ProGrad Brisbane is a blog designed to assit graduates with the process of finding a job. ProGrad are the leading graduate recruitment company in Australia, servicing Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and New Zealand
An Accountant, an Admin Clerk, and their Manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp.
They rub it and a Genie comes out.
The Genie says, “I’ll give each of you just one wish.”
“Me first! Me first!” says the Admin Clerk.
“I want to be in Hawaii, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world” Poof! She’s gone.
“Me next! Me next!” says the Accountant. “I want to be in Bali, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of cocktails and the love of my life.” Poof! He’s gone.
“OK, you’re up,” the Genie says to the Manager.
The Manager says, “I want those two back in the office in an hour.”
Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say!
According to ‘The Telegraph’- Article by Jeremy Warner (DEC 2011)
ProGrad is trying to put out the warning for all graduates that there may be some tough economic times ahead. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news)
Now is the time to brace yourself and get clued up about the types of industries and roles available. Our recommendation is to research the industries which will come out on top during the uncertain times ahead. Try looking at publications such BRW (Business Review Weekly), The Australian, SMH, Marketing Mag, CRN, ARN, Adnews and B&T to name a few.
To give you a helping hand, ProGrad have done some of the work for you. We have researched the top performing Industries that will help you make an educated decision on the best suited career path after University.
Information Technology
The technology space has always been one of the most robust industries available. Almost all organisations rely on the technology space to keep their businesses in operation. There is always a huge demand therefore within the technology arena.
Apple Mac announced their most successful year for growth in 2010 stating: “We are blown away to report over $20 billion in revenue and over $4 billion in after-tax earnings’ – Steve Jobs 2010.
The 2011 Financial Report is set to beat this revenue figure. Recent statistics released by Seek.com stated that over 22% of the highest earning positions across Australia were within the technology space. The only other industry to come close to this statistic was the mining area. It is highly lucrative, and offers a highly progressive career opportunity for a graduate.
Advertising/ Arts/ Media
Unfortunately this industry is suffering. According to the Channel V 2010 Financial Report, they have laid off 30% of their staff in the past 12 months. This figure is forecasted to increase in the future. If this is the starting path you want to take, we would recommend re-considering for the time being and get in a more stable position.
FMCG- Fast Moving Consumer Goods
The Fast Moving Consumer Goods Industry has always been steady in nature according to a Bloomberg Report(2011). The world’s largest food manufacture reported some of their highest earnings through the 2008 GFC and that trend is set to continue.
Banking and Financial Services
The Financial Services Industry is the fourth largest sector in Australia’s economy, generating 8.1 percent or $81 billion of real gross value added to the economy (IBSA 2011 Report). This is a great industry to be involved with, however there are warning signs: Changing Government regulations and risky investment deals have made new employees susceptible to loss of jobs and redundancy to accommodate for the loss in the overseas markets. The: Australian.com.au, warns that uncertain economic times have made the major 4 banks of Australia go into a cost-cutting mode and have laid off approximately 10% of staff across the board.
Insurance and Superannuation
There is always a high demand for these roles. However choosing the right company can be the tricky part in finding your dream job within this industry. According to Industry Super Network, Avoid under-performing Super Funds, such as banks and some smaller organisations. However most of these Industries need a strong focus on Government regulations and law enforcements.
Human Resource Management
The first thing to know about this Industry is the difference between HR and recruitment. Human Resources (HR) is the function within a company that deals with personnel issues (yahoo.com.au2011). A role as a “Recruitment Consultant” requires natural sales flair to be successful. This is a thriving area to be in as it covers a broader area.
Healthcare + Medical
There are a lot of different elements to this industry. The two main sectors are: Scientific Drug Development and then the Commercial Sales aspect. When dealing with the commercial business side, there is a lot of money to be made selling medicines where the commercial trading of medicines make up 60% of the entire Industry (PWC 2011). There will always be a high demand for this industry; however the most assessable avenue to take is the Corporate Sales sector.
Marketing Communications
Due to high costs of running a marketing campaign, many companies are cutting down on the operation costs of the department (staff numbers included). Many entry level marketing roles include data entry and administrational duties. On top of this, many Physical marketing avenues (such as promotions) have nearly almost gone online; MarketingMag Australia states: ‘The inevitable has occurred – internet use has eclipsed TV use in Australia. 93% of Australians access the internet at least weekly, compared to 90% who watch TV.’ (MarketingMag.com 2011)Due to this, Many marketing roles require someone who has a keen flair and knowledge of technology and Internet services.
Construction
This industry has actually slowed according to a ACIF Industry Report for 2011 for Residential and Non Residential buildings. However in Government and Mining sectors it has increased significantly to keep up with high demand of infrastructure and resources for the Australian and Overseas Markets. Engineering Construction is forecast to peak at close to $120 billion in 2013/14, reflecting the expected commencement of a number of large resource sector projects (ACIF.com 2011).
With January kicking off to a rapid start, 2012 is looking to be a very busy year!
This brings GOOD news and BAD news
The good news is that there are many organisations that have great Graduate positions available through ProGrad.
The bad news is however that it is an extremely competitive time of year for graduates as many students graduated at the end of the previous year and are actively looking for full time corporate positions.
As I said before, the news is good and bad!
At ProGrad we understand the frustrations of looking for a job. This competitive time of year can bring an abundance of rejections and many broken spirits. However it’s important to remember that thousands are in the same boat as you and every ‘NO’ received can only bring you closer to the perfect ‘YES’ position. If a job is worth fighting for, then of course it’s going to be competitive!
To help you ‘Get your head in the game’ ProGrad has the following game plan to help you win:
- Create a perfect Resume that’s tailored to every position applied for
- Get a professional Voicemail
- Invest in a suit
- Ensure your looking well groomed
- Research the company
These are some of the strategies to ensure you score the perfect position!
ProGrad specialises in Corporate Business Development Graduate roles. With many years of experience and reputable corporate clients behind us, the opportunities we can offer are huge. If you would like to be a part of the ProGrad network to see how we can offer you a foot in the door, then contact ProGrad at: info@prograd.com.au or call: (02) 8235 8300.
We are feeling festive here at ProGrad! The office is nicely decorated and everyone is cheerful! We have had such a fantastic year and are very much looking forward to having a successful 2012!
With so many success stories from 2011, we can only keep striving to help and place more graduates year by year.
If you would like to become a part of ProGrad’s network and want to hear about all the opportunities we can offer you, then please contact ProGrad on (02) 8235 8300 or email ProGrad at: info@prograd.com.au
LinkedIn has released the most overused Buzz words for 2011. The words that made the list are:
Creative’
Effective’
Communication skills’
Strategic planning’
These Buzzwords have come from professional profiles all over the world! The study mainly focused on Countries such as: France, Spain, Ireland, Singapore, USA and Australia.
At ProGrad we have come up with some alternative words you can use for your LinkedIn Profile. These include:
Tech Savvy!
Young and willing!
Open to anything!
Ready and rearing to go!
ProGrad would love to see these phrases make the next linked in Buzz Word list! For more suggestions and inspiration of buzz words please feel free to contact ProGrad directly on (02) 8235 8300. Or Email ProGrad at info@prograd.com.au
ProGrad celebrated Halloween in style this year as we all got our best costumes on to celebrate!
Everyone in the office enjoyed some horror movie trivia, followed by some seriously competitive apple bobbing!
If you would like to discuss any ProGrad opportunities, please do not hesitate to contact ProGrad on (02)8235 8300 or email us at: http://info@prograd.com
A big thumbs up to the Graduate Management Team here at ProGrad, who put in an enormous amount of effort to pull off a very successful week!
With such a hard working and dedicated team, it’s no wonder they did so well!
Another big thank you to the wonderful ProGrad boss who appreciates all the hard efforts and takes them out for breakfast to say thank you!
If you would like to find out more about the ProGrad team environment, please give ProGrad a call on (02) 8235 8300. Alternatively, you can email ProGrad at info@prograd.com.au
It’s the time of year when the flowers and blooming, the sun is shining and everyone is sneezing… it’s spring!
Spring is one of ProGrad’s favourite times of year as it gives everyone the chance to clean and brush up on their job hunting skills!
Why not take advantage of this sunny season and start spring cleaning through your resume. ProGrad can help you every step of the way to ensure your resume is sparkling clean and ready to send away!
Here at ProGrad we recommend to start tidying up the following areas:
Dust off your boring list of subjects studied all the way back in the HSC
Clean up your Cover Page to not include your life story
Polish off your relevant experience and jobs (take out your KFC position you had for 2 months when you were 15)
Sort through your references to ensure they are aware and are going to say something positive about you!
If you have any more questions about how to write a great resume, or if you would like to know how ProGrad can assist you in other areas, please don’t hesitate to email ProGrad at:
Here at ProGrad we see the importance of dressing well for interviews every day. The first impression is the most critical part of the interview, it only takes one instance to make a good first impression, however it takes 21 meetings to undo a bad impression.
With these stats in mind, it’s important to really pre-plan an outfit for an interview.
Here is a friendly ProGrad criteria that will help guide you:
For men:
If you look in the mirror and think ‘should I get a haircut?’ YOU SHOULD.
If you are thinking:’should I iron my shirt?’ YOU SHOULD.
If you are thinking: ‘should I have a shave?’ YOU SHOULD.
For women:
If you are thinking: ‘is my skirt too short?’ IT IS.
If you are thinking: ‘should I take my ear brow piercing out?’ YOU SHOULD.
If you think, am I wearing too much eye makeup? YOU ARE.
If you follow this fool proof ProGrad checklist, you are guaranteed to have an impressive first impression!
If any more questions on first impressions and ProGrad interview tips, please send all questions to: info@prograd.com.au. Alternatively, you can call ProGrad on (02)8235 8300.
The Graduate Management Team here at ProGrad enjoyed a nice big breakfast this morning! In between a mix of bacon and eggs, muesli and toast there was little room left in our full bellies! It’s so nice to be rewarded for all our hard work at ProGrad with these lovely food outings.
ProGrad really ensures productivity and motivation levels are kept high in their staff members. To be an employee of ProGrad is to be a friend of ProGrad!
If you have any questions on how ProGrad operates, or if you are interested in what roles ProGrad have to offer, then check out our website:
ProGrad are experts in the field of graduate recruitment in Australia. Since 2005, ProGrad has been responsible for the assessment of thousands of University graduates, and we have become known as the most trusted advisors in this space. Wherever possible, we like to make reccommendations to graduate job seekers which will assit them in their hunt for a graduate career opportunity. So, what are some of the challenges that graduates face when job hunting?
In the ideal world of job hunting and applying, you will get a few calls from a few unknown numbers which could be potential interview offers. So when you know you have applied for jobs and your phone rings, what should you do?
You should answer it!
Better yet, answer your phone, excuse yourself for a moment and then find a quiet place where you can have a good, clear conversation. There is nothing worse than trying to understand a person through a breaking up phone line. The first impressions of you could be negative and information could be lost such as crucial interview times and locations.
To maximise your phone interview experience, make an Excel Schedule of jobs applied for, the date you applied for them, and the contact you were given through the application. This will help you not be caught off guard and not have to ask- ‘excuse me where are you from again?’
So remember, break up with your dodgy mobile service and not your career!
ProGrad are specialist in the field of graduate recruitment in Australia. With 100′s of applications on a weekly basis, we aim to help as many graduate as we can to navigate the path of finding their ideal opportunity. If you would like to be considered by ProGrad for any of our ProGrad opportunities, then please give someone in the ProGrad office a call on 02 82358300. Alternatively you can email ProGrad, by contacting us at: info@prograd.com.au.
We all know we love talking about ourselves. But, unlike when telling your mum about your day, when talking business, you can expect limitations put on your answers. Words like: short, precious, facts, in 5 words or less, often come into play.
Giving a prompt, to the point answer does NOT mean explaining that exact feeling you had after winning the most improved award in year 10, or how you smashed your record for how many cheese burgers you ate at McDonalds last week…
The short and sweet rule should be applied to the following:
Resumes
Cover Letters
Most importantly, INTERVIEWS.
What is the short and sweet rule?
Good question!
The short and sweet rule is your ability to be able to sum up all the main achievements an employer would look for, and give key details in a short amount of time. An employer should get all the facts in the whole 5 seconds they spend reading your resume and still think your sweet for saving their time not discussing every minute detail of your life.
So remember, if you want to be sweet and avoid the bad aftertaste of vomit- then state the specifics and be short about it!
A ProGrad we know what makes a successful interview and we can help with any preparation needs to help you nail the interview. For ProGrad assistance to help with graduate applications, contact ProGrad’s Graduate Management Team on 02 8235 8300 or email us at info@prograd.com.au
So you have finished your degree, maybe travelled a little, are well and truly sick of your part time job and decided you are finally ready to bite the bullet and get into full time work. But what job is that?
If you are a recent graduate looking to get into the business sector, it can be daunting knowing where to start, especially if your studies haven’t necessarily directed you into a one stop job.
One angle you may want to consider is a role in sales.
No not tele-marketing, and don’t worry I’m not talking about standing on the street corner trying to get people to sign up to the latest scam.
I mean genuine corporate sales, working within a well established company on a competitive salary, getting that all important foot in the door and gaining the valuable experience that can take you from new comer, to old pro.
Sales provides graduates a unique opportunity to learn about a business from the inside out. Working in correspondence with all other parts of a business, the sales department gives you the best exposure and often a great head start into avenues usually closed to entry level positions.
It might not be an option you had ever considered before but for graduates who are ambitious, eager to work and wanting to get some hands on experience in a role that will help them progress in their career, Sales may be the yellow brick road for you.
ProGrad specialize in placing recent university graduates into business to business sales roles. For more information or to apply for any of our roles, contact the ProGrad Graduate Management team on 02 8235 8300 or alternatively email us at info@prograd.com.au
Getting a new job is always exciting and opens a whole new world of possibilities, but will you find a few new kilos too?
Many of us can probably relate to the ease at which we have gained weight after finding a job. The active days of old have passed and we now sit behind a desk with a Snickers to help us “stay on task”.
The new found freedom to snack is all too tempting, and when combined with the upped income of a full time job, the yesteryear budget of 2 minute noodles & toast leaves a bad taste in your mouth. You are now free to indulge on takeaway every day for lunch, every night for dinner, it’s all too convenient. And a little too unhealthy.
But then on the other end of the spectrum, there are those few determined people in the office who are constantly on a diet. The ones who still go to the gym, who eat tuna all day every day and think celery is a staple. Good for them.
Bringing leftovers and using some kind of portion control sized Tupperware to ensure you don’t overindulge seems to be one way to prevent against excessive lunch spending. But as for motivation to eat healthy, is celery really enough to get you through a tough day at work? If it is, hats off, you have the will of mountain goat.
Many offices have a snack box or vending machine which is always a plus but the companies that provide their employees with fresh fruit seem to be the way of the future. Health and vitality are obviously essential and so healthy employees are happy and productive ones.
The responsibility still lies with the individual, so if you have found the secret to a successful office diet please share it with us!
Beginning a new job can be stressful, there’s no doubt about it.After the initial excitement wears off and the reality of the responsibility kicks in, it’s not uncommon for graduates to flip out at the stark contrast between the old and the new. What was once a life of luxury carefully planned out for you often becomes a new world of busyness and schedule with zero breaks for daytime TV and a pile of clothes that need to be ironed.
So what are some ways to cope with the transition from easy breezy to hustle and bustle?
Preparation! The first and most obvious thing to do is look at your schedule and plan out when things are going to happen and how you can best prepare for each element. If you know you have to be up early for work, try packing the night before? Always have an extra shirt ironed and ready just in case you press snooze one too many times, and keep a diary to help yourself stay on track.
Look for windows of time you may be missing- Most people lose more than hour in the morning wasting time between when they wake up and leave the house- when you add that up over the space of the week that is a lot of time. Try to get into a structured routine and fit in some exercise, reading or extra sleep if you are finding it difficult to do this at other times. Don’t forget transit time is a great opportunity you can use, listening to podcasts, reading or calling a friend can be more entertaining ways to pass the time and use it more productively than just playing angry birds.
Eat ice chips- it sounds weird but apparently it helps you de-stress. Who knows, it might be worth a shot?
For help dealing with the hurdles of graduate employment, contact ProGrad’s Graduate Management Team on 02 8235 8300 or email us at info@prograd.com.au
It’s Friday, Friday Gotta get down on Friday. Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend, weekend.
It’s annoyingly catchy, and embarrassingly lame. But at least Rebecca Black got one thing right, on a Friday afternoon everyone is looking forward to the weekend- especially around the office.
With the worries of the week mostly behind you, most workers settle down into cruise mode by lunch time Friday and productivity levels begin to get a little more lax. All the odd jobs you needed to get done (those that don’t require 100% brain function) get priority and the big meetings, reports and projects are put off until Monday, because after all- tomorrow is Saturday and Sunday comes after.. wards and we all know there’s no working on the weekends!
Rebecca with her school girl worries isn’t the first person to appreciate this exciting time of the week-employees world wide have cherished the end of the working week, and so we are forced to agree with her blatantly obvious statements- most of us don’t want the weekend to end!
To enjoy Rebecca’s witty insights on the end of the week see her inspiring video:
Giving your notice to a current employer is never a pleasant experience. But unless you LOVE your part time job flipping burgers or checking change rooms you are more than likely going to face the situation where you have to tell your manager that you are moving on to greener pastures.
Though a seemingly awkward prospect, the conversation doesn’t have to be a painful breakup.
Being honest is the best approach. If you are working in a role that doesn’t exactly have the progression opportunities you dream of, your boss will hopefully understand.
Letting them know you want to pursue something full time, relevant to your degree or in an industry that offers you different challenges are all legitimate reasons that an employer will likely respect. Just use some tact and try to frame it in a way that doesn’t suggest their job is rubbish.
The harder part is leaving a job that on paper fits those descriptions but in reality isn’t right.
If you are leaving a role that is perhaps part of your graduate career, then again honesty still remains the best policy. Let your employer know you are having problems and have been considering leaving, if you aren’t comfortable telling them you are looking for other jobs then at least let them know when you have been offered by a company and are considering it, which would mean you may finish up soon.
Check your companies policy, if you are only a casual usually a day or two notice will be fine, for part or full timers it’s good to check and make sure you don’t have a longer obligation period.
Ultimately it’s always wise to be considerate of an employer- you don’t want to give anyone reason to give you a bad reference! If leaving is the best thing to do, then do it in the best way!
If you are a recent university graduate unsure about the next steps to take toward your dream career in business, visit ProGrad’s website www.prograd.com.au or contact ProGrad’s graduate management team at info@prograd.com.au
We see thousands of resumes come through our system and while many are well put together, spell checked documents that represent the best aspirations and achievements of graduates on the market; there are also many that can only be described as shocking.
Some of our favourite ‘Resume Fails’ from graduates include the following awkward typos, oversights and downright weird skills put forward as achievements:
Career Objectives:
“And also I love socializing to other people and support my working team mate and also supporting my other friend as well.”
“One day, I wish I can become a billionaire listed on Forbes List.”
“At the same time, the farms, clothes shop working life developed me a hard-working habits”
“I am anxious to use my exiting skills to benefit your organisation.”
Qualifications:
“Bechelor of Management”
Employment History:
“Burger Person”
Responsibilities:
“Work as a cash register”
“Provide Custer Service.”
Hobbies / Interests:
“Enjoy cooking Chinese and Italians”
“Having a good time”
“Fiancé or IT”
Skills:
“Bull castration”
“Fluent in England”
If you’re a recent graduate and have a resume a little on the thin side, let ProGrad help you find your career in business to business sales by contacting the Graduate Management Team on 02 8235 8351 or email us at info@prograd.com.au
1)You spent 3 or 4 years getting this degree, you may as well put to use:
Unless you got an amazing scholarship, a university degree is not cheap to come by, and if you have a HECS debt, then the sooner you jump into a job the sooner you can start paying that bad boy off. It makes sense then that you go out into the world and begin to use the qualification you have worked so hard for!
2)You can put to bed the ebb and flow of casual/part time work and get some stability:
One undeniably reliable aspect of full time work is that it is, full time. Having fixed days, regular working hours and a regular schedule not only means you can better plan your time but you know you won’t have those hectic over the top weeks followed by crazy dry spells that wreak havoc with your social life. Working full time means your weekends are your own and best of all, your pay cheque is regular too, which leads me to my next point…
3)A decent income:
The thing with having a degree is that it usually entitles you to a higher potential income. When you start your career in the corporate sector you can bet you will be doing better than you were your retail salary or that unpaid internship. Whether it’s travel, a car or even a house, you’ll get there quicker with a grown up pay packet!
4)New friends:
When you start a graduate job you not only begin the invaluable process of networking, making the all important connections to aid your career and progression but you also get to make new friends. If you are lucky enough to work in a team or group setting you will inevitably befriend and end up enjoying the time spent with a new group people.
5)Greater exposure to YouTube classics:
Anyone who works in an office has at some stage received an email or link with some entertaining subject matter that helps break up the day. The best YouTube referrals inevitably come from co-workers so you can either spend your time alone on the couch laughing at your laptop or in the office laughing alongside the rest of the team (during a lunch break of course..)
Here are some of our favourites, conveniently edited into a 4 minute package:
If you are a graduate after a career, contact ProGrad’s Graduate Management Team on 02 8235 8300 or alternatively email info@prograd.com.au and let us help you take the first steps to your new career.
ProGrad is a graduate recruitment company based in Australia. We help recently qualified graduates to seek employment opportunities in the business world. ProGrad service Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, working with graduates in each location. ProGrad run workshops for the graduate community which are an integral part of the ProGrad screening process.
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