http://www.unigrad.com.auThe latest blog feeds from www.unigrad.com.auCopyright 2012 unimail Pty Ltd. All rights reservedThere have been a number of little technical marvels introduced into my life over the past decade.  Today's graduates and undergraduates have access to all these same marvels and yet we all end up having to rely on the one massive technical marvel, the human brain. Exams are haunting students by the thousands all across Australia right now and so many of your "marvels" are conking out on you.  What is the average grad to do? I have been hammering away at all of my non-bio marvels this week with some annoying glitches catching me out on a daily basis.  My iPhone, my macbook, my software, hell even the air conditioner in my home (not an apple product) were giving me fits.  After getting the same advice over and over for a number of "glitches" over the past couple of days, I recently received the following from the support team at Rovio (developers of the smash hit iPhone app "Angry Birds")"Have you tried turning your phone completely off and then on again?"....and then it dawned on me..turning things off and on again (or rebooting for the techhies) works so often it would be infuriating if it wasn't so effective! Every issue I've had or been privy to over the past couple of weeks has been fixed (or fixed itself) by simply holding the reset button, flicking the switch or shutting down completely. So why is it I am writing about it?  Because this is probably the best study advice you will get this exam period.It's 3am and you are cramming all you can into your skull hoping that somewhere in the gooey gray undergraduate mess that is your brain, it will cling on and lie in wait until summoned by question 67 of 200 or essay response 8 part B.  I applaud your efforts and sympathize with your situation.  We all know it pays to study in bunches and after a good sleep or meal when you are at your best…but do we heed this advice? Not often enough. After all, Hayden might be the first ever Masterchef competitor ever to get TWO immunity pins…am I right?? So here is my advice, it isn’t necessarily about what time of day and what you eat before hand and how all your relationships are going. While all these things can affect how well you study, sometimes the best thing you can do is simply shut off. Take a break. Go watch Masterchef. Allow yourself to calm down and lose focus for a few minutes. You can do anything you like in this break: you can go for a run; go for a beer; play a video game; call your mom (might not be stress “relieving”). Just make sure you do your best to turn your brain off and upon returning to the books, turn your brain back on. This allows for all the “programs” running in the background to get shut down and not restarted. It allows for the focus of your “CPU” (brain) to be on only the task at hand, not donating some of its precious strength to keeping the rest of the stuff running.So, is this new advice? No. Is this ground-breaking research? No. Is this the right time for you to hear that maybe you just need to back away from your books and go grab an ice cream? Probably. Good luck to all of you out there and feel free to throw your study tips on our facebook page! We love hearing about the quirky ones./blog/535/turn-it-off-turn-it-on-again.aspxWed, 22 Jun 2011 12:59:47 GMTOur friends at Telstra have again given some great advice, this time regarding Graduate Offers.  Were you stressing that you would not be offered a role and all of a sudden you have a number of offers on the table? You’re one of the lucky ones! I can see you now leaning back in your black leather chair with the feet on the desk yelling ‘show me the money’ as you transfer from call to call. However, for some of you it may become quite stressful as I am sure many companies are setting deadlines for your decision. Things that you should ultimately think about before accepting any role: The job – Seems a little obvious I know, but some people seem to get carried away with a position title and forget the responsibilities that come along with it. Make sure you understand the work you will be doing and if it aligns to your skill set and passions.Career & personal development – In accepting a position at any level, you should make sure that you have the opportunity to advance your career, through on the job experience and professional development opportunities, especially on a graduate program, as that is the point! Is there provision for training? What is the frequency of performance reviews? EtcThe company – You need to feel comfortable with the company you are working for! What are the company values? Are they compatible with your values and beliefs? Do you respect the type of work the company does? Start doing your research and come prepared to a final interview to ask the employer questions!The Boss – Have you met your manager throughout the selection and struck up a good rapport? It’s important to have a good working relationship with your manager as they are the ones who manage your performance review proce$$! If you have received a number of offers and feel pressured by a company for a response, let them know your situation as honesty is the best policy (or so my mother tells me). Inform them Telstra is your preferred employer or you’re in the selection process for another company (how could that be possible?) that you would like to seriously consider and would like more time. Be proactive, jump on the phone and let us know so we can then look at fast tracking your application! This is not a simple decision of whether to have beef or chicken for dinner; this is a decision which should be made with consideration. Also speak to a trusted adult ….your parents….people that will also have another view of the companies you’re considering. Here is some more food for thought, do not be fooled by salary as it is not what you can earn now it is about what you can earn in 5-10 years! Start gathering as much information as possible on your preferred employers and do not feel pressured into making a rushed decision. If they offer you, it means you are there preferred candidate so you should have some bargaining power to make them wait for you!Congratulations to those of you who have had graduate offers and thank you to Bordo for giving some excellent tips as always! For more great advice directly from employers, check out our  Guest employer forums page. /blog/534/graduate-offers.aspxWed, 08 Jun 2011 16:48:01 GMTOur friends at Telstra have been giving some excellent advice. Read on to find out what Bordo has to say about Assessment Centres! As we move through into the selection process, I thought it would be appropriate to blog on everyone’s favourite pastime – assessment centres. If you are shortlisted you will be invited to a Telstra assessment centre, and I am sure you will ask yourself all the common questions, what will it consist of? What should I wear? What should I take with me? Whilst the process can be intensive and commonly viewed as ‘stressful’ by graduates, it does provide a great opportunity to demonstrate your abilities in a group environment. Assessment centres also enable graduates to obtain a practical idea of what the employer expects from staff, and opportunities to network with other graduates on the day. They can also be fun!! Here are a few tips for you to consider:- Relax, everyone is nervous. A little bit of nerves is good.Show you are actively listening to everyone else by nodding, smiling and making eye contact.It is what you say not how much you say that counts.Don’t assume shy or quiet members have nothing to contribute. Encourage everyone to participate they just might have the answers the team needs.Get a good night’s rest before the big day. Try not to have a few drinks to steady your nerves.Arrive early so you don’t feel rushed.Be yourself – bring your own personality and experience to the Assessment Centre.Dress to impress – a favourite quote of mine is ‘dress for the job you want, not the one you have’. Gents, white socks with a dark suit is probably not a good look.Don’t read too much into people’s comments on forums surrounding activities, as they may not be the same for your assessment centre! Assessment centres are also a great opportunity for you to sound out the companies you are applying for. If you get an opportunity, ask questions and find out if the company is a good fit for you. And remember, even if you do not do well this time, it is good practice for the next time, as long as you take the opportunity to learn and progress. Good luck!Good luck to everyone taking part in assessments & thank you to Bordo for giving some excellent tips as always! For more great advice directly from employers, check out our  Guest employer forums page./blog/533/graduate-assessment-centres.aspxWed, 11 May 2011 08:55:25 GMTI have been getting a number of questions from graduating students regarding “average grades” and which graduate employer should they apply to. I feel your pain as I was a strong student but wasn't always the most committed and as such I finished my degrees with a slightly above average GPA. I knew I had a great deal to offer but had so much more going on outside university that my grades didn’t represent. Now, as you can imagine, graduate employers aren't keen to advertise their willingness to accept average to below average grades. This would open up the floodgates to all manner of grads who applied the ideal that “4’s open doors” and cruised through uni drinking and cramming and drinking and cramming. Graduate jobs will require more than just a cruisy attitude. What might surprise you is that many graduate employers are happy to accept this (reasonable) academic shortfall should you make up for this in other areas such as professional development and leadership. Having a tremendous repertoire of extracurricular skills shows that while you may not be the most gifted student, you have pursued passions outside the classroom and have committed to becoming a very well rounded student. Don’t confuse this with a green light to scrape through uni and hope to pull the wool over employer’s eyes. Your academic mediocrity needs to be far outweighed by involvement on campus, volunteer or paid work experience in your field, worldly experiences and professional skill development. It’s not good enough to have gone on a Contiki tour for a couple weeks to Bali that you don’t really remember because, well, it was a Contiki tour. Stress your time as captain of your footy team or swim squad; focus on the 6 months you spent at culinary school in Italy; elaborate on your campus involvement and your time as a student mentor. These are all well valued traits that employers are very keen to have on board. So, my advice to you is rather than search for graduate employers or graduate programs that are looking for average grades, go after the employers that are looking for extraordinary people. Obviously most of the Big 4 and financial services and national engineering firms will be looking for those who have excellent grades, but do a little homework and find the graduate program that fits you best. Most employers will allude to their willingness to surpass grades in their profiles so try to read between the lines. Applications are closing daily so make sure you get in quick! For more help on how to land the role you can hit up our forums or our facebook page. /blog/532/average-grades-get-average-graduate-job--nope.aspxThu, 21 Apr 2011 12:37:52 GMTOur friends at Telstra have been giving some excellent advice. Read on to find out what Bordo has to say about Psychological Assessments... This week I thought I would focus on what seems to be a really hot topic on Whirlpool and our Facebook page.  Psych assessments!! In reality they are not as scary as they sound, (easy for me to say) and my mantra is forewarned is forearmed……like anything if you know what to expect and prepare it should be a better experience and a better result. Online pysch assessments seem to be much more common place these days, not just for graduate roles but almost any job. I will not speak on behalf of other employers and the assessments they use, just the one you will experience in this years graduate program with Telstra.  Hopefully some of the advice will be helpful regardless of which assessment you go through. We will send you a link to the assessment if you are successful through the application process over the coming weeks.   These are the key features of our assessment It is a twenty minute timed assessment – so don’t answer the phone or make a cup of tea once you have started. The assessment is completed online – so make sure you are in a quiet and comfortable place where you won’t be interrupted. There are practice questions – do them.  They will help you get a feel for what to expect and will help with the nerves. The assessment measures verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning – the stuff you practice every day. There is no pass or fail and you will receive a feedback report at the completion of the assessment – you are compared against other graduates and the report will be emailed to you. Good luck to everyone taking part in psychological assessments & thank you to Bordo for giving some brilliant tips!For more great advice directly from employers, check out our  Guest employer forums page.  /blog/531/psychological-assessments---just-part-of-getting-a.aspxThu, 14 Apr 2011 11:18:37 GMTHere at Unigrad we are constantly talking to the top employers who are looking for great grads – check out the guest blog below from our friends at Australia Post.  Hi all, My name is Teri and I’d like to welcome you to my blog, ‘Keeping You Posted’ which will run on the Australia Post graduate program Facebook page. I look forward to sharing my stories as a current HR graduate at Australia Post and updating you on the recruitment process as it unfolds. Although I am now a graduate, it seems like yesterday that I was in your shoes applying for graduate programs whilst juggling uni! When I applied, the first thing I did was print the application form and marked the recruitment dates in my diary. This kept me focused and gave me plenty of time to prepare. Once I typed my application into Word, it was easy to check for spelling & grammar mistakes, but I still asked my sister to have a quick read to make sure it was perfect!  Then all I did was submit it through www.auspost.com.au/jobsatpost/graduate and waited to hear back! It was worth taking the time to submit my application because to my excitement I received a phone call that May from Australia Post. You never know, this could be you, so just apply now!  Remember you have to be in it to win it so go for it! Applications close this Sunday 12 midnight. Bye for now, Teri /blog/530/keeping-you-posted---new-aus-post-blog.aspxThu, 31 Mar 2011 11:03:06 GMTTop 5 tips to survive the exam periodMake sure you have a watch/mobile/laptop/alarm clock with the right time! And don’t rely on your friend’s watch. This is to make sure you get to your exam on time and not one second late. Taking an exam is stressful enough without the extra load of stress supplied by hoping you get to the venue on time. If you must cram, try and cram the night before and not just before the exam as you might hit the ‘overflow’ mark and then confuse yourself with prior notes. Make sure you get enough sleep before your exam and make sure you eat breakfast (if it’s in the morning). I know it’s hard sometimes because you’re nervous, but taking exams is also about endurance and providing fuel for your brain to be awake and ‘fully’ charged and ready to go (even if you don’t know EVERYTHING, at least you’ll be able to complete the whole exam, on not be so tired you fall asleep midway).  Take frequent breaks whilst studying. Exercising is good as it’ll give you relief from being at the desk and help burn off some of those calories caused by excess snacking (i.e. peanut M&M’s in the bucketful!). It’ll help refresh your mind as well as keep some balance in your tight schedule.Always try and visualize your dream career too, and how passing your exam will help you get one step closer to that. It’s a good motivation and even if you don’t think you can pass with flying colours, at least you tried and just passing is just as good as getting HD’s when the minimum qualification for a graduate job post is a bachelor degree (employers aren’t nit-picky that you got 54% on one exam paper at the end of the day). So try not to think it’s the end of the world when you face that dreaded exam.Remember, you can be still be successful no matter the outcome of the exam – Mark Zuckerberg (Founder of Facebook) never finished his university degree and is now the world’s youngest billionaire! So keep positive and let live, even through exam period. Good Luck and God speed!/blog/529/top-5-tips-to-survive-the-exam-period.aspxWed, 30 Mar 2011 08:31:19 GMTIt is now the end of March, and for most people we are about a month into Uni. Personally, I have fought the urge to sleep through my 8am lectures, go to the Uni bar (or Red Room as it’s known at UQ) instead of going to class and generally finding  anything else to do except Uni work. Even if it means clean my room, or making sure everything is in order so I can start studying. It has been a battle, but I would like to say I have kept up pretty well. I am sure the majority of Uni students can relate to a few of those habits. Especially in QLD at the moment, sitting through a lecture in this heat would be resulting in a few overheating brains. As if the lecturer’s voice isn’t enough to put you out of your misery. The year kick-started with a bit of fun at Orientation Days at UQ and QUT, working as a Student Ambassador for unigrad. UQ was very full on, with the two of us going non-stop for the first 5 hours due to the massive queues at the unigrad tent. However, I am sure many people that day got the ball rolling on their future job prospects by signing up with us. For anyone like me entering their final year of study, the graduate application process can be very strenuous. I am in my final year of a Commerce degree, and have already spent hours on job applications. I can admit in my previous years at Uni, when trying to decide whether or not to go out and ‘socialise’ with friends over a few cold ales, the ‘Fours open doors’ motto always kicked in to make me feel better about my decision. Its only now I realise for the sake of my job prospects, I could have sacrificed a few hangovers for a few 6s or 7s. In saying that, I have worked for unigrad now for a little over a month, and have learned that it isn’t all about the brains. To succeed in the graduate job hunt, you not only need brains, you need personality, creativity and a little bit of diversity. A lot of major corporations out there aren’t just looking for brains, they’re looking for a ‘well rounded’ person. And that doesn’t mean someone who’s had one too many cheeseburgers. I am hoping that this will encourage those who don’t have a GPA of 6 or 7. Once you get to the interview stage it becomes just another number. It’s all about promoting yourself as a person to the employer.Best of luck to everyone with their studies. Hopefully I will see some of you drop in to the Unigrad tent at the upcoming Careers Fairs in QLD./blog/527/grades-and-your-graduate-careerdo-fours-open-doors.aspxWed, 23 Mar 2011 12:58:39 GMTHere at unigrad we are loving Bordo's blog on the Telstra Graduate website. Going to a careers fair this year? Don't leave your house without some invaluable advice from Bordo!     Just recently I accompanied my housemate to CarCity as he was on the lookout for some new wheels. On the drive out, he was taking me through his prerequisites; max number of km’s, year, colour, air con etc but I could not get a sense of any brand affiliation. It seemed he was entering the car yard with an open mind apart from his lists of ‘must haves’. We arrived and starting walking through the car yard acting like we new exactly what we were looking for. For those who have not been to car city, it is a huge car yard which is made up of a number of second hand dealerships who all compete against each other. As we strolled around, they would all greet us with so much enthusiasm and then dive straight into their sales pitch! It was this moment in time that I thought of how graduates must feel as they are walking around a Careers Fair. I imagine the majority of graduates would walk into a Careers Fair with their own list of prerequisites; must have rotations, tailored development & learning, career advancement opportunities, reputable brand & competitive salary. However, it would seem every company present at the fair would be trying to entice you over to their stand with all kinds of giveaways and give you premeditated sales pitch! When car hunting, you are really seeking an authentic conversation with someone who is not trying to pull the wool over your eyes! A person who can look you in the eye and try to understands your needs and let you know the pro’s & cons of each car you cast your eye over. Not every car in the yard was ‘absolute steal’ like some of them believed. This theory should transcend into a Careers Fair, please do not be fooled by a pack of playing cards or a bouncy ball. Engage in a genuine conversation with a nominated representative from the business and try to find out as much relevant information as possible. To help yourself at a Careers Fair pre write a list of questions that you really want to know the answers too. These questions should be centered on seeking the desired information that will help you make your final decision on whom to apply too. Be open and honest with any business rep that engages you and takes notes on each discussion as it can become quite manic at times and you may need to revisit your notes! Who knows, but you first graduate position could lead you to owning your first Aston Martin! Pop along to Option City to find out more.  /blog/526/buying-a-caror-grad-at-a-careers-fair-bordos-blog-.aspxWed, 09 Mar 2011 15:26:38 GMTLanding a job as a rockstar or a pop-star (if that’s more your style) is tough, and really I don’t know the formula for it.... seems to me that only 1 in a million people reach this kind of international stardom. So maybe more attainable is being the rockstar at work? Word on the street is that it’s more attainable but still tough... 5 out of every 100 people reach “Rockstar” status in the world of work. Is that who you want to be? I know this formula a bit better...Deliver high quality results as often as you can. And when you can’t, reflect on what it will take to achieve the results next time.
- Deliver results on-time, every-time.
Rockstars don't start office gossip and they don't dish company dirt to get themselves ahead. This is for the rockstars who cheat to get ahead and become washed-up really quickly. Always tell the truth to your employer and be someone with integrity.
Be fun to work with, courteous, polite, and happy. Always be willing to help others out and spread your rockstar can-do attitude!
Communicate effectively with your peeps and make sure you’re working towards a common goal and not fighting against what others are trying to achieve.
Help co-workers and managers so they can also be rockstars. Try to make their lives easier and be someone they can count on.
Arrive to work on-time.
Don't over work or you will burn-out and cost the company and your personal life much pain. You’re a rockstar after all (the show needs you).
Don't screw yourself over by piling-up "wasted hours" watching too YouTube, sexting, smoking, going on long breaks, or creeping photos on Facebook etc.
Always make it a goal to over deliver, set the bar high, and be a role model to your co-workers.
Don't be a royal pain in the ass. Have you ever seen a movie with a high-maintenance drama queen? Don’t be that person at work.
The rockstar fantasy comes true for an employer when their employees are amazing. Employers keep rockstars. They’re indispensable and risky to replace.
Great employees are always dependable. They do the job they are supposed to do every time, and no one has to worry about them (hopefully at this point you’ve caught on that in the world of work rockstars are much different than the hotel trashing booze cruising rockstars in the music realm).
Rockstars know how to take direction and constructive criticism and make it work for them. They see it as an opportunity to learn something about themselves and become even more of a superstar.
Don’t think you’re too cool for school. be engaged and participate in the day to day life at the office. Don't bow out of meetings or skip office parties!Rockstars are competent and are always looking to improve their craft. They have good working skills and look for extra training and strive to stay on-top of their industry trends. If this doesn't sound like you, then get started on your path to role righteousness by following some of the above tips. We all want to be Rockstars at one thing or another...here is how to make it happen for you!/blog/524/graduate-rockstarsare-you-one.aspxMon, 17 Jan 2011 15:32:05 GMTInterview questions aren’t always so simple because employers are some tricky bastards. They say all sorts of things for all sorts of reasons and sometimes its hard to know exactly what they’re trying to get at.  Relax. Just don’t be a smart-ass and try not to create any negative connotations when answering interview questions and you’ll be good. But since we know you’re going to go in there and might have a panic attack anyways, we’ve collected some of the common interview questions for you to think about ahead of time. 1.  So, Tell Me About Yourself. “Well, I burn weed, get wasted 7 nights a week, and sleep with someone new every Friday night.”  Yeah, it seems like asking this and expecting the truth is about as brilliant as asking a hooker if she has STD’s before purchasing.  The thing is, in their interview questions they aren’t just testing your confidence and communications skills, they are evaluating you as an investment, because that is what you are.  Tell them why you’re a worthy investment of their time and energy, mean it, and deliver.  If you can’t answer interview questions, how are you going to get the job done? 2.  What Were Your Duties in Your Last Job? They don’t care that it was your obligation to clean the toilets on Fridays.  Pick the three most important, hopefully relevant, tasks you performed regularly.  Word it like a mission statement and make it relevant to the job at hand.  “I was responsible for creating and nurturing customer relationships,” is a playful spin on answers to these types of interview questions.  You might maen the same thing,  but at least you dressed it up to sound pretty. The way you describe your responsibilities paints a subconscious picture of your worth—do you really want that picture to include you scrubbing the inside of a toilet?  List your most valuable contributions when answering interview questions and let them fill in the gaps. 3.  What is Your Ideal Work Environment? If you’re applying for a job pouring cocktails in a back alley of downtown New Jersey, you’d better mention your fondness for slobbering barflies and mopping up vomit.  The trick is to make your “dream job” a symbolic representation of the job in question. Don’t kiss too much ass, but put it in their mind that you’re a perfect fit.  If you do choose to say that all of the negative aspects of the job appeal to you when answering interview questions, it’s not going to be very believable so don’t overdo it.  Also, your reasons should be more idealistic and impressive than creature comforts and fringe benefits.  You don’t want to give the idea you are selfish. 4.  What Was the Biggest Project in Your Career For Which You Were the Catalyst? Don’t start talking about your group effort to isolate and terrorize Jenny from Sales until she had a nervous breakdown and checked into a mental hospital.  They want you to answer interview questions like these with work-related projects here that were in the company’s best interest.  Answering interview questions such as this is your chance to demonstrate motivation and drive. 5.  What Would Your Ideal Employer Be Like? “One that never comes to work.”  Just kidding.  The fantasy of an undisciplined workplace might be a nice thought, but you wouldn’t have a job long with that kind of chaos. And since they will be there to direct and guide you, they want to know what to expect of you.  Are you going to be a headache?  Is it all about you?  Rather than describe a boss, describe the kind of healthy working relationship that bosses dream about.  You don’t have to lie with these kinds of interview questions, because who wouldn’t want a perfect working relationship with their boss? 6.  What Do You Know About This position? This is the time to show you know what you’re getting yourself into as well as illustrate your research abilities.  Talk about the duties involved and what they mean for the company as a whole.  It’s always good to relate your role in the company as part of a bigger picture because that is their perspective when you’re asked these types of interview questions.  Getting on their wavelength builds rapport.   7.  Do You Know Anything About What We Do? Wow—they’re really giving you the chance to show-off how well you prepared when they throw these interview questions at you.  I hope you have.  It’s time to talk about the company and where they fit in the industry.  Also, touch on the relationship they strive to create with the greater public.  It’s important to convey a respect for their role and a desire to be a part of that when answering tricky interview questions.  Don’t dog on their environmental track record and all the baby pandas they kill—not if you want the job anyways. 8.  Why Did You Leave or Are You Leaving Your Other Job? Not the time to say you’re boss was an arrogant asshole.  Everything should be framed positive.  You want to open up new career opportunities.  You’re intrigued by the future of the envelope industry.  Your want to ride your bike to work.  Don’t lie, but be tactful. No matter how reasonable you reason for a less than positive exit, if you bash your incompetent boss, the mental seed will still be planted that it was your fault.  Employers identify with employers, not employees.  It’s human nature, so handle these interview questions with care. 9.  When Are You Available to Start? “I don’t know.  I’ve got a lot going on this week, and next week my brother’s coming to town.  After that is St. Patrick’s Day and there’s a big party at my boyfriend’s place.  Can I call you next week and let you know?”  Even with a crumbling economy and lack of jobs, you’d be surprised at how many grads pull this rubbish. Set yourself apart. The best thing to do is ask them when they need you.  Even better, look them straight in their eye and say, “Right now.”  You’ll be surprised how often that gets you a job on the spot, so be ready to back it up.  Never answer interview questions with anything but the truth because it could bite you in the ass if they expect you to follow through right away. 10.  What are Your Biggest Strengths? Develop a personal statement that outlines three of your biggest strengths, and use it when these types of interview questions are asked.  It will ALWAYS be asked in one form or another.  Just make sure it matches the needs of the company, and remember that it isn’t just about your strengths—it’s about your strengths matching their needs. 11.  Describe a Challenge You’ve Faced with a Colleague. Don’t mention the fistfight you had with the baker when you used to bag groceries.  Tell a story that puts you and the other worker in a positive light.  Talk about a misunderstanding, but focus on how you overcame it with good communication. It’s important to note that they know you have flaws you’re not revealing even if you frame everything positive, but constructing those mental associations will leave good thoughts that far outweigh their curiosity about the truth.  After you leave, it won’t be your answers to your interview questions that linger, it will be the emotions you crafted by placing images in their heads.  Negative connotations are not a good idea. 12.  Are You Okay With the Salary for this Position? If you want the job and the salary is fair for the market, you should probably say yes.  This is a point where you better have done some research because you’re answer may decide your quality of life for quite some time.  If you want to be able to ask for raises later, mention that you are happy as long as the job fits your expectations.  Since they’ll probably dump enough extra work in your lap for another you, this gives you room to bitch later on.  Save that stuff for outside of interview questions, after you’ve scored the job. 13.  Tell Me About Your Biggest Weakness. “I can be a bit of a perfectionist.”  “I can’t stand it when other people don’t work as hard as I do.”  Oh yeah, me too...brown-noser.  Applicants have sat in that same chair feeding them that BS for weeks.  Try something different when asked these age-old interview questions. Talk about how your strengths can work against you and how you deal with that.  Being original in your responses to interview questions will make you stand out in their mind more than anything else, and you don’t want to ever use a cookie cutter answer—it creates the impression that you are lazy and like to cut corners. You can’t predict every interview questions that will be thrown your direction, but that’s okay because being able to think on your feet is a great demonstration of value as well.  By preparing for these common interview questions you’ll walk into an interview feeling more confident and collected. Not only does your interviewer unconsciously read that in your body language and speech patterns but these kinds of feelings will keep you in a positive state of mind as well. Learn to cultivate this state on demand, and even if these interview questions never come you will walk out a winner. /blog/523/13-graduate-interview-questions-to-help-get-that-g.aspxFri, 17 Dec 2010 09:45:00 GMTAll the rumors you've heard about recruiters only taking 20 seconds to scan your resume is true... most of the time.Why is this and what can you do to capture their attention for longer?If a recent grad job is posted, it wouldn't be unusual for hundreds of resumes to be submitted, especially for very attractive job opportunities. Nobody wants to spend hours reading resumes that are not the right fit or from a person who isn't even qualified for the job (and that will be the case for most resumes being submitted). And so recruiters run a quick scan over the resume seeing if something catches their eye (relevant education? impressive experience?). If something does catch their eye, well then you may get a 30 or 40 second review and a chance at being placed in the "phone screen/interview" pile.So you're an awesome candidate with a great education in your chosen field of work, and you even got some relevant volunteer and work experience while in school... so what can you do to make it easier for the recruiter to notice that and spend more time on your resume?Formatting. Clear, and easy to read formatting.It sounds simple, but honestly it's the number one correction I'll recommend to people and friends when reviewing their resume.  Here are 5 tips to get you started: 1 - Use the same font throughout the resume.2 - Be consistent with your titles, and the style in which you describe jobs.3 - Display dates in the same format throughout the resume.4 - Break down the resume into sections 'Education', 'Work Experience' etc.5 -  Use spacing correctly, and consistently so the resume is easy to scan.For more ideas and suggestions check out our CV Builder./blog/519/20-seconds-to-impress---how-is-your-resume.aspxMon, 08 Nov 2010 09:37:48 GMT There are few worse things you could in an interveiw than show up not knowing anything about the company or the people you are hiring.  You have been granted a golden opportunity to sell yourself and without fail, every employer will want to see that you have prepared for this by knowing as much as possible about what has happened and what is happening with said company.  Start here:Company Research:Being informed on the company you are applying for only sets you apart from the crowd even more.  As you can imagine, the more you know, the better you look.  Learning things like company history and hierarchy is all very good, but you want to focus your attention on things like mission statements, brand, and current status in the market place.  Besides the obvious use of the organisation’s own website, you can use websites like Hoovers.com to discover as much information as possible, including financials.Secondarily, do your best to stay up to date with current events in the days leading up to the interview.  Often times, interviewers will quiz candidates on current events and more importantly, events related directly to their field, whether it be financial, political or technical.Good things to know:·      Who is the current CEO·      How has the company faired in the post-GFC climate?·      What state is the company in? Building, stabilizing, expanding?·      Future plans/Goals·      Business community perception/brandDress CodeDo your best to discover what the dress code for the company is.  It is important to present yourself as someone who can fit into their corporate environment and visual presentation is the first step towards doing so.  In other words, a trendy, edgy design firm won’t be interested in seeing you turn up in a suit, but conversely, jeans and a shirt won’t be acceptable when applying to a major financial institution.  If dress pants and a shirt are the norm, arrive in a suit.  If jeans and a t-shirt are the norm, arrive in a slightly dressier version of this.  You want to try to dress one level ABOVE the accepted dress code.  In the event you run into a wall trying to ascertain which way to go, a suit is always a safe bet.  A little discretion will allow you to make an intelligent decision.  Now go get that job!!  Good luck!/blog/517/graduate-employer-research---important--heck-yes.aspxMon, 01 Nov 2010 10:37:03 GMTI have spent the better part of my ten year career working with youth in either the academic or athletic (or both) environments and there is one common theme that has spanned that ten years.  When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.  This old Buddhist proverb has been at the heart of almost every interaction I’ve ever had and to this end I wanted to write briefly on how this simple sentence could change your life.Chances are very good that at this stage you have spent the better part of the last 15 years in a fluorescent lit room with someone at the front droning on about history, geography, the arts, or why water turns to ice at zero degrees.  You have spent countless hours hunched over a desk with a book or keyboard as the only thing separating your drooping forehead from the hard paneled bureau.  You’ve also spent extracurricular time in forced group settings trying to work with people you don’t know or like to solve a problem that you didn’t understand or even know you had.  All those hours with all those people and you have ask yourself, what did you learn?  Did you learn anything at all?  It would seem impossible to suggest you didn’t so lets presume you learned all you could.  But learning is a perquisite to this period.  You get tried and tested weekly just to see if in fact, you are learning.  The test to see if you were ready to learn is how much have you retained?  Was I ready to learn in Mr. Samuelson’s 9:52am mathematics class?  Or Mrs. Winterhorn’s 1:15pm English classNow you are approaching the end of your educational career and looking to pursue your professional one.  You have the aforementioned years of experience and education rattling around your brain and you’re ready to take on the world.  My question to you is this…are you still ready to learn?  It wouldn’t be hard to think after 15+ years of education that you know all you need to know but I would caution you against travelling that path.  One of the biggest turn offs that employers and career professionals face from young grads is an accompanying arrogance with that degree; a sort of know-it-all sense of entitlement because you have put in your time at school and now deserve a job.  You couldn’t be further from the truth.  You may definitely be qualified for the position but the attitude should still be one of gratitude and eagerness.  It’s a time-tested fact that your education really does begin once you leave school and your new (potential) boss must be able to see that you are an eager study.  You will be inundated with new procedures, new business principals and new concepts.  Will you be ready to apply your old knowledge to gain the new?  Or will you think you know it all and try to resist new or different ways of getting things done?  So you get it.  It’s important.  So now what?  Let me close by providing you with three tips for ensuring the former is clear.  1. Always ask questions about new ideas whether at work or in an interview; 2. Find ways of relating to new concepts through previously learned ones and 3. Listen first to the new idea and repeat your interpretation so as the “teacher” knows you’re taking it in.  By ensuring the above is evident, you will take the first steps to show those around you that the teacher is in fact, visible as you, the student, are still ready to learn.  This will make you a much approachable and attractive candidate and thus, helping you win the grad role you’re looking for.  Good luck!/blog/516/when-the-student-is-ready.aspxWed, 27 Oct 2010 09:00:05 GMT