Most university employment and career
development services will have contacts for
volunteer work. Your faculty may also have
some suggestions for Work Integrated Learning
options.
Question: My applications are well written,
grammatically correct and target the needs
of the employer. I have undertaken several
volunteer internships, as well as leadership
roles at the university level. Why do I keep
getting knocked back?
A: You are certainly being proactive in obtaining
some good experience. You need to look at
the quality of your application. Ensure that in
your application you do target the needs of the
employer, selection criteria and job (and not just
submit a generic application).
If, as you say, your application addresses these
points, it is either the fickle market out there
or your competition. You could contact the
employer and ask if they have any tips on what
they are looking for in applicants and how you
could improve your application for the future.
Ask what made the successful applicant stand
out. Otherwise, as mentioned previously, you
may also want to think about extending your
job search activities into different industries or
different types of roles. Use your networks as well
– family, friends, social acquaintances etc.
It is also important to ensure that you meet the
basic eligibility requirements of the position.
For example, some employers can only take
on graduates who have their Permanent
BUSINESS AS USUAL
Residency status, are undertaking certain degree
-- Graduate Outlook Survey 2008, GCA
qualifications, or have certain academic results.
You should be able to find out these basic
74%
requirements from the employer’s website.
It is probably worthwhile visiting your careers
service and getting your résumé checked
out. It will also be able to provide some good
OF EMPLOYERS INDICATED THAT THEY
WOULD DEFINITELY NOT BE CANCELLING
strategies for getting past that initial stage in the
THEIR 2009 GRADUATE PROGRAM.
application process.
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