As an international student studying in Australia (I am a Master of Accounting student at Monash University), I am very concerned if, upon completion of my degree, I will be able to get a professional job related to my field of study. That’s why when one of my friends ” bragged ” that his management professor is also a recruitment consultant and is always happy to provide his students with friendly advice and assistance in landing professional jobs in Australia, I tried to attract ” my dear friend to help me arrange an informal meeting with that professor to have a talk about my future job prospects. This is how I met Dr. Michael Baron, (CEO of Baron Consulting, a Melbourne based recruitment and training agency). Michael appears to be something of a “cult figure” to his students, who consider him more of a mentor than a lecturer. I really enjoyed our conversation and feel like Michael’s advice is relevant not only to me, but to many other recent students and graduates as well. So I asked Michael if he would mind if I recorded his answers to my questions so I could share them with others. Fortunately, he didn’t ��! So here comes our impromptu interview:
Michael, as a foreign student who has no work experience in Australia and only has 3 months of professional work experience in China, I am naturally a little concerned. I’m a year away from completing my Master of Professional Accounting at Monash and to be honest I’m not entirely sure what to do next. How to apply for a job?
Good question, Violet. Turning a new leaf and starting a new stage in life is never easy. However, it doesn’t give you any excuse to give up before you even start trying ��! The first step is to make a good resume. As far as I know, all universities, including yours, provide students with a resume building service at no cost (well, at no cost, as they are obviously funded by your and others’ fees), so I suggest you contact Monash Student Support Services and they will advise you who to turn to to get your resume right. On your resume, given your very limited work experience, try to emphasize your skills and abilities. Focus on the skills that are particularly relevant to the job you are applying for. Please read the job descriptions carefully and keep making minor adjustments to your resume accordingly so that it always suits the needs of the company you are applying for. I know it’s hard work … but it has to be done!
Okie, I feel a little better already. It’s nice to know that there is still some hope versus hope for me. So you mentioned doing a resume and applying in every possible place. But do you think someone will give an applicant who doesn’t have any local work experience a chance?
Of course, many of the companies will not be willing to “take chances” and hire a recent graduate, but some will! Don’t worry about rejections and continue to apply for as many relevant job openings as you can identify. Eventually your persistence will pay off and you will finally be able to secure some interviews and once you get to the interview stage, there is always a chance!
And Michael, many of my friends suggest that I get some local experience by enrolling in an Internship Training Program or a Professional Year Program. Do you think it’s a good idea?
Your friends are on the right track. Anyway, if you can get an internship, go for it! Once you join a company as an intern, not only will it be a perfect opportunity to gain the necessary skills and experience, but also if you manage to impress your internship supervisors, there is a great chance that you will be offered paid employment. upon completion of the internship. Just be sure to select an internship that is right for you. It doesn’t matter if you don’t get paid for your efforts as long as there is enough free training and opportunities to acquire new skills on the job involved.
Well, what about getting good grades? If I study day and night (not my intention) and I get all HD as a reward for my beautiful efforts. Will you help me get a job?
I don’t want to discourage you from studying hard, but the truth is that while good grades help in some cases (for example, when you are filling out application forms to apply for graduate jobs and are asked to indicate qualifications), it is just one of the many factors that can give you a competitive advantage when applying for jobs and may not be the greatest advantage of all. While employers expect the recent graduates they are about to hire to be diligent academics, they are far more concerned with their learning ability, enthusiasm, people’s skills, and actual knowledge than they are with qualifications. For example, if it is evident on your resume that you can produce real life tax returns, that is much more impressive than having an HD rating for a tax topic.
And the work of Baron Consulting? Would you offer someone with limited or no experience a job at your company if you feel that person is excited and eager to learn? Would you always prefer someone with proven professional experience? Please be frank!
Well, since you insist, I should answer the question honestly (not that I would be inclined to answer dishonestly otherwise). We certainly value work experience just like other employers. Securing a senior job with us without sufficient work experience in a similar role is highly unrealistic. However, for junior jobs (internships in particular), we are sometimes happy to consider applicants with limited or no professional experience, as long as they can demonstrate that they are committed to hard work, quick learners, and happy to work as part of our small, friendly team. . Experience is not everything! Everyone has to start at some point, and we understand that … just like many other organizations. However, we must believe that interns can contribute to our projects and their ability to learn quickly and become valuable members of our team … and this is up to them to demonstrate it during the interview process!
Haha. Or, thank you for your honesty. Now the final question: how do you and other recruiting agencies advertise available job openings? I visit SEEK from time to time. I also review openings available through Monash’s online forums and communities (sadly, most of these jobs are non-professional and related to my field of study). So where else can I find open positions to apply?
Once again, you are on the right track! Most of all job opportunities are available through the Seek website. However, university forums and communities may not be as helpful when it comes to entering career fields of employment. As far as I know, almost all the jobs that are posted on the University forums are casual jobs. These jobs (eg cleaning, babysitting, etc.) are good for current students and recent graduates while they are still looking for work for study-related jobs, but have little link to professional jobs. Another way to expand job opportunities is to “open doors.” Chat with your friends to find out if they know “someone” who may be working with a company that can accommodate recent graduates like you and try to arrange a meeting with them so they can let you know if there are any openings available at their companies and if so , what is the best way to request them. In addition, you can also try “cold calling”. Identify organizations that are known for recruiting recent graduates in your field of employment and contact them by phone or email to request a meeting. This could lead to more potential job opportunities.
Thank you Michael.