.  Our roles are primarily in the business to business sales teams of organisations (this is made clear on all of our marketing collateral) and we offer sales training to placed graduates to support them.  Again, this is at the cost of the company, not the graduate.

4) ProGrad salaries are all $35k.  Our salaries range from $35k to $50k depending on the role and organisation.  Naturally, some industries such as advertising and media are likely to offer less money on the base salary, whilst companies in technology and financial services will typically offer $40k – $50k.  The salary packages are also likely to be dependent on the experience and skill set of the graduate. 

I hope this clears up a few of the latest myths about the ProGrad assessment day.  Ultimately, our assessment day is an interview process and like any interview process – not everyone makes it through.  We pride ourselves on only working with strong graduates who see a business career with a leading corporation.  We have partnerships with leading brands such as Microsoft, Nestle, Simplot, Experian, and Dell.  We are proud to have placed over 2,000 graduates in the last 5 years in Australia and are experiencing excellent growth.

If in doubt about the ProGrad assessment process, please feel free to contact the office and speak to any of the graduate management team on 02 8235 8300 who will be pleased to help answer your questions.

You can read more abour ProGrad and view our testimonials here www.prograd.com.au

ProGrad are currently recruiting for an unsual role, requiring a recent graduate with design skills to join one of our client partners.  We have worked successfully with this organisation for the last few years in Australia and they have recently created a new role for one of our candidates looking for an entry level role where they will have an impact on day to day design work. 

Whilst the ProGrad model is typically aimed at placing graduates into business to business sales and marketing roles, we do occassionally work on other opportunties that perhaps don’t fit into this space.

If you have skills working with Photoshop and Illustrator, along with a natural creative flair please contact ProGrad directly on 02 8235 8300 and ask to speak to Jarrod.  Alternatively, you can email Jarrod directly on jarrod@prograd.com.au and send over your details!

ProGrad is Australia’s only dedicated graduate recruitment company working with over 600 companies across a variety of industries.  More information can be found on our website www.prograd.com.au

For many recent University graduates, now is the time to weigh up your options.

You’ve had some time out enjoying the Australian Summer which is quickly drawing to a close.  And you’re facing a couple of options:

1) Do you enter full time work, please Mum and Dad and start your career?

Or

2) Do you fulfill that dream you’ve had for awhile, and travel around the world?

Well, there are a few pros and cons for both, right?  The bottom line is, that travelling is far better to do BEFORE starting a full-time job.  It is unfair to commit to an employer, only to know in the back of your mind that in 6-12 months, you’re going to jack it all in and pack your rucksack.

If travelling is on your radar as something you’d like to pursue, go for it!  Employers like it, and feel reassured that its all out of your system.  Don’t start a full time career unless you are able to offer full time committment for at least 3-4 years before taking a long break to travel. 

Please try to plan your return back to Australia at a time when you won’t be competing for roles against other, fresher graduates.  This simply enhances your chances of finding a suitable career opportunity.

ProGrad like many organisations in the recruitment space will have opportunities all year round and therefore can offer assistance for recent graduates even outside of graduate seasons.  With this in mind, don’t ever be concerned about returning at a quieter time.  Some of the most popular months for our graduate intakes have been outside of the peak graduate periods.

If you would like more information about ProGrad and recommendations for graduate opportunities, please contact our graduate management team on 02 8235 8300.

Setting SMART goals is key for ProGrad graduates

Many training workshops talk about setting SMART goals and we are certainly one of them.  Regardless of whether you’re applying goal setting to a sales career, or simply job hunting – the rules still apply.

So what are SMART goals?

When we’re training our graduates about setting their own professional goals, we recommend they are made:

S: SPECIFIC

M: MEASURABLE

A: ATTAINABLE

R: REALISTIC

T: TIMELY

It’s a simple method and something which is referred to a great deal by managers, coaches and trainers alike.  When applying for jobs, the same rules should apply. 

Job seekers need to set specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely goals.  An example of this, is as follows; “This week, I am going to highlight 8 companies that reflect the values I want to be aligned to.  I am going to send at least 8 applications to these organisations on Monday and follow them all up by the end of the week.  My end goal is to secure at least 2 interviews by Friday.”

This is a good example of SMART goal setting for graduate job seekers and something which we recommend to any candidates we’re working with. 

ProGrad is a graduate recruitment organisation and we specialise in working with recent University graduates to secure them full-time employment following University.  Whilst our core activity is in placing graduates into B2B sales and marketing roles, we do work on a number of other projects also with our key clients.  If you’d like to know more about our organsiation, please email us info@prograd.com.au or contact us directly on 02 8235 8300 and ask to speak to one of the graduate management team.

For many graduates leaving University, applying for jobs is a new experience and fraught with difficulties.  The first place we all look, is online.  Immediately we are drawn to online job boards where we approach the job advertisements with the impatience we use for every website.  Click, click, browse, skim read, attach, click, send.  After a few applications, we play the waiting game. 

Some of those applications may have gone to a recruitment agency, some to organisations directly.  In my mind, there are no right or wrong ways to approach the task of finding employment.  My simple recommendation is to open as many doors as possible.  This ensures that as a job seeker you have more to choose from and can assess your situation more logically.

There is a key for success when you are applying for jobs online. 

1) Firstly, be sure to keep a record of what you’re applying for and the companies you are applying to. 

2) Then, ensure that you take a proactive approach in chasing these applications up!  You never know what may have happened to your email…so be sure to follow it up with a courtesy call.

3) If ever you are called back by a company and they leave you a voicemail, please do the courteous thing and return the call.  Never expect that they will “chase” you on the phone, as they may have hundreds of applications to get through.

4) Finally, like anything in life you need to be the one to drive your own success.  Never expect that things will just drop into your lap just because you have a University degree.  You’re not alone in that.

In this day and age, it is obvious that job seekers will rely on the internet when applying for jobs and this is something that all employers are accutely aware of.  Just because it’s the expectation, it doesn’t stop you from exceeding that expectation and speaking to a human on the telephone.  Nothing can replace that.

All the best with your job hunting, Davinia

ProGrad are recruiting, this time within our Training Division in NSW.  To cope with growing demand for our graduate model, we now require the assistance of more trainers in Sydney. 

The Job Decription

ProGrad offer a number of open training courses and tailor-made solutions depending on the needs of our clients.  Due to Client demand we now have a role available to work alongside our Training Director in this established business. 

Ideally, we’re looking for an experienced sales professional who has had exposure to the training, development and coaching of a sales team. 

This role would primarily involve delivering training sessions to our graduates at the start of their business to business sales career. ProGrad offer a modular training program to these candidates across their first year of employment with each course lasting 2-3 days.  Our courses cover areas such as Professional Communication, Solution Selling, Negotiation Skills and Account Management. 

Outside of this core responsibility, there is also an opportunity to get involved with the Business Development Team at ProGrad, further assisting business growth through our bespoke training offering.  Our Business Development Team are proactive and driven, opening many doors for our training solution. 

Applicants must have

• Ability to present publicly and teach to groups of up to 20 people
• Experience in the area of training/ coaching sales professionals
• Outstanding interpersonal skills
• Strong relationship building experience

• Ability to present in front of our Client partners in meetings as required

• A passion for Training and Coaching

• Previous experience in the area of professional selling and coaching of sales people

ProGrad are hoping to on-board this person in the forthcoming weeks and have an attractive salary package to offer.  We’re a growing organisation with an impressive client list, a passion for what we do and a strong team of people who have been “home-grown” through this method.

If you’d like to learn more, please apply to Davinia Noble directly davinia@prograd.com.au  

I’m currently reading an interesting book by Erich Fromm (which took over an hour to find in Dymocks, I might add) called the “Art of Loving”.

What does this have to do with graduates and the recruitment world?  Well, there is an interesting observation made by Fromm, based on the three keys to success:

1) Concentration

2) Discipline

3) Willingness

And whilst Fromm applies this principle to making a relationship work, one could argue that the principle still applies to business.  For someone who is aspiring to be “successful”, these three things are absolutely necessary.  Without the concentration, the discipline or the will to be successful, one simply won’t achieve.

Tomorrow morning, I am delivering a training session to a group of sales professionals and it is a great message to leave them with. 

As the start of my sales career, I do remember having the will to be successful, and certainly the concentration on learning.  I did however, lack discipline which ultimately led to difficulty in achieving sales targets in the early days.  I was lucky enough to have a great mentor who helped to teach great habits around discipline and I consequently found “success”.

It is a principle that does apply to any career, not just sales.  And as Fromm points out, it definitely applies to relationships too.

Davinia

ProGrad are putting together some research to find out exactly which industries are most appealing to recent graduates.

We’d really appreciate any of your feedback in this area.  We’re currently working in the following areas, but would like to know where to focus our energies:

1) IT and Telecommunications

2) Media, Publishing and Advertising

3) Finance

4) Events and Entertainment

5) FMCG

6) Pharmaceutical and Medical

We have a proactive team that actively hunt for opportunities in areas which are in demand by our graduates.  Our team have the ability to target these organisations with the goal of building a business relationship, to ultimately introduce graduates to them.

Some of our most successful case studies have been from the technology space and this is primarily because of the opportunities that exist within fast growing technology companies.  That said, we need to know from graduates where we should target.

If you have any suggestions, then please let us know.

ProGrad is a graduate recruitment organisation that specialises in assessing, placing and training graduates into organisations within the field of B2B sales and marketing.  For more information, please contact us on 02 8235 8300.

The “Hobbies and Interests” section of a resume is one which puzzles many.  What are employers looking for in this section?  Is it entirely relevant to the employer whether you like to play tennis?

Well, actually yes.  It is important to many companies as they use this section to establish a cultural fit.  If you like sports, then this might be a great fit.  People who enjoy sports and regularly exercise will come across as an active employee.  This is important for employers, as they’re not looking for lazy people.

Reading is a great hobby to have and something we see regularly on resumes.  If you genuinely enjoy reading then please do list it, but beware.  Don’t use it unless you mean it.  So many employers use this as a tool for questionning you and they’re aiming to identify if you truly are well read.  If you’re putting it down simply to look more intelligent, it probably is going to trip you up in the interview.

One of my least favourite hobbies to see is “travelling around the world”.  Like many employers, I have been on the receiving end of employees leaving roles simply to “find themselves” in Europe for 6 months.  A move like that doesn’t seem too costly for the employer, yet it can affect an employer dramatically based on the training and development that will have been invested in that person.  A hobby that describes an interest for travelling will send shivers down the spine of most employers.  Better to be safe than sorry, just lose it from the resume.

Technology and computing is likely to be a hobby of most graduates these days and a key reason why organisations like to recruit graduates.  That said, be careful about how this passion is described.  Hanging out on Google is not necessarily going to inspire employers that you have great social skills and are looking to build internal and external relationships.

The key message however, is simply to be honest.  Never lie on your resume as it only disappoints you and the business you enter.  Be honest, be proud and be yourself.  The rest will fall into place if it is meant to be.

Firstly, you’re probably not alone in not getting any interviews and so please don’t worry.  Currently in the job market there are fewer roles and more people competing for them.  With such high competition, it is definitely not easy to get offered an interview.  This is particularly difficult for graduates at the junior level with limited experience.

First and foremost, have someone look over your resume.  Ask someone who is close to you, such as a family member or someone you trust.  What I like about this approach is that they are incredibly honest, almost brutally so and will probably provide you with some strong feedback. 

If you’re applying for jobs, you should be making a note of what you’re applying for and follow up those applications with a courtesy call.  At the very worst, someone might be too busy to take this call.  The best outcome however, is you will get to speak directly to the person who is recruiting the role and you have a great opportunity to impress them with your confident commication skills!

The key here is to be proactive in your job hunt.  Currently, there is this expectation that employers or recruiters will just get back to the job seekers when the time is right.  But that could be weeks!  Don’t rely on waiting for their calls.  You could be waiting for too long.  Cease the moment and get proactive. 

We’re like so many other recruiters and are receiving hundreds of applications each week to sift through.  We simply don’t have enough man-power to get through all applications and therefore rely on the proactivity of candidates.  If you call us directly, you get priority – easy as that.  Employers want proactive people.  Clearly they don’t want to hire lazy reactive people.  And so, in applying for jobs what better way to demonstrate this proactive nature than getting on the phone and making it happen.

Good luck!

Interviewers are looking for a few key things during the face to face time.  In our business, we are responsible for recruiting graduates at a junior level and progressing them through the business. Our roles are primarily in the Business to Business Sales space and therefore we are looking for the following qualities:

1) Presentation.  In short, how well groomed is this person?  Do they care about their appearance?  Someone who cares about the way they look, will care about they way they represent your business.

2) Firm Handshake.  Yes, I know it sounds lame and basic, but it counts for a lot.  In our business we are looking for people with the natural confidence to shake hands and greet everyone they meet.  If they can’t get this simple piece right, it’s too late to train them.

3) Strong preparation.  The candidates must be able to articulate exactly why they are there in the interview.  They need to articulate what we offer as a business, and how it adds value.  I am looking for a full understanding about the role also, and be able to speak openly about what it involves.

4) Natural Confidence.  For me, this comes through basic eye contact and natural gesticulation during the interview. 

5) Finally, and most importantly I want to see that this person can listen.  They must truly listen to what is being said take time before jumping in with a response. 

These are the keys things that we’re looking for in graduates that interview with this business.  That said, they are pretty generic and highly transferable to other companies and other roles. 

Ensure that any interview you attend, you think of sitting in the hiring seat yourself.  What would YOU want to see from this person?  This is a good place to start and will help you build a picture about how to represent yourself in the best light.

It is incredibly frustrating when you spend time and energy in preparing and attending an interview or an assessment session, only to wait for a response.  And wait.  And wait some more.  And eventually, when you don’t hear anything, you are forced to make the assumption that you just didnt make the cut.

And yet you don’t know why.

This is common for many people attending interviews and it is incredibly frustrating.  We need to remember that there are always several people going for an interview and for one reason or another, it is not the interviewer’s top priority to call you and give you an answer or even feedback.  So, it is up to the job seeker. 

If you are attending interviews and not hearing back, pick up the phone, make contact and reach out.  Simply by asking about the next steps, you will be able to understand whether you have made the short list.  If you haven’t, then ask for some feedback.  It is essential that you start to identify what is going wrong, particularly if it is happening more and more frequently when you’re attending interviews.

Attending interviews is daunting, even for the most experienced people.  That feeling of sitting in front of someone who is judging you can put even the calmest people off track.  

Always make sure you enter every interview feeling very well prepared and don’t be afraid to take control and follow up after any interview.  You can easily be the one to lead the conversation and ask for feedback. 

So, in short – don’t be afraid.  The worst that will happen is someone will tell you some harsh truths.  Which, let’s face it, you probably needed to hear anyway.

Interview preparation is key, and easily wins or loses the chance of being offered the role.

If you’re in charge of recruiting for the role, which candidate do you pick?  The one who arrives with a well prepared preparation document, or the candidate that is unable to fully articulate what you do as a business and what the role would entail.

When we’re at University, we spend so much time and energy into putting together essays, seminars and presentations.  In the job hunting process, where there is something so much more at stake, we cruise into interviews hoping that our charm will be enough to swing the interviewer over and demonstrate why we’re the right one to be hired.

We’re so full of self confidence that we’re blinded by the truth of what we’re facing in an interview.  The interview is a test.  How will this person behave in my business?

Will this person be late?

Will this person dress well?

Will this person prepare well?  Do they demonstrate good attention to detail?

Will this person be reliable, trustworthy, and answer questions with intelligence and thought.

This is what employers are assessing for in a face to face interview.  Of course they’re also assessing for a cultural fit, but more than anything they are looking at the individual assessing whether their behaviour fits into the expectations of the business.

To enhance your chance of success in an interview, it is essential that you prepare carefully.  Preparation is not a simple case of jumping online, browsing a website and assuming you know what they do.  Rather take the time to research the business, perhaps put together a SWOT and speak to people that work there.

Understand what a company is trying to achieve and ensure you can articulate this (in your own words) in the face to face interview. 

For any more interview techniques, have a look at one of our other sites such as www.progradsydney.com.au

ProGrad are keen to hear your feedback, particularly around what you think makes a good graduate program.  We are regularly meeting with graduate employers who are interested to hear from graduates directly, what makes a good graduate program.

Do employers need to have a structured plan in place, or are graduates better suited to an entrepreneurial approach where they can dictate their own success. Are graduates in need of a rotational program or is a more clearly defined graduate role the best route forward. 

Clearly all of this will depend on the individual but we would still like to hear from you (first hand) what you would be looking for in a graduate program.  If you have had experience of being on a graduate program, please let us know exactly what worked for you, and what you would have liked to change if possible.

ProGrad are currently working with three global FMCG companies and we’re assisting them to structure graduate programs based on our recommendations.  We have administered surveys at our recent assessment days which has identified a few clear trends in this space.  If you have any feedback you would like to share with ProGrad, we would like to hear from you.

Our Graduate Management team can be reached on 02 8235 8300 or via email info@prograd.com.au