Get Career Advice from Experts

Setting career goals is a powerful technique that can maximize your opportunities, results and performance. You can increase performance, improve motivation & confidence, concentrate on what is important to you and be more satisfied with your job.

Career Goals

To set career goals you must ask yourself a series of questions:

• What is my dream job?
• What do I need to do to achieve this? What timeframe?
• What information, knowledge or assistance do I need?
• What barriers or constraints do I need to overcome?
• Setting priorities and goals?

Online Applications

A successful online applications is key in securing the job your want. Some tips include:

• Be selective and apply for jobs in which you know you can meet at least 80% of the criteria. Do not use the scatter gun approach and apply for every job
• you will be wasting your time and the potential employers!
• Respond to the selection criteria with an executive summary detailing your suitability to the job. Remember less is more, so be brief and state your claims clearly
• Customise your resume to highlight your skills and experience. Ensure that you use a current copy of your resume and don’t forget to do a spell check
• Stand out from the crowd by giving the agency or employer a reason to read your application. Use key words in the subject heading
• Follow up with a phone call to the agency or employer (contact details are often provided in the job ad)

Interview Tips

When in a job interview situation, the key is to be prepared and confident. Imagine what the interviewers are going to ask you and come up with a response. You will need to take notes and brainstorm particular topics that they may be interested in.

1. Some questions to prepare for include:
   • Where do you see yourself in 2 years?
   • What is your career objective?
   • What attracted you to this company?
   • What do you know about this company?
   • What skills will you bring to the organisation?
   • What are your strengths & weaknesses?
2. Dress for the occasion. Depending on the workplace, try to dress appropriately. Choose something that is professional/corporate, but something that you feel comfortable in. Remember first impressions count.
3. Interviews are a two-way discussion so prepare some questions that you can ask them. Some questions may include:
   • Specific details of the position (core duties of the position, who will this role be reporting to, day-to-day responsibilities, working hours)
   • Company (culture, structure, growth strategies, competitors)
   • Recruitment Process (timeframe, additional information)
4. Appear confident and friendly. Leave a professional impression. Thank the interview panel for their time and interest in your application.
5. Know your resume inside and out (dates, achievements, education etc). Often interviewers will construct their questions based on your work history and rate your suitability against the skills/experience required for the job.