As Graduate Recruitment season starts, our tips to Students/Candidates

Last Friday we had a great day hosting the AOG 2012 Careers Day, of which some 500+ students enjoyed a jam packed program of inspirational speakers, sensational prizes and a chance to connect directly with Employers.Thanks to the support of Woodside, Technip, JP Kenny, Curtin and UWA, GE Oil &Gas, Inpex, John Holland, SUT, Subsea 7, ConocoPhillips  and Worley Parsons -  their company representatives shared some great stories about their personal journeys, career highlights and tips to Students when applying for Graduate or Vac roles. 

These companies also had booths set up for the students to talk to them about career paths, job opportunities and their projects.  The feedback from the students was this was a fantastic day with valuable information that will help them as they commence their study year, next week. 

With the Graduate Recruitment season about to start, it's good timing for us to share our top tips for Grads!
 

TIP ONE
Think about EVERY touch point the recruiter has with you and what impact each interaction may have. For example, ensure your email address is professional (email addresses like dancewithsatan@email.com! are not appropriate), and that you have a voicemail message that clearly identifies who you are and when you will return calls (voicemail messages that start with long, loud rock music or crude/sexist jokes or statements will not leave a favourable impression – and my experience suggests this point is not just relevant to the younger generation!).

TIP TWO
Your resume is about the recruiter, not YOU. This means you need to accept that your resume may only be viewed for 30 or so seconds and if you don’t cut to the chase quickly, you’ll be overlooked. In other words, no fluff and no stuff in the resume that does not align with the requirements of the role.

TIP THREE
Do not say you are willing to do anything. It’s not the recruiter’s job to work out your ideal first or next career move – it is yours. Be clear about what you are seeking, build a resume that reflects this and target the right jobs for application.

TIP FOUR
Be VERY mindful about where you live online. Ensure your Facebook profile is closed to friends and that there is nothing online that a recruiter will find that could reflect poorly on you. We’ve had many examples where vacation students have bragged about stealing items from the workplace. If you live online, the employer can find you!

TIP FIVE
Keep track of your applications. When you have so many applications or expressions of interest lodged, maintain a database or spreadsheet so you are prepared when you receive a call. Nothing sounds worse to a recruiter when they call, to be greeted with...”what was the job I applied for again?”

TIP SIX
NEVER respond to a regret letter with a derogatory statement or email. Whilst the email may look like it is coming from a generic back end Company database, it is the recruiter that receives it directly. The number of times recruiters receive highly unprofessional email telling them to “*&%$ off” only confirms that they made the right decision not to select you.