ProGrad Brisbane Assessment Days are on the Rise
August 17, 2010 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
Since June 2010, ProGrad have felt the demand of Graduate vacancies grow within QLD, which has prompted our focus in the market. Historically, ProGrad have focused primarily in NSW and VIC and only worked in QLD occassionally depending on the roles made available. In June, ProGrad made a company-wide committment to offer more dedicated and more proactive resource to the area, to ensure we have a heavier presence amongst the graduate community.
Since June 2010, we have already seen over 100 graduates attend our ProGrad Assessment Day in QLD, and have already successfully conducted interviews for them with over 30 organisations in the area. “This marks a new chapter for ProGrad and one that we’re all excited about. We’ve always wanted to work more closely
with Universities and Graduates in Brisbane, however we didn’t ever experience the same level of interest from our corporate clients here. This has definitely changed in recent months, and we now forecast significant growth in QLD over the next 12 months.” Davinia, General Manager for ProGrad explains.
Davinia continues, “Our initial focus is to work alongside our existing client base, who might have a presence in Brisbane. We would like to ensure current clients are given primary focus for their recruitment needs at a junior level. We’re currently sourcing roles for QLD companies in Sales, Lead Generation, Marketing, Research, Analysts, and Project Managers to name a few”.
If you have an office in QLD which you think might benefit from a ProGrad discussion, please contact our Business Development Team in Sydney on 02 8235 8300. Alternaitvely, you can email us sales@prograd.com.au
ProGrad will service QLD from the NSW office for the remainder of the year, however based on company demand, we may open an office in the not too distant future.
For any information about ProGrad, our proposition, and our process - please view our website www.prograd.com.au or contact us for a more in-depth discussion 02 8235 8300.
ProGrad Assessment Day Team
March 11, 2010 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
ProGrad Assessment Team: 
The ProGrad Assessment Day Team will consist of 5-10 people depending on the day. The team is a combination of our Graduate Managers, our Business Developers and our Facilitators.
During the Assessment Day, each candidate will have a series of score sheets. These score sheets are for assessment purposes which are scored against a competency based framework. During the session, it is not about your academic qualifications. We are looking to highlight key competencies which are listed below:
1) Confidence
2) Verbal Communication Skills
3) Drive and Dynamism
4) Ability to Influence and Persuade
5) Structure and Logic
Following the ProGrad Assessment Day, each candidate is welcome to contact ProGrad for feedback about their performance. We are happy to share all feedback with you as it may assist with further interviews being attended.
Our ProGrad Graduate Management Team can be contacted on 02 8235 8300.
ProGrad Clients
March 11, 2010 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
ProGrad Clients:
ProGrad have been in Australia since 2005 and in that time we have developed strong relationships with over 600 companies.
Our Client list is attractive and provides graduates with access to employers such as Dell, Microsoft, News, Fairfax, McCain, Mars, Nestle, Fujitsu, Cisco, Heinz, Hasbro, Dow Jones and SEEK.
We have placed thousands of graduates over the years and are proud to have some incredible success stories. ProGrad are actively selling our graduate model each day to more and more businesses with the aim of creating more graduate positions.
Prior the assessment day, we would recommend that you look at some of the Clients we work with and look at many of the roles available.
Business to business sales is an umbrella term and really covers a wide variety of positions available. Essentially, all businesses have the need to build and maintain relationships with other organizations in order to generate sales.
When an advertising agency “pitches” for new business, they are selling their organization and their concept. FMCG companies will often sell to large retail outlets at a business to business level. Media companies will often have a variety of clients which are sold to in a business to business capacity, in order to generate revenue. Technology companies produce software and hardware used by almost every business (large and small) in existence today. Business to business sales exists in every organsiation. The types of role may alter depending on the business. Most of our graduate positions will be:
- Business Development
- Territory Management
- Account Executive
- Account Manager
- Sales Coordinator
- Inside Sales Representative
- Field Sales Representative
- Lead Generator
- Business Consultant
- Sales Representative
- Sales and Marketing Coordinator
- Marketing Assistance
- Campaign Coordinator
The nature of the roles will again vary depending on the company and their industry. We will discuss all options with you during the assessment day, however if you would like to discuss anything sooner, please call us directly on 02 8235 8300.
Writing your Resume
March 10, 2010 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
More and more graduates are leaving University each year and it seems to be getting increasingly competitive for graduates to find suitable employment. Online jobs portals like SEEK or MyCareer are very popular with graduates when looking for roles, and are viewed as a good advertising method for employers. It is low cost to post an advertisement online, and employers are aware they will receive a huge amount of applications. However this is the challenge for you. Too many applications mean that your resume has less chance of being read.
An average recruiter will spend less than 30 seconds looking at your resume. This is your window to make an immediate impact and so ensure your resume follows the basic guidelines below
1) Only include relevant information
2) The resume should be specific to the role you are applying for
3) Less than 2 pages in length (most graduates shouldn’t require more than 1 page)
There is a basic structure for you to follow which we will outline here.
Personal Details:
Naturally, this piece is key but limit how much information is provided. You really only need to include your name, your contact number and an email address (which should be “professional” looking)
Career Objective:
It is essential that you specify a career objective in your resume and it must be relevant to the role you are applying for. With that in mind, you may need to alter this part of your resume for each application. This way you can ensure it is well tailored to each role you are applying for. It should be approximately 4-5 lines in length and must provide a decent snapshot of why you’re applying for the role.
Education:
There is no need to get carried away here. Simply list your University and degree as your most recent Education. Feel free to list your school, but only if you feel it carries relevance. Many employers are not too concerned about which school you went to.
Work Experience:
Think carefully about your work experience. Employers are looking for loyalty with an employer and they’re looking for the transferrable skills that you have developed in specific positions. Don’t list the tasks you did in each role, but rather discuss the skills and competencies you developed. Again, ensure that the language you use, is well aligned to the language used in the advertisement. Don’t feel you need to list every job you ever had from the age of 15. Simply choose the most relevant positions that demonstrate your fit for the role.
Achievements:
Employers like “achievers”, particularly at a graduate level. Awards you may have received can be listed here. Not necessarily “awards” such as the one you received in Year 10 for good attendance, but rather a Duke of Edinburgh Award, or an Award for Debating etc
Hobbies and Interests:
This is a section to demonstrate that you’re an active person and have interests outside of University/ work. Sports are well received by employers, along with reading/ socializing/ music interests and technology. Please avoid discussing travel as an interest as this can sometimes work against you. Employers may develop a concern that you will leave a role to “travel” at a later date.
References:
Simply make these available upon request. There is no value in adding personal contact details of friends/ family/ colleagues or co-workers on a resume. If they are needed, an employer will simply request them.
ProGrad is a specialist graduate recruitment company working with over 600 companies across Australia. For more information about our process, please contact our ProGrad Graduate Management Team on 02 8235 8300.
ProGrad Assessment Day Hints
March 8, 2010 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
Assessment Day – Hints and Tips for success!
What is the Assessment Day?
ProGrad assessment days are by invitation only and competition is high between graduates wishing to secure their place on the day. At ProGrad, we assess your competencies to help you find a suitable graduate position that can offer you the support and development you will need to be a success. You will be at our assessment day for approximately 6 hours, during which time we will be evaluating your skills and attitude.
The assessment day also offers you the opportunity to gain access to our top graduate recruiters, careers advice and tips for successful interviews. We also provide you with feedback on your performance.
Becoming a ProGrad candidate will give you a head start over other graduates in the market place. We only represent candidates that have been selected at our assessment days, who have demonstrated a real focus to launch their graduate career with a leading company.
In attending the ProGrad assessment day, you will:
• Experience a graduate selection process
• Have access to top graduate employers
• Gain information regarding careers from our graduate recruitment team
• Feedback regarding your performance
If you’re successful through the process
• You will be represented by ProGrad for interviews with our Client partners
• Gain unlimited access to your graduate recruiter who will provide you with
assistance,training and feedback during the interview process
• You will be eligible to take part in certain personal development programs
• You will stand out from other less prepared graduates in the job hunting market
What to expect at the assessment day
• Psychometric testing
• Self introductions
• Group dynamic exercises
• Feedback sessions
• Business Case Study
• Feedback sessions
• Group Presentation
• One to one interviews
• Verbal and numerical reasoning tests
• Individual presentations
The exercises are designed to enable us to assess you against a competency based framework.
We are not concerned with whether you got the answers right, we’re more interested in how you deal with the challenges in front of you. We want to understand your drive, your motivation, how you respond to pressure and how you deal with people around you.
We also invite some of our Client partners to the assessment day who are looking for ProGrad candidates to start in their teams. This is often where many of our graduates are “scouted” by graduate employers.
What to wear at a ProGrad assessment day?
This is a formal interview process, and so you will be asked to attend our Assessment Day in “formal business dress”.
Remember: First impressions count.
General rules for “formal business dress”:
For men: wear a dark suit, with a plain shirt and tie
For women: try to keep your suit as conservative as possible. Dress for business, not for fashion.
Shoes must be polished and plain black or dark brown.
What are we looking for?
We will be measuring you against a competency based framework at the assessment day. We are looking for:
• Confidence
• Verbal Communication skills
• Drive/ Dynamism
• Ability to Influence and Persuade
• Structure and Logic
How to prepare for the assessment day:
“Fail to prepare and you prepare to fail!”
You must prepare a 3 minute presentation prior to the assessment day, titled “Why should we select you for a career in business to business sales?”
We are not only testing your presentation skills - we are testing your ability to prepare. Do not underestimate the importance of preparing for this!
General Guidelines for your presentation:
i. Keep to the 3 minute time-frame (you will be timed on the day).
ii. Answer the question posed in the title
iii. If you require notes, ensure they are tidy
iv. You are welcome to use visual aids or props to enhance your presentation
v. Practice makes perfect!
What is business-to-business sales?
Business to business sales, is the transaction from one business to another. Business to business sales involves building and maintaining high level business relationships with key decision makers. Your role may be a combination of dealing with existing Client relationships and forging new business contacts. High-level business to business sales can involve a number of activities to include:
• Managing key Client relationships
• Generating new business opportunities in new and existing accounts
• Booking business meetings
• Attending business meetings, generating requirements
• Assisting with pitches, marketing campaigns, exhibitions etc
• Assisting with proposals/ tender responses
• Forging strategic relationships with key decision makers
• Dealing with Clients both on the telephone and face to face
Why start my career in business to business sales?
There are 4 key things that all graduates want from their career:
• Training
• Autonomy
• Progression into Management
• A good salary
A business to business sales career is the only career where your hard work will be instantly rewarded with quick progress, increased earning ability and unrivalled training. ProGrad graduates are put into the most important part of any organisation, the business to business sales team. They are immediately part of the success and growth of the company and this forms a key part in their importance to the business.
Salary expectations are progressive with most candidates earning $40-60k in year one and moving that to the $50-90k mark in year two.
It has been reported that over 70% of Chief Executive Officers began their careers in business to business sales. The two most important facets of any organisation, are the strengths of its financial departments, and its ability to generate revenue through the business to business sales teams.
Graduates entering into either of these divisions, are exposed rapidly into the business world, and are able to add tangible value to a company’s growth and development. It is due to this, that Graduates statistically speaking, enter senior management quicker than their peers - because they understand the mechanics of the organisation.
What kind of company could I work in?
ProGrad has become the partner of choice for not only the best graduates in the country but also the best companies. We work across a variety of sectors to include:
• Information Technology
• Telecommunication
• Media
• Publishing
• Advertising
• Finance
• Industrial
• Events
All of our roles are in the business to business sales teams of our Client partners. For more information about ProGrad and our positions, please contact one of the ProGrad Graduate Management Team on 02 8235 8300. Alternatively, you can view our website for more informaton.
Applying to ProGrad again
March 5, 2010 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
ProGrad do allow candidates to attend an assessment session more than once. That said, we do have a waiting period of 12 weeks prior to re-attendance.
If you have attended an assessment centre with ProGrad already and would like to attend another session, please contact our Graduate Management Team. Our internal team can discuss your feedback and options moving forward. Our core activity is placing graduates into Business to Business Sales roles across a variety of industries (such as technology, media, FMCG, finance and events). From time to time we do work on other opportunities such as Consulting, Admin, HR, and finance. If ever we find another role that might be more suited to you, we will definitely be in touch.
ProGrad run a number of other graduate related websites which are worth looking into for other opportunities, and even more interview recommendations:
www.progradsalesrecruitment.com.au
We can also be found on various other websites including Twitter, Linkedin, Flickr and Facebook.
For any questions you have about ProGrad, please contact the ProGrad team on 02 8235 8300.
First impressions
March 5, 2010 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
First Impressions
Shake hands with a firm handshake. Make sure you maintain eye contact. Smile! When you sit down engage with the interviewer. Don’t let your eyes dart around the room like a wild animal. Of course you will be nervous, but the ability to mask how you are feeling and project confidence shows the employer that you will be able to handle yourself in difficult business situations.
Choose your words carefully – If you are asked what your weaknesses are, don’t say you are a perfectionist which can be construed as a weakness. Seriously, every second person uses it and it tells us nothing! Unless of course you really are one. Say the fact you don’t have experience but you are eager to learn. Just make it interesting because the employer wants to know about you. They aren’t looking for generic answers so don’t waste their time.
If you are asked about your personal interests get excited! If you love soccer, tell them how you go to games with your friends and cheer until you lose your voice. Show them you have a personality and can have fun outside of work. If you love reading tell them about the book keeping you up until 4am. Find a common interest and talk about it. It will make you both more comfortable. Remember this isn’t an interrogation but a way for you to show how your skills will benefit an organisation. So be ready to discuss your strengths and long term career goals.
Finally, a good employer is bringing you on board on the basis that you have the ability and willingness to learn. They want to ensure you will be of value, honest, reliable, and dependable. Be clear and specific in your answers and don’t go off on tangents. Practice with friends or family and go through all the standard interview questions. Remember, “fail to prepare and you prepare to fail”.
After the ProGrad assessment day
March 5, 2010 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
Whether or not you’re successful at the ProGrad assessment day, we do aim that the experience is a positive one and relevant information is provided to job seekers which can assist for future interviews. We acknowledge that time is being spent at our offices conducting a long interview process, and therefore we dedicate over an hour to a presentation on “The Importance of First Impressions”.
This presentation covers a number of topics, around resume writing, cover letters, the application process for jobs, preparing for interviews and even how to approach different interview styles. Whilst it may not all be relevant to every job seeker, we do aim to provide an insight which will add value to the job hunting process.
Here is an email we received this morning, from a candidate who was present at the ProGrad assessment day yesterday:
Hi Davinia,
Just wanted to say thanks for giving me the opportunity today. The presentation given today about resume writing was invaluable!! It would be great if you could send me the presentation as I remember hearing you say we could request them. Also, feedback would be great too! I Which number can I ring?
Thanks once again for the experience, it was very helpful in many ways,
yours sincerely,
Carmen
Prograd is Australia’s leading graduate placement organisation and we’re expanding each month which in turn is providing more and more graduate opportunities to our candidates. If you would like to know more about attending a ProGrad assessment day, either in Sydney or Melbourne, please call us on 02 8235 8300.
Coming in early and staying late
March 3, 2010 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
Sadly, as a recent Graduate you have to get used to starting at the bottom and working your way up. It’s not ideal, and you didn’t go to University to make coffee, we know. That said - being the new kid in the office will carry an element of that until you put a stop to it.
The best way to avoid being the coffee go-to is to distinguish yourself. Set the expectation that whilst you might lack experience, you don’t lack ability.
Firstly, dress to impress. That old saying “dress for the job you want, not the one you have” is a cliche, but does carry some weight. Naturally this isn’t going to work for every given environment. Most creative agencies will laugh you out of the building for arriving in a suit - but in more “corporate” environments it will all start with how you dress.
If you dress like the coffee kid, you might be treated like the coffee kid.
Secondly, take initiative. Drive your own activity, set your own goals, and exceed expectations. It is a simple thing, but head to work early, and stay in work late. Typically, senior management are the first ones in the office, and might be the last to leave. They will soon notice you if you’re spending a lot of time hanging around. And don’t use the time to look on Facebook. Use the extra time for something prodcutive which will add value to the company. Take it upon yourself to do some competitor analysis, make recommendations for new processes. Demonstrate how your changes can add value to the business.
Sometimes this is easier said than done, and will come with practice. The bottom line is that you need to create your worth within a business and earn it. It won’t be there from day one. Think about how you are perceived and aim to ensure that you set a high benchmark. You’ll find yourself climbing up the corporate ladder in no time.
ProGrad specialises in training graduates in their graduate careers, and have placed thousands of graduates in Australia since 2005. For more information about our business, please call our ProGrad office on 02 8235 8300.
Taking time for coffee
March 3, 2010 by ProGrad · Leave a Comment
Does your grad program allow time for coffee?As printed in HR Daily, 4th February 2010. |
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04 February 2010 8:24am
The key to taking your graduate program to “a whole other level” could be as simple encouraging managers and graduates to grab a coffee together, says Development Beyond Learning director Josh Mackenzie. Mackenzie’s belief that fostering strong relationships between grads and managers is a key to success is based on the widely known principle that while many employees leave managers, not jobs, “they’ll often follow managers and leaders to other organisations”, he says. “That’s how important those relationships are. So if you can tie those strong relationships into your grad program, that takes the program to a whole other level,” he says. All too often, however, HR managers assume these relationships “will be built by themselves… underestimating the impact that those relationships have on the graduates in the first 12 to 18 months”. The manager and the graduate need to accept equal responsibility for building relationships because, just like a personal relationship, it “takes two to tango”, says Mackenzie. “Managers need to step up and put the effort into building those relationships but that’s not going to be fruitful if the graduates aren’t stepping up to the plate as well. So it’s really about educating both parties about the importance of it and then helping them and equipping them both with the skills to do that.” One technique Mackenzie strongly advocates is structured coffee coaching. By building opportunities “into the design” of your program, grads can be introduced to the organisation through a program that’s “not just about a series of workshops but a series of experiences”, he says. While Mackenzie admits that “as soon as you impose something that is meant to be informal, it’s not going to work”, he says coffee coaching “definitely needs to be promoted to both the graduates and their managers as a really useful thing to do”. In addition to one-on-one meetings “focused on how the graduate is going and what those two people can do to work even better together”, managers might consider meeting with “a handful of graduates” in order to better gauge “how the graduate cohort overall is feeling and what can be done”, he says. While it might be easier for the manager to take the initiative, “there’s also nothing to stop graduates in most organisations approaching their managers,” Mackenzie says, “or even approaching other managers to sit down and get some feedback or talk about the company”. In cases where managers consider themselves “too busy” to go the extra mile, the problem often lies in ignorance, Mackenzie says. Many are simply unaware of “the bottom-line dollar cost of recruiting, inducting and developing a new graduate into their company”, he explains. It is not enough to simply tell managers that “a lot of time and money” is invested in graduates. Rather, employers should spell out how many dollars per head the program costs the business. Explaining the cost of someone leaving within the first three or four years - and that one of the biggest reasons is the manager they work for or the culture of the company - is important, he says. Ensuring managers understand the benefits of having strong relationships with grads will pave the way for making it part of the culture, not just the program, Mackenzie says. In some organisations, this will mean departing from the ways of the past. “I think that it is sometimes hard for managers to see the benefit of doing this when they’re not having it done for them - because managers and leaders manage and lead based on how they’re being managed and led,” he says. “So one way is to make sure that they’re getting it as well, but then the other way to continue the ripple effect is for graduates in their second year to play the buddy role to new grads so they’re now doing the same thing that was done for them.” Finally, it is important to keep monitoring the strength of the relationships, not only informally, through verbal feedback, but formally through existing processes. “So at performance review time for the manager, if the company is using the 360-degree feedback model where they’re getting feedback from the people that work for them, the people that work with them, and the people that they work for, [seeing] what feedback is showing up there from their team members, which is going to include the graduates, is a great way to measure it.” While it’s important to ensure your graduate training program is put together really well, it’s arguably more important to have a culture of strong relationships between graduates and their line managers, and graduates and their senior leaders,” says Mackenzie. “It’s those relationships that will have the greatest influence and those relationships that will retain and engage those graduates longer term.” |
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ProGrad are on Flickr
