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Table of Contents
Welcome to the EcoSoc Internship Info Day Whats an Internship? RBA Essay Writing Competition Information Cover Letter Writing Sample Cover Letter Format Resume Writing Upcoming UNSW EcoSoc Activities Psychometric Testing Assessment Centres UNSW Careers & Employment Upcoming Sessions Interview with Chris Pearson Interview with Matt Langham Interview with Dr Geoff Harcourt Economics Internships Closing Dates Sponsors Page 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 8. 9. 10. 13. 14. 16. 17. 19.
Guide
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What is an Internship?
An internship or vacation-work is an arrangement with an organisation that enables experiential learning in an area related to your study and career goals. An internship can be part time or full time, paid or unpaid, local or overseas and can last from a few weeks to a year. The Fair Work Act 2009 is in place to ensure you are not exploited by employers. If you are unsure about the terms and conditions of your internship you can check with the lawyer at Arc http://www.arc.unsw.edu.au/StudentSupport-30.aspx Benefits of an internship
Workplace experience Put theory into practice Insight into future employer / career Learn new skills Future referees Build networks Many employers recruit graduates from their successful interns
How to maximise your chances of success Because of the many benefits of an internship, competition is fierce. Therefore you need to:
1. 2. 3. 4. Know what the company is looking for Ensure that you meet their requirements Sell yourself as the best candidate for the role Apply early some employers start recruiting in Feb/Mar for December placements
What is the company looking for? Employers are not necessarily looking for high academic results. They want well rounded graduates with:
1. Consistent marks 2. Work experience any kind of experience! 3. Extracurricular activities
How can I ensure I meet the requirements? Employers are looking for soft skills such as leadership, team work, interpersonal skills, communication etc. The more you can do outside your studies to demonstrate these qualities the more attractive you will be. Therefore you need to:
1. 2. 3. 4. Study and get a credit average Find part time work Be an active member of clubs/societies get involved, dont just turn up! Participate in extracurricular activities e.g. volunteer, play sport, fund raise
How can I stand out from the crowd? In order to beat the competition you need to be able to identify and articulate your 3 unique selling points. Imagine everyone else in your class is applying for the same internship as you. Why should you get the position? What do you have to offer that other applicants do not? Unique selling points need to be quantifiable. It is not enough to say I am hard working or good leadership qualities. It is more impressive to say leadership skills gained as treasurer of UNSW Economics Society. 4
How can I sell myself as the best person for the role? So you have the full package good grades, a part time job, an active member of clubs / societies and participation in extracurricular activities. You will then need to sell this package to the employer. Your marketing tools are:
1. On-line application form 2. Resume and cover letter 3. Face to face meetings including networking, assessment centres and interviews
Careers and Employment hold regular workshops on these topics. For more information go to www.careers.unsw.edu.au Make sure you apply early as many companies now have rolling recruitment. This means they do not have a closing date. Once they have found enough good candidates they will no longer take applications. The earlier you start thinking about internships, the more of a head start you will have over the competition.
Can you do the job? Show you have the right abilities, skills, knowledge and experience. Will you do the job? Show you are interested in the work itself and that you have the other attitudes necessary for success in the role and the organisation. Will you fit in? Show how your values and goals match the organisations values and goals. Your language and stories can also demonstrate how you might fit in with clients and coworkers.
Your written communication skills are assessed by employers in your applications, and particularly in your cover letter. Employers may be assessing any of the following:
How well you structure written information. How well and how clearly you express your ideas. How well you target your communication to your audience. Your spelling and grammar ability. Your understanding of document formatting. Your attention to detail in regards to typos and information.
Cover letters can also demonstrate your analytical abilities. Employers will be assessing how well you have researched the organisation and the position and how you have analysed and addressed the organisations needs in the letter. Include a cover letter with every application you make but don't use the same cover letter for different positions. Each letter should be specific to the position and the organisation. Employers recognise standard letters and will know you have not put in the effort they expect.
First paragraph
I would like to apply for the above position advertised in ......... on........ (date) and why you want that job (i.e. why that industry and why that company, make sure this highlights how you will meet their needs, not exclusively your own.)
Outline the skills (technical and social), experience, training and achievements that are relevant to the selection criteria or the job description. These skills may have been gained through your education/course, your work experience and your extra curricular activities.
Fourth paragraph
Tell them why you are the best fit for the company and how your skills will meet their needs. (Tip: you could summarise the 3 best things about you that make you most competitive for the job and how these things will allow you to make an impact/get results in the role.)
Closing
Thank them for considering your application, tell them that you have attached a copy of your resume, and when you would be available for an interview. Provide your contact details (Phone / Fax / Email). Yours sincerely, Your signature Print name
Resume Writing
There is no one right way to do a resume, just certain principles or guidelines.
There are usually 2 culls for a resume 20 seconds and then an in-depth review. Include enough detail and concrete examples for the second cull as well! 2-3 pages are the average for graduate resumes (although shorter or longer are also OK). Certain employers may request 1 page - if a length or format is stipulated stick to it. Use only one plain font Times New Roman, Arial, Helvetica, Century Schoolbook. Use bullet points starting with an active verb to indicate achievements. One typo can reduce your chances of success by 70% - edit furiously. Be consistent in formatting. Put dates, titles, full stops etc in similar places throughout your resume. Format each section similarly if possible to help the reader digest your information. Be consistent with your language throughout your resume. Think about what the employer will value most. Make the resume is as simple and easy to read as possible. Make sure that your resume is well presented and well organised, so that an employer can immediately see the most relevant information - remember clear headings and lots of white space. Balance the resume as to what the employer will consider most important / relevant (eg don't spend a page describing high school achievements and one line describing your degree)
Psychometric Testing
Psychometric tests are a tool to aid in the candidate selection and decision making process. They do not stand alone as the only selection method and are carefully developed to help fit your talents, personality and attributes to a job that suits you. They are not designed to reveal your innermost secrets or uncover confidential information about you. Reputable tests have undergone rigorous research before being released, and published technical manuals provide research evidence of their reliability and validity for specific purposes. Psychometric tests attempt to measure the depth and nature of particular strengths and weaknesses in subject or job related areas. For graduate positions, many companies tend to use a broad range of tests to get a feel for a person's abilities in different areas, so as to help them assess where an applicant might best be suited. These are likely to include tests of numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, abstract problem solving or critical reasoning, in conjunction with personality and values questionnaires. It may also include tests of management and leadership potential, or mechanical or clerical aptitudes. Typical characteristics of ability tests: 1. Usually timed (approximately 15 - 40 minutes) 2. Consist of short questions where there is only one right answer but a lot of wrong ones. 3. Are typically multiple choice, or short answer format where you are asked to provide a number or a single word response 4. Are generally designed to discriminate between highly talented candidates therefore few candidates finish them. 5. The questions usually become progressively more difficult. 6. Each question is commonly worth the same value therefore speed of cognitive processing and number of correct answers are important 7. Most ability tests do not penalise you for incorrect answers, you will need to check this with the test supervisor before you begin. Careers & Employment Library Resources
The Times: Psychometric Tests (Volume 1) - CD-Rom (ask at Careers & Employment reception to access computer where the program is available) How to Pass: Advanced Aptitude Tests - Barrett How to Pass: Professional level psychometric test - Al-Jajjaka
Practice tests:
Assessment Centre
The term 'Assessment Centre' does not refer to a location, but to a process which is being increasingly used by middle to large organisations in Australia and overseas. A typical Assessment Centre incorporates a set of varied exercises which are designed to simulate different aspects of the work environment. These exercises may run from 1/2 to 2 days. While the process is intensive and commonly viewed as 'stressful' by candidates, it provides additional opportunities for recruits who feel that they are not able to demonstrate their abilities as strongly during an interview. Assessment Centres also enable candidates to obtain a practical idea of what the employer expects from staff, and opportunities to network with other participants during group activities. How do they work? The expense of conducting Assessment Centres mostly restricts their use to high volume recruitment such as graduate recruitment. Assessment Centres are usually used after the initial stages of the selection process. It may follow short listing, online assessments and/or an initial interview. Assessment Centres are highly structured in their design, application and procedures. They may be conducted by external consultants who have invested large amounts of resources into researching and designing Assessment Centres. In other cases, Assessment Centres may be conducted by Human Resources staff. Each Assessment Centre is specifically adapted for the particular position, to assess factors such as level of skills, aptitude and compatibility with organisational culture. During each activity in an assessment centre, a group of trained observers will rate individual candidates on a range of competencies, using a prescribed performance scale. Results are then compared against the same competencies, which are measured in other activities. On completion, observers meet to discuss the test results and reach a group consensus about each individual's ratings. Observers may be visible during the test, or may review each individual's performance via videotape. Assessment Centre Processes At the beginning of the Assessment Centre, candidates will receive an initial briefing about the organisation and the structure of the day. The most common types of activities include:
Group activities Case Studies In Tray exercises Technical skills assessments Role plays
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Group activities
Group activities involve candidates working together as a team to resolve a presented issue. They commonly measure interpersonal skills such as leadership, teamwork, negotiation, and problem solving skills. Activities can range from 'leaderless group discussion' formats to problem solving scenarios. In a 'leaderless group discussion' you may be assigned a fictitious team member role and asked to attend a meeting with other team members who are actually fellow candidates. By the end of the meeting, the group will choose the best strategy to meet a future prescribed target. Your role is to discuss the merits of your strategy (described in your written briefing), and to comment on the weaknesses of other strategies which you suspect will be presented by other team members. You will have some background on the other team members, including their past performance, knowledge of the product and situation etc. Other team members' briefs may ask them to promote the comparatively superior merits of their strategies. One example of a problem solving scenario includes a Tower Building exercise, using play building blocks. In this exercise, a group may be competing with other groups to design and build a tower in accordance with a construction brief which may stipulate minimum height, time period the completed tower has to stand 'unsupported', colour, cost of block shapes, a time limit, and a budget. There may be monetary penalties for failing to reach particular aspects of the brief. Each group has access to a limited number of blocks.
Case Studies
Project Managers may be asked to plan for the release of a new product, which incorporates scheduling, budgeting and resourcing. This type of exercise may measure the ability to analyse complex data and issues; seek solutions; project plan; and present findings.
In Tray Exercises
If you are asked to do an In Tray exercise, you may be asked to assume a particular role as an employee of a fictitious organisation and work through a pile of correspondence in your In Tray. These tests commonly measure skills such as: ability to organise and prioritise work; analytical skills; communication with team members and customers; written communication skills; and delegation (if a higher level position). This type of exercise may take from several hours to a day. Try to imagine that you are at work doing the described duties, rather than completing a test. Phone interaction will involve a role player who has been thoroughly briefed in their respective role as a customer, manager etc.
Role Plays
If you are asked to do a role play, you will be asked to assume a fictitious role and handle a particular work situation. Customer Service Officers may be asked to respond to a number of phone enquiries, including customer queries and complaints. This type of exercise assesses: communication, customer service and problem solving skills. Managers may be asked to provide feedback to a sales representative staff member, after viewing a videotape of the sales representative's call with a client, or meet with a same level manager of another section, to gain their agreement on a service delivery strategy. You cannot study for an Assessment Centre, although it does help if you have some idea of what to expect
If you have been given pre reading material prior to the Assessment Centre day read, prepare and understand what is asked of you. Re-familiarise yourself with the job description, duty statement and other background reading material about the organisation. This will provide some clues as to what type of employee they are seeking. Get a good night's rest before the big day. Arrive early so you do not feel rushed. Perhaps your waiting time in the reception area can provide you with a 'feel' for the environment - i.e. the written material in the reception/waiting area, other candidates you may see. Read all instructions carefully. Are all the resources, which are listed on the test instructions available and working? Be yourself - bring your own personality and experience to the Assessment Centre. Take the exercises seriously - the hypothetical scenarios will require you to 'suspend your belief' and go along with the exercise. They are not designed to match the employer's real life workplace. Do not guess what is being measured as this may affect your participation and assessment eg. quoting the employer's Mission statement, verbatim, may have no relevance to your assigned role as 'project manager of ACME Ltd.', when required to discuss a hypothetical problem with other 'ACME' team members. Treat your attendance as a day at the workplace. View the Assessment Centre as an opportunity to learn about the employer and the advertised position. Consider the process as a positive learning experience. Ask for feedback if you were not successful so that you can improve your performance in the future.
Careers and Employment run a workshop every day on a wide variety of career topics including resumes, cover letters, selection criteria, assessment centres, interviews and much more. To give yourself the winning edge on the job hunt, book yourself into a workshop on www.careers.unsw.edu.au
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Insider's Guide to Assessment Centres - presented by KPMG Wednesday 3rd August, 12pm 1pm, venue to be announced
Do you want to know how you can make yourself stand out at an assessment centre? KPMG is offering students the opportunity to participate in an interactive workshop where they can get hints and tips in excelling at assessment centres. Hear from a recruiter on how you can differentiate yourself at an assessment centre.
5 Minute Resume Review - Presented by Careers and Employment UNSW Every Tuesday, G08 5 minute resume review service every Tuesday, 12pm 1pm in G08 starting on 19th July. Just bring a print out of your resume.
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Sponsors
This student club publication is proudly supported by ARC
www.arc.unsw.edu.au
PRINCIPAL SPONSOR
http://www.rba.gov.au/http://www.rba.gov.au/
www.economics.unsw.edu.au
www.abs.gov.au
www.adb.org/
www.teachforaustralia.org/
www.deewr.gov.au
www.ausaid.gov.au
www.asb.unsw.edu.au
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