Resources

Sample Documents

Interview Tips

Research the organisation and if possible the members of the interview panel before the interview
Practise small talk - the impression you make starts from when you arrive in the car park
Practise answering questions about yourself
Practise answering specific interview questions
Become familiar with the CAR (Challenge/Action/Response) method of answering behavioural questions
Dress and groom appropriately
Walk tall and smile
Remain focused
Have an affirming statement prepared
Know why you are at the interview
Practise strategies for nerves, mental blanks and lapses of concentration
Seek assistance from Julie Olive

Employability Skills and Personal Attributes Sought by Employers

The personal attributes and key skills that comprise the Employability Skills Framework established by the Department of Education, Science and Training are listed below¹.

Personal Attributes:

Loyalty
Commitment
Honesty and Integrity
Enthusiasm
Reliability
Personal Presentation
Commonsense
Positive Self-Esteem
Sense of Humour
Balanced attitude to work and home life
Ability to deal with pressure
Motivation
Adaptability

The key skills identified in conjunction with the personal attributes to make up the Employability Skills Framework are:

Communication skills that contribute to productive and harmonious relations between employees and customers
Team Work skills that contribute to productive working relationships and outcomes
Problem-Solving skills that contribute to productive outcomes
Initiative and Enterprise skills that contribute to innovative outcomes
Planning and Organising skills that contribute to long-term and short-term strategic planning
Self-Management skills that contribute to employee satisfaction and growth
Learning skills that contribute to ongoing improvement and expansion in employee and company operations and outcomes
Technology skills that contribute to effective execution of tasks

¹Excerpt from the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry document titled: Employability Skills - An Employer Perspective, p. 6 found at ee21.pdf

Recommended Reading

How to weave your skills into a job application - Article by Julie Olive, April 2007 - Published on Dept of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) website

High Impact CVs - Make your résumé sensational by John Middleton, The Infinite Ideas Company Limited, 2005.

Handling Tough Job Interviews - Be prepared, perform well, get the job by Julie-Ann Amos, Cromwell Press Ltd, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, 2005.

24 Hours to the Perfect Interview by Matthew J. Deluca and Nanette F. Deluca, McGraw-Hill, 2004.

Best Answers to 201 Most Frequently Asked Interview Questions by Matthew J. Deluca, McGraw-Hill, 1997.

Links

The Australian Association of Career Counsellors Inc. (AACC) http://www.aacc.org.au

Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training 2007 Job Guide http://www.jobguide.dest.gov.au

Employment and Workplace Relations Services for Australians www.workplace.gov.au

Part Time, Casual and Temporary Australian Job Search
http://www.daywork.com.au