2014 careers guide - online spread
DESCRIPTION
Career guideTRANSCRIPT
The Sydney University Business School Society
2014 Careers Guide
CONTENTS:Editors Note 4President’s Address 5 Employability Steps 6 Degree Progression 7 Career Opportunities 8
Business School Opportunities Careers and Employability Office (CEO) 10 Industry Placement Program (IPP) 10 International Exchange Program 10 Clubs and Societies 11 Careers Fair and Employer Events 11 Competitions 13 Mentoring Programs 13 Business School Story: Inside IPP 14-15
Careers Overview The Value of Internships. 17 Graduate Recruitment 18-19 KPMG 20-21 Chartered Practice of Accountants 22-23 Commonwealth Bank of Australia 24-25 Ernst & Young 26-27 Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia 28-29 What Do Employers Really Want? 30-31 Optimising Your Opportunities 32-33
Snapshot of Majors and Disciplines 34-38
Recruitment Process Resume Tips 39 Cover Letters 40 Online Applications 41 Acing the Interview 42-44 Networking 45
Credits & Sponsors 46-47
Hello and welcome to the 2014 Sydney University Business School’s (SUBS) careers guide!
In an increasingly competitive job market, embarking on the first successful steps of a long term career in the business world is becoming more difficult every year. However, in choosing to attend the University of Sydney, you have chosen not only the best-taught business degree in Australia, but you have also chosen the best student run Business School society too.
No matter which year of your degree you enter this year – first, last or that weird time slot where the finishing line feels as distant as the day you walked into Sydney’s Hogwarts – this will provide you with a useful resource in making the right decision(s) going forward in your career.
We encourage you to take an extensive look at this compre-hensive guide. Information ranges from advice on major choic-es, and subsequent opportunities, to advice on tailoring your resume to make it jump off the page.
On behalf of the entire executive of the Sydney University Busi-ness School, we sincerely hope this guide assists you in mak-ing the correct choices for the year ahead.
Best of luck this year – hopefully it is the year that forges the path to your successful career!
4
Welcome to the 2014 Sydney University Business School Society Careers Guide. We recognize that taking those next steps outside of the university walls is an intimidating pro-cess. From knowing where to apply, creating an attractive resume, preparing for interviews or even knowing what to wear, it can all become very daunting.
That’s where we come in. This handbook is designed to help you navigate the process of graduate recruitment and make those first stages that little bit easier.
It’s never too early to start thinking about your career. From day one of a Commerce degree at Sydney University we are taught the importance of preparing in the best possible man-ner for life in the corporate world.
As a first year, it is often difficult to see the connection be-tween what you do now to a place that is three or four years down the track. However, the sooner you begin exploring the endless options you have, the better prepared you will be when your day finally comes.
To penultimate and final year students, we hope that this guide serves as a useful aid for you as you begin to look to graduate programs. You’ll find application dates and pro-grams from our sponsors within this booklet. Make sure to come along to our graduate events such as our Internship Fair, held later this semester.
From all of us at SUBS, no matter what stage of your degree you are up to, we wish you all the best. To those leaving us at the end of 2014, good luck as you take this step into the next chapter of your lives.
To those just beginning, we welcome you to one of the most exciting and dynamic clubs on campus and look forward to helping you on your Commerce journey.
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Coming into uni can seem overwhelming at first – to get ahead of the pack, you need to understand your degree progression and how to start advanc-ing your career right from day one.
Understanding what do at which point in your degree is vital if you want to make the most out of your Business School experience.
EMPLOYABILITY STEPS
Planning Ahead
01
6
21
A fre
sh s
tart:
hitt
ing
the
grou
nd ru
nnin
g
IT’S
NEV
ER T
OO
EAR
LY T
O S
TAR
T TH
INK
ING
AB
OU
T YO
UR
CAR
EER
– E
VEN
IN
fIr
ST
YEAr
!
Your
firs
t yea
r of u
ni c
an b
e a
conf
usin
g on
e –
but
the
best
way
to
mak
e se
nse
of i
t al
l is
to
thro
w
your
self
into
uni
life
and
em
brac
e it!
Joi
n a
club
or
soci
ety,
and
mak
e as
man
y fri
ends
as
you
can.
Th
is is
one
of t
he m
ost i
mpo
rtant
thin
gs y
ou c
an d
o in
firs
t yea
r to
hel
p yo
ur fu
ture
car
eer
– an
d he
re’s
w
hy.
The
Aust
ralia
n As
soci
ate
of G
radu
ate
Empl
oyer
s co
nduc
ted
a su
rvey
that
sho
wed
that
the
top
qual
i-tie
s m
ost
soug
ht a
fter
in t
he r
ecru
itmen
t pr
oces
s.
The
top
four
wer
e:-
Ora
l com
mun
icat
ion
- Te
amw
ork
- In
terp
erso
nal s
kills
- Pr
oble
m s
olvi
ng s
kills
It is
vita
l to
focu
s on
you
r ex
tra-c
urric
ular
act
ivitie
s as
the
se w
ill he
lp y
ou g
ain
the
skills
you
nee
d to
bl
ow y
our i
nter
view
ers
away
!
In y
our fi
rst y
ear,
thin
k ab
out g
ettin
g a
part
time
job.
S
ydne
y U
ni’s
cam
pus
offe
rs m
any
oppo
rtuni
ties
for
you
to m
ake
frien
ds w
hile
fam
iliaris
ing
your
self
with
th
e ca
mpu
s. It
’s im
porta
nt to
use
this
tim
e to
stri
ke
a ba
lanc
e be
twee
n w
ork,
leis
ure
and
stud
y!
Con
tinui
ng y
our d
egre
e: it
’s a
ll ab
out a
ttitu
de
You
may
hav
e he
ard
the
phra
se ‘P
’s g
et d
egre
es’.
Whi
le th
is m
ay b
e tru
e, d
egre
es c
erta
inly
don
’t ge
t yo
u jo
bs –
you
r sk
ills,
expe
rienc
es a
nd a
ttitu
de
do! S
omeb
ody
who
stri
ves
tow
ards
a 5
0 in
eac
h su
bjec
t is
som
ebod
y w
ho is
lazy
and
una
mbi
tious
, an
d em
ploy
ers
know
it.
Don
’t ne
glec
t yo
ur s
tud-
ies,
and
try
to b
efrie
nd y
our
tuto
rs –
they
can
be
hand
y ac
adem
ic re
fere
nces
!
Onc
e m
idw
ay t
hrou
gh y
our
degr
ee,
it’s t
ime
to
star
t hu
ntin
g fo
r pr
ofes
sion
al e
xper
ienc
e an
d re
f-er
ence
s. O
ne o
f th
e be
st w
ays
to a
chie
ve t
his
is t
hrou
gh a
n in
tern
ship
. A
2012
stu
dy i
n th
e U
S s
how
ed t
hat
60%
of
paid
inte
rnsh
ips
led
to
full
time
empl
oym
ent
late
r, an
d la
rge
firm
s w
ill fre
quen
tly u
se i
nter
nshi
ps t
o se
lect
ski
lled
and
mot
ivat
ed in
divi
dual
s fro
m u
nive
rsitie
s to
bec
ome
full
time
empl
oyee
s.
Thes
e ar
e a
grea
t w
ay
to
mee
t im
porta
nt
peop
le, g
ain
valu
able
exp
erie
nce
in th
e fie
ld, a
nd
cont
inue
bui
ldin
g th
e ke
y sk
ills t
hat
you
will
need
in
the
wor
kfor
ce.
Be
sure
to c
heck
out
the
rang
e of
inte
rnsh
ips
oppo
rtuni
ties
– ke
ep a
n ey
e ou
t for
S
UB
S c
aree
rs f
airs
and
che
ck o
ut t
he B
usin
ess
Sch
ool’s
Indu
stry
Pla
cem
ent P
rogr
ams!
3La
te d
egre
e: fi
nalis
e yo
ur p
lans
In y
our
penu
ltimat
e or
fina
l ye
ar o
f yo
ur d
egre
e,
your
car
eer
plan
ning
sho
uld
be y
our
prim
ary
fo-
cus.
If y
ou h
aven
’t m
ade
a de
cisi
on y
et, m
ake
one
quic
kly.
Car
eers
cou
nsel
lors
are
ava
ilabl
e to
hel
p!
Appl
y fo
r EV
ErYT
HIN
G!
Res
earc
h an
d ta
rget
em
ploy
ers
– es
peci
ally
tho
se r
ecru
iting
on c
am-
pus.
Don
’t ho
ld o
ut fo
r one
- a
pply
for t
hem
all a
nd
get p
icky
onc
e yo
u ha
ve th
e of
fers
in h
and!
Also
tak
e tim
e to
con
side
r do
ing
post
grad
uate
st
udie
s –
it ne
ver h
urts
to a
pply
for b
oth
post
gra
d an
d gr
adua
te jo
bs s
o yo
u ha
ve m
ore
choi
ces.DEGREE PROGRESSION
FIRST OF ALL, congratulations on making it into a degree in the Sydney University Business School! However, getting in was the easy part – if you want to succeed in the business world, it involves a lot more work throughout the duration of your degree.
A 2011 survey of 168 000 graduates in Australia re-vealed that a full quarter of bachelor degree graduates could not find work within four months of graduation.
This means that if you want to be a success story at the end of your degree, you need to find a way to stand out from the pack – and that’s what this career guide is here to help you do!
7
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
These programs can be specifically targeted towards first year students or open to students at any stage, and may run at any time of the year. It’s best to check with each firm individually.
Internships enable students to gain some practical work experience in a business environ-ment. They are generally aimed towards students in their penultimate year – the year before they graduate – but there are some open to students from any year.
Internships with major firms generally occur dur-ing the summer or winter vacation, when students can work full-time, however there are a plethora of part-time internships and other similar work place-ments with numerous other firms which offer flex-ible work experience alongside your degree.
Summer vacationer internships generally open early to mid year, though it’s best to make a calen-dar of cut-off dates and apply early, as some firms fill positions as they receive applications.
Other internships may occur all year round, and it’s all a matter of proactively searching for them to see if there is one that you’d be interested in applying for.
Graduate jobs give freshly graduated students a head-start into their career path. Many companies use the graduate recruitment program as a way to screen and choose which graduates they will offer full-time permanent positions to after the program’s completion.
Students generally apply just before their final year begins. In some industries and fields, many of these graduate recruitment positions are sourced from students who have previously participated in one of their previous student engagement pro-grams, such as a summer vacation internship.
A COMMON MISCONCEPTION amongst university students is that simply graduat-ing with a degree will allow them to walk into a graduate program of their choosing. However, to be career ready and equipped to land your dream job, it takes more than that!
We recommend investigating some of the major firms in the industries or fields you’re interested in, and seeing what kinds of opportunities they may have for you, as a student, to find out more and en-gage with them. The following are some examples of how you may do that!
A cadetship is a way for students to get paid to work in their related field while completing their degree. The Business School supports cadetship students with a tailored timetable to ensure both academic and employment requirements are met.
The Bachelor of Commerce is available on a part-time basis for students with a major in Accounting, Commercial Law, or Finance, as there are a range of evening classes available for core and other units of study in these majors. Depending on the availability of night time classes, cadetships may not be possible with other majors.
Many major firms are beginning to reach out to stu-dents and engage them earlier on in their degrees.
These types of programs are generally for a few days or perhaps a few hours over a few weeks, and enable participants to gain some insight into what the business workplace is like, and what kind of career opportunities and pathways there are at the firm.
They may feature aspects such as shadowing part-ners or employees of the firm, showcasing the dif-ferent kinds of fields and services the firm has, and networking opportunities.
8
The University of Sydney Business School is dedicated to creating a learning environ-ment that gives you an opportunity to learn by doing. We provide a huge range of oppor-tunities for work placements, international exchanges and other programs aimed at creating a rewarding, challenging intellectual experience.
Business School Offerings
Clubs, exchanges, and more
02
9
BUSINESS SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES
Angeles) and China (Shanghai, Beijing, and Hangzhou). During the winter, the program runs from late June to early August and comprises place-ments in france (Paris) and Switzerland (Geneva).
Placements are competitive, and to apply for IPP, you must have a credit average or above corresponding to two full semesters. Find out more information: http://sydney.edu.au/business/study/opportunities/industry_place-ment_program
Read further to hear the stories and exciting adventures from someone who have been on an IPP!
The University of Sydney Business School Student Exchange Program enables participants to study subjects in another part of the world that may be credited to their degree, while gaining incredible experiences such as meeting new people, mak-ing great connections, and exploring the globe.
Exchange is highly regarded by many employ-ers, as they recognise how these experiences enable participants to develop key skills, such as cross-cultural understanding, flexibility and inde-pendence - the ‘soft skills’ that are highly valued in today’s competitive job market.
With exchange, students also have the opportu-nity to:
- Study in some of the best institutions in the world- Obtain valuable international experience- Establish career networking opportunities- Gain new cultural insights- Have an amazing, unique experience
Find out more information: http://sydney.edu.au/business/study/opportunities/study_abroad_and_student_exchange
Many employers and firms are increasingly stress-ing the importance of a well-rounded individual – not just a student with decent grades.
Here at the University of Sydney, the Business School recognises the need for its students to stand out from the crowd and grow their competi-tive advantage.
The Business School has a dedicated careers service – the Careers and Employability Office (CEO) which offers a range of services and programs that assist students with their employment and career paths, including workshops, career counselling consulta-tions, and advertising for job opportunities.
Students are also exposed to a range of opportuni-ties that can not only enhance their university ex-perience, but enable them to grow both personally and professionally by getting involved in some of the programs offered.
By proactively seeking and getting involved in these different ways, students develop skills and expe-riences that enhance their competitive advantage and employability – here are some fantastic ways in which you can get involved!
The Industry Placement Program (IPP) is a program uniquely designed by the Business School to give students an opportunity to work for a leading firm as part of their degree, so they can gain some real work experience in today’s business world.
The program is credited toward your degree and open to both undergraduate and postgraduate stu-dents. It runs during Semester 1, 2, and over the summer and winter vacation, and placements may be local (in the Sydney area), regional (in regionally located organisations), or global (in Asia, Europe, and the US).
International placements occurring in the Aus-tralian summer vacation comprises placements in the United States (Washington DC and Los
10
There are also over 200 Clubs and Societies at the University of Sydney, all of which would provide varied and great experiences.
As mentioned earlier, the Careers and Employabil-ity Office (CEO) and many discpline-related Clubs and Societies often organise employer events on campus. Firms are often keen to attend Careers fairs and events to promote internships, graduate programs, and other opportunities throughout the year.
Whilst graduate programs are targeted at more senior year students, internships, and vacation work provide an excellent pathway for students to experience the workplace in a variety of industries. These events are also a great way to network and to find out more about firms you may be interested in working for in the future.
Some ones to look out for include SUBS’s Summer Internship Fair (Semester 1) and our High Achievers’ Breakfast (Semester 2)!
Univative is a consulting competition where par-ticipants work in teams to solve a real life business problem.
The competition pitches teams from the best uni-versities in Sydney including USYD, UNSW, UTS, Macquarie University, UWS, and the University of Wollongong.
Teams will need to research, discuss, consult, and formulate solutions within a 4-week period. Applications to compete close in May.
All participants receive a Certificate of Participation, and the winning team will receive prizes. This is a great opportunity to get real experience, improve your employability skills, put theory into practice, and make friends along the way.
Find out more information: http://sydney.edu.au/business/careers/students/univative
The Business School has a very active and vibrant Clubs and Societies culture. As well as being a great way to meet people, by becoming a mem-ber of a society you can attend career networking, guest speaker and academic development activi-ties, and social events, as well as participate in a range of programs and opportunities our different societies may offer.
Many employers also view active involvement and participation in Clubs and Societies favourably, as it reflects a students’ holistic and well-rounded university experience. Students in subcommittee and executive positions are especially positioned to have developed relevant employability skills, experiences and attributes in leadership, organisa-tion, time management, and teamwork.
We, the Sydney University Business School Society are the official faculty society of the Business School. All students studying a Commerce Degree at the University of Sydney are automatically mem-bers of SUBS. Our aim is to assist the academic and career development of our members and to enrich their university student experience, which we do by holding numerous key vocational, sporting, and social events, and our publications (like this one!)
SUBS also acts as an umbrella society for the Business School Affiliated Clubs and Societies, which are listed below:
- 180 Degrees: Social Innovation Group- Accounting & Auditing Society (AAASOC)- AIESEC Sydney- Beta Alpha Psi- Business Information Systems Association (BISA)- Commerce revue Society (Com revue)- ENACTUS- finance & Banking Society (fINSOC)- Financial Management Association of Australia (fMAA)- Statistics Society (STATSOC)- Sydney Marketing Society (SMS)- Sydney Consulting Club- United Nations Society (MUN)- USYD Network for Investing and Trading (UNIT)- Work and Organisational Studies Society (WOSOC)- Young Entrepreneurs Society (YES)
11
The Lucy Mentoring Program is a leadership program that inspires, motivates and educates women about the opportunities available for employment and leadership in the corporate and public sectors.
Successful applicants are partnered with a senior business leader as a mentor and spend time at their mentor’s workplace. This is an excellent opportunity for aspiring businesswomen to gain some corporate connections and insight into the business world.
For more information, visit http://sydney.edu.au/business/careers/students/lucy
Both available for undergraduate and postgraduate students, the peer mentoring program offers opportunities for new students to benefit from senior students’ guidance and advice in their transition into the Business School. It also enables experienced students to join as mentors and develop their leadership skills, network, and contribute to the Business School community. The program runs for Semesters 1 and 2.
This program runs in conjunction with the Inspired by Business program, where undergraduate men-tors are recruited to participate in a yearlong men-toring program with a mentee on a one-on-one basis.
The benefits of becoming an Inspired by Business mentor include the opportunity to gain:
- Personal satisfaction through helping others- Professional development in leadership and communication skills- Develop communication, organisation, reporting, and time management skills- Broaden networks- Certificate of recognition upon completion of the Inspired by Business professional development program which can be added to your CV as a documented leadership development program
Sydney Genesis is a start up competition for students who are passionate about their ideas in business, technology, or social entrepreneurship. Sydney Genesis helps students bring their ideas to life through workshops, mentoring, networking, funding and prizes.
Each year, over 80 entries are received, with 10 teams selected to compete in the finals. finalist teams compete for a range of cash prizes and in-kind support from top intellectual property and con-sulting firms to kick start their ideas!
This initiative, in addition to the funding received by the Business School, is funded by a donation from Innovation Capital.
This is a great way to demonstrate your business skills in practical ways, including writing business proposals, pitching, networking, and developing your ideas.
Presented by the University-wide Careers Centre, the Graduate Edge Program enables students to gain exposure to large corporate organisations, develop some corporate insight and employability skills, network, and enrich their resumes.
The program is held during the July break and consists of interactive workshops to explore students’ strengths and developing industry-valued behaviours facilitated by presenters from top global companies as well as the University of Sydney.
Sessions will be held at the University of Sydney and at each company’s workplaces. Companies presenting include Reckitt Benckiser, Ernst & Young, Commonwealth Bank, KPMG, Deloitte, and PwC.
Applications close at the end of March. Find out more details here: http://sydney.edu.au/careers/student_events_workshops/graduate_edge.shtml
12 13
Accredited by: Australian member of:
AS A BUSINESS STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY YOU HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR OWN DEDICATED BUSINESS SCHOOL CAREERS OFFICE
The CEO has many workshops and events planned throughout the year to assist you with your career decision making and provide you with important links to potential employers.
CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY OFFICE �CEO�CEO � The Business Specialists
We offer our students collaborative working environments as well as the opportunity to participate in extra curricular activities.
THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
BUSINESS SCHOOL
WHAT WE DO FOR YOUBusiness Careers AdviceVisit us at our kiosk for careers advice, get your final job applications looked over, pick up employer booklets & industry information. Book in for private business career advice appointments and resume review at the kiosk.
Employers on Campus Network with top graduate recruiters at lunchtime events, careers workshops and guest lectures.
Careers Skills WorkshopsAttend workshops on all aspects of the job search process to launch your business career.
Resume Review WorkshopsGive your resume the business edge by having it checked before submitting.
Interview Practice Practice your interview skills before it really counts. You will receive personalised feedback on how best to improve.
eNewsletter Business School specific job opportunities, internships and careers events emailed regularly to your student email account and posted to Blackboard and the website.
VISIT USCareers Events Calendarsydney.edu.au/business/careers/events
Careers KioskLevel 2, Merewether Building (opposite the staircase near Lecture Room 5), where all the employer flyers and assignment boxes are.
Careers on BlackboardYou’ll find comprehensive career information on Blackboard. Go to CEO on Blackboard - Careers Resources under My Organisations.
Websitesydney.edu.au/business/careers
CONTACT USE [email protected]
Produced by The Univeristy of Sydney Business School, November 2013. The University reserves the right to make alterations to any information contained within this publication without notice.ABN 15 211 513 464 CRICOS 00026A
Our very own Brian Xiong went to Paris last year as part of the very first Paris Industry Placement Program alongside 17 others from the Sydney University Business School.
The program lasted 6 weeks, and students attended the prestigious SciencesPo University in the heart of Paris. Brian interned at Keolis, the largest public transport company in France.
14
My time at the Paris Institute of Political Sciences (SciencesPo) was absolutely one of the most en-lightening in my life.
As a person who knew almost nothing about the political and economic situation in Europe, who could contribute nothing more than, ‘Greece bad, Germany good!’ in discussions on the European debt crisis, the chance to learn from some of the best lecturers in all of Europe, lecturers at an in-stitution which was famous for producing almost every single French head of state including the current (and last 4) presidents, was incredibly eye-opening and not one to be missed.
For 4 weeks, after a 9-5 working day we would trudge to evening class at the lovely SciencesPo campus at St Germaine in the centre of Paris. We sat in on daily lectures on European economics, identity and political sciences, alongside French classes until 9 pm every day.
Harrowing? Yes. Challenging? Yes. Did I even al-most fall asleep in class occasionally? Also yes.
Would I do it again though? A resounding yes!
BRIAN XIONG
Last June-August holiday season I had the extraordinary privilege of undertaking the 2013 Sydney University Business School Paris Placement Program.
This was a pilot program that saw 18 ambitious young Sydney students attend the highly presti-gious SciencesPo University in Paris, all while in-terning at a variety of french and international firms and organisations ranging from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), World Bank, Deloitte and the Australian Embassy. 18 people, 9 companies, and one heinously good time!
The company I worked at was called Keolis, the largest public transport company in France, with networks in Melbourne, Washington, London, and many others. I was interning in the International Marketing Division, which was useful (for the com-pany) since I was the only native English speaker in the department, which often dealt with English communications.
As a result, I constantly felt valued and was often asked to speak to international guests, including the head of the Yarra Tram network in Melbourne. It was a truly rewarding experience that gave me my first taste of the corporate life.
15
Internship is a word that is thrown around a lot at university. But why should you do one, and most importantly how do you get into one?
In this section we give an overview of how career placements work and the best ways to approach them.
Career ProgramOverviews
Advice and insights on what you’re getting involved with
03
16
As interns, internships allow you the opportunity to scout out whether you want to be spending years of your life working for a company.
Working in a particular field is often completely different to what studying that area in university is like. You may find your-self struggling to adapt in the first few weeks to the working environment, but view everything as a learning experience and be proactive about mak-ing sure you can take something out of it.
“Scout out whether you want to be spending years of your life working for a company...
Don’t be afraid to admit to yourself that you’re not enjoying
your internship.”
However, this doesn’t mean you should approach your internship with the mentality that the single reason for your existence for the entire period of it is to get that return offer – you may well find that the company, or even the industry, is not one that’s suited to you. This phenomenon, most common among those who foray into a certain type of banking, happens to people of all types in all sorts of industries.
In short, don’t be afraid to admit to yourself that you’re not enjoying your internship and that you think that job’s really not for you.
Your internship is a fantastic way to gain some practical work experience in a professional environment, but it’s not the be-all and end-all of your career – there will be opportunities to apply for a different role in the future and understanding more about your career preferences and future direction is one of the best things you can gain.
There are two sides of the coin when it comes to internships – the company and yourself, and it’s helpful to gain a better understanding of what an internship brings to each party.
For the company – it’s not just about getting work done, but also about sourcing the future talent that will work for the company in the future. What does this mean? It means that employers view intern-ships as a way to assess if they want to hire you after you graduate.
“Employers view internships as a way to assess if they want to hire you after you graduate”
Make no mistake about it, in the time you’re there, your higher-ups may poke, prod and frustrate you to such a great extent that your suitability to the job will become very apparent. After all, that’s the whole point. You may think they’re all staring with undivided attention at their computer screens, but in practice everyone has an eye on you.
People will surely notice if you often walk in late, have a caffeine addiction and/or bladder problem, or if are on Facebook a little too early in the day. With this in mind, you should approach your en-tire internship with the same rigour and focus you would afford a job interview (if you want the job, that is). Be professional.
Likeabil-ity is by far the most underestimated factor by in-coming interns. So much that as long as you meet a certain competency threshold, likeability is the most important factor determining whether you get a return offer or not. Put another way, it’s much better to be the intern everyone enjoys working with who also happens to be decent at the job than the super genius devoid of any social skills, pleasantness or enthusiasm.
Before elaborating on some tips for carrying yourself in internships, it’s important for you to think carefully about why internships exist in the first place.
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with the heading ‘Graduate’ doesn’t automatically indicate a graduate recruitment program. You need to read the advertisement carefully to find out if the job is part of a graduate recruitment program.
Most employers offering graduate recruitment programs participate in on-campus activities to give information to students about their organisation and selection criteria.
On-campus events such as careers fairs and employer presentations offer you a valuable opportunity to ask questions and find out more about an individual employer’s requirements.
If you’re interested in a particular organisation and intend going to an on-campus event, read the graduate recruitment information on the organisation’s website beforehand. This will help you to assess the information against your own needs and abilities and prepare informed questions.
You can also find graduate recruitment programs advertised in the ‘Graduate Opportunities’ book or their website at www.graduateopportunities.com.
For information on graduate recruitment jobs in the public service see our web page on Public Service Jobs.
Employers usually look for good all-rounders.Acceptance into a graduate program isn’t just about having above-average grades; employ-ers are also interested in any activities you are involved with.
Get involved in activities that offer opportuni-ties to develop and demonstrate the abilities that graduate employers value. These include team-
Graduate positions offered through a graduate recruitment program commonly provide opportuni-ties not always found in jobs open to any appli-cant.
These opportunities may include;• an extensive induction and training program,• structured rotations through different areas of the organisation,• a formal mentoring program with senior staff,• support for further study and a career devel- opment plan.
Many graduate recruiters aim to attract potential employees from a range of degrees and disciplines.Graduate recruitment programs provide a fantastic opportunity for graduates to explore a range of ca-reer pathways while developing work-related skills.
Graduate recruitment programs are highly selective and offer a great start to your career. They are generally offered in larger public and private sector organisa-tions.
Small organisations don’t usually have the resourc-es to provide structured graduate recruitment pro-grams, however, there are many employment op-portunities in the small to medium business sector. You just need to be actively searching for them.
Graduate recruitment programs are usually adver-tised on an organisation’s website, in the press, at your Careers Centre and on the Graduate Recruitment Programs page of the Careers Centre website.
It is important to understand that a job advertisement
Graduate Recruitment programs give graduating students the chance to get into the firm of their dreams, straight out of uni.
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1. Application sent (predominantly online).2. Possible psychometric assessment – for more information see Aptitude & Personal ity Tests on the Careers Centre’s website.3. Possible Assessment Centre exercises. The assessment centre experience may include an information session or an infor mal get–to-know you event. For further information refer to the Careers Centre’s handout on Assessment Centres.4. Interview – there may a screening inter view (possibly by telephone) and further interviews with senior members of staff (such as partners or line managers).5. Offer of employment (if successful).
The Careers Centre runs workshops on applying for graduate recruitment programs. For details visit the workshops page and events calendar on the website.
Most graduate recruitment programs are offered only to Australian citizens or permanent residents, and a few limited to only Australian citizens. It’s al-ways best to check the conditions of employment before applying. These are stated on the organi-sation’s website, in newspaper advertisements and in recruitment information available at your Careers Centre. Generally if you have an applica-tion for Permanent residency (Pr) pending, you are ineligible to apply until your Pr is finalised.
Increasingly, some of the larger organisations are seeking citizens of other countries to work in their overseas locations. Check specific employer’s websites for the details.
Some organisations accept graduates for graduate recruitment programs up to two years after course completion. However, don’t assume this to be the case; check the organisation’s website before applying. If you intend to spend a year travelling between completing University and starting work, it may be possible to defer your starting date if successful in a graduate recruit-ment program.
work, leadership, communication skills, initiative, interpersonal skills, and problem solving skills. These abilities may be enhanced through paid or volunteer work, work experience, or extra-curricular activities. Refer to the handout ‘Identifying Your Em-ployability Skills’ on the Careers Centre’s website.
Develop a list of relevant graduate employers and thoroughly research their products and services, their location(s), their goals, history, organisational culture and why you want to work for them. Care-fully construct your resume and the rest of your ap-plication. Use professional wording and tailor your application to the particular job and organisation.
Read all instructions carefully before sending your application. It’s likely that you’ll be applying online.
Leave yourself plenty of time to complete your application by the closing date. If possible, avoid drafting and sending your application on the last day, as the volume of traffic may lead to delays or site crashes.
Also, create a portfolio of documentation, projects, activities and achievements to be taken to inter-views.
For further information see the section on Resumes in this Careers Guide.
Read all instructions carefully before sending your application. It’s likely that you’ll be applying online.
Leave yourself plenty of time to complete your application by the closing date. If possible, avoid drafting and sending your application on the last day, as the volume of traffic may lead to delays or site crashes. Also, create a portfolio of documen-tation, projects, activities and achievements to be taken to interviews.
It is also essential to understand that you may not receive an offer from each recruiter. This why it is vital to apply to as many programs as possible.
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For graduate Sally Dole, life is about being open to new experiences and new opportunities. To learn as much as possible; to gain a more holistic and well-rounded view; to consistently stretch and better yourself.
Sally has combined overseas work with her love of music, politics, travel and meeting new people. It’s this global and wide-ranging perspective, that helps Sally in her day to day work at KPMG.
It’s this approach of always striving for your best and taking chances that KPMG looks for.
If you want a career for all of you, talk to us.
kpmg.com/au/grads
© 2014 KPMG, an Australian partnership. All rights reserved. VICN11566PPC.
Your horizons
Go Beyond
Sally Dole
Thomson Reuters Graduate of the Year, globe-trotter, music lover
Corporate Tax Consultant, KPMG Sydney
At CPA Australia, we understand that knowledge,ideas and insights are the world’s greatest currency.That’s why we teach not only accounting, but theskills necessary to help you stand out – Leadership,Strategy and Business.
BE HEARD. BE RECOGNISED.
Find out more at cpaaustralia.com.au
LEADERSHIP TRACK: PEDRO DIAS, ASA FROM THALES
When you think of the accounting profession, you often don’t associate it with outer space or military equipment, but Pedro Dias has managed to combine these different fields in his career.
The 32-year-old, who is an Associate Member (ASA) liv-ing in Sydney, has been given the opportunity to work as a Project/Cost Accountant on a unique project at Thales, an international electronics and systems company.
The project involves the development of military equipment for the Australian Government, including the iconic Bushmaster and new Hawkei vehicles. Pedro’s work involves increasing operational efficiencies, and performing financial and operational reviews. “I am working on a project that is technology driven, and you need to be at the cutting edge of your industry. So you’re exposed to exciting new technologies every day,” says Pedro.
“I work with the engineering department on the protected vehicle program and I can see the technology in place before anyone else, which is fascinating.”
Originally from Brazil, Pedro graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce – Double Major in Marketing and Accounting, from the University of New South Wales in 2009.
He was then offered a position in Thales’ graduate program and has since worked in Management Accounting, Reporting and Internal Auditing at the company.
On reflection, Pedro says the best way for accounting graduates to get a foot in the door is to attend the CPA Australia Career Expo. He says the Expo gave him the opportunity to meet representatives from different companies to find out what they are looking for in a graduate.
“While I was at university I attended the CPA Australia Career Expo, and I found that was a great platform for me to interact with companies that I would not usually have contact with. You actually have a high chance of a job placement at the Expo by making a good impression.”
Pedro’s top three tips for students who are planning to attend the CPA Australia Career Expo:
- focus on the top five companies you want to work for and then introduce yourself- Ask questions related to the company to show that you are interested - Make a good impression because companies are on the lookout for talented graduates
As for Pedro’s future plans, the Brazilian has fallen in love with the Australian lifestyle and now calls Sydney home.
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Can you grab opportunities? We interviewed Sheena Liu, one of Commonwealth Bank’s 2013 Graduates, to find out what it’s really like being a graduate at CommBank.
: Throughout your program, you rotate through different teams, attend training, participate in working groups outside of your day job, join volunteering and community initiatives and work on grad projects – it’s a recipe for variety!
: You’re surrounded by people who want to help you learn and grow no matter where you are in the Group. People really ‘get’ what being a graduate is about and as a result, you’re given some great opportunities for professional development.
: Work is much more than just work at CommBank. You’re challenged to be exceptional in every way, be it in your ‘day job’, volunteering, projects or graduate events. And you make some great friends along the way!
: The level of responsibility given to graduates is incredible. You work independently with clients. You’re responsible for your own projects. You present to senior leaders. Work hard, show you can deliver, and you will be given big responsibilities.
: Clearly articulate why you want to work in your chosen field - be loud about your motivation. Demonstrate your cultural fit - make it personal. Do your research - show you’re invested in a future together.
For more information or to apply online visit www.commbank.com.au/graduate.
COMPANY PROFILE:
As Australia’s leading financial services provider, we never lose sight of the role we play in other people’s financial wellbeing.
Regardless of where you work at CommBank, your initiative, talent, ideas and energy all contribute to the impact that we can make with our work.
We’re looking for graduates and summer interns from a wide range of disciplines who are passionate about developing their skills, taking hold of opportunities and meeting the needs of our customers.
Together we can achieve great things.
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I AM RESPECTED.
commbank.com.au/graduate
WE ARE COMMBANK.
OPEN TO IDEAS. OPEN TO GROWTH. DISCOVER OUR GRADUATE AND SUMMER INTERN OPPORTUNITIES.
• You’ll be given real work that impacts our business and our customers.
• You’ll receive Group-wide training and business area-specific training, plus attend formal training for technical and soft-skill development.
• You’ll have a mentor/buddy to support you throughout your program. You’ll also network with your fellow graduates/interns and with managers from across the Group.
• You’ll have unique access to senior leaders, and our graduates have the chance to enjoy a break fast with our CEO, Ian Narev, and our Group Executives.
• You’ll be working at Australia’s largest bank - enjoy fantastic offices, with the latest technical innovations, corporate discounts and much more.
• You’ll have the chance to contribute to the community by participating in our community committee and other initiatives.
What can you expect as a Graduate or Summer Intern at CommBank?
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At EY, we don’t try to fit you into a box. In fact, we want you to be yourself. We want your individuality to shine through. That way, we can try to match your unique talents, interests and skills with opportunities to help expand them, grow them and challenge them. We’ll open the door to experiences that will last a lifetime and shape the professional you’ll become.
You know what your goals are. And our job is to help you reach them. We’ll provide you with the support, the experiences and the development you need to create a future that inspires you. We care about your success, because ours depends on it.Together we can build a better career for you, and a better working world for our people, our clients and our community.
Work at the heart of global business and be part of a team that includes 175,000 people in more than 150 countries. As a global organisation, our people are vital to business, industries and economies worldwide; advising on issues that matter most. Working here connects you to global clients and colleagues, and offers first-hand experience on the big issues that are shaping the business world. We give you a part to play in helping major businesses make informed decisions and grow in a sustainable way.
individuals who are committed, talented, curious, energetic, inquisi-tive and ready to become successful business professionals.
We’re interested in students and graduates from many disciplines, including: ac-counting, actuarial, business, commerce, economics, engineering, finance, human resources, information systems, law and science.
Apply online at www.ey.com/au/careers/apply. Click on your preferred program and complete the application form and attach a copy of your academic transcript.
Become a fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eycareersFollow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/EY_AustraliaConnect with us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ernst-and-young/careersDiscover more at: www.ey.com/au/careers
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Your career could take you to New York.Your thinking could take you even further.Great career opportunities await those with a superior grasp of business. Qualify as a Chartered Accountant and you’ll enjoy a career that can take you across the world. That’s because Chartered Accountants are trained to be exceptional thinkers, with knowledge to make the right decisions. Little wonder then, they’re sought after in many key industries in over 115 countries.
Choose a career that’s respected around the globe. Visit charteredaccountants.com.au/careers
It’s the number 1 choice.
Thinking that counts
0114-21
0114-21 CM Student ads resize NY_A4 Student Society_FA.indd 1 15/01/14 3:50 PM
Work and live overseasChartered Accountants can work all around the world and are recognised by the accounting bodies in the leading financial centres. The Institute is a founding member of the Global Accounting Alliance (GAA), and currently the only Australian member within the Alliance. The GAA represents a network of 800,000 accounting professionals and leaders in countries such as, the United States, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, Ireland, Scotland, Hong Kong, Germany, Japan, England and Wales.
Find job securityChartered Accountants are in demand both in Australia and overseas. They are some of the most highly regarded professionals in the business world today, not only in accounting firms but in all sectors of business, government and not-for-profit organisations. Chartered Accountants are valued for their commercial know-how, analytical thinking and leadership abilities.
Have choicesChartered Accountants have diverse roles such as CEO, CFO, forensic accountant, management consultant, stockbroker and business analyst, which span across commerce and industry, government, public practice and not-for-profit.
To find out more, see some of our technical vodcasts, play some games and get connected check out our website.
charteredaccountants.com.au/students
Achieve Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting (GradDipCA)
Admission to membership
Chartered Accountant
Accredited undergraduate/masters degree or alternative entry pathway
Integrates technical knowledge and professional skills, using complex
real life case studies, to become a well-rounded professional
Mentored Practical Experience
14 weeksOnline learning,
3 face-to-face workshopsWorkshops (40%),
Final exam (60%)
12 weeks eachOnline learning,
Optional face-to-face lecture forum (Aus)/virtual classrooms
3 online assessments (20%), Final exam (80%)
3 years approved full time (or equivalent)
Concurrent to study
Develops technical competence through problem-based
learning using case studies and scenarios
Accredited undergraduate/masters degree or alternative entry pathway
Admission to membership
Develops professional competence with
guidance from a Chartered Accountant
Chartered Accountant
Capstone
Achieve Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting (GradDipCA)
Audit & Assurance Taxation
ManagementAccounting& Applied Finance
Financial Accounting& Reporting
Integrates technical knowledge and professional skills,
using complex real life case studies, to become a
well-rounded professional
Develops technical competence through
problem-based learning using case studies
and scenarios
14 weeks
Online learning, 3 face-to-face workshops
12 weeks each
Online learning, Optional face-to-face
lecture forum (Aus)/virtual
classrooms
Develops professional competence with guidance from a Chartered Accountant
3 years approved full time (or equivalent) Concurrent to study
The Chartered Accountants Program
Obtain the best postgraduate accounting qualificationThe Chartered Accountants Program is the program of choice for the elite of Australian business including the Big 4 accounting firms, small and medium-sized accounting firms, major corporations and government departments. The Chartered Accountants Program is the only Australian professional accounting qualification accredited as a postgraduate award (Graduate Diploma). It also provides exemptions towards a range of further specialist study at a masters level.
Institute of Chartered Accountants AustraliaThe Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia is the professional accounting body that represents around 60,000 Chartered Accountants in around 108 countries.
• : Academic results serve as a prime way to demonstrate your intel-lectual ability whilst also reinforcing your ability to remain dedicated despite juggling a life outside of your degree. Each employ-er may have different requirements in terms of a minimum GPA or WAM so it would be wise to keep track of your marks in rela-tion to your desired program. Be consistent whilst always striving to improve.
• : Any work experience isvalued by a prospective employer as it showcases your transferable skills such as initiative, communication and teamwork. However, employers are truly after candi-dates who have work experience relevant to their degree which may be obtained through internships, vacation work or even place-ments within small businesses.
• : There is no better way to showcase your balanced lifestyle than by immersing yourself in extracurricular activities. Recruiters seek out graduates who are in-volved in extracurricular activities such as sports, community work, music, drama and also student bodies as it fosters develop-ment of essential skills such as leadership and communication.
After graduating from the University of Sydney, you will have a unique set of skills and attri-butes specific to your chosen degree. Techni-cal competence is highly valued by employers and is a crucial criteria to fulfil when selecting graduates. Work experience can really solidify your technical skills and it allows you to apply what you learn in lectures and tutorials.
CHECKLIST: What Do Employers Really Want?
WHEN IT COMES TO APPLYING for internships and graduate programs, most students are always searching for a secret formula to winning over recruiters.
Indeed, at the base level, employers are seeking motivated applicants who have relevant skills and the capacity to form a perfect fit with the people around them. But to differentiate between ideal candidates, employers value applicants according to certain criteria including...
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All employers desire a generic set of skills that you will need to showcase during your future interview.
• : The ability to listen, speak and write effectively is the skill most often mentioned by employers. Effective com-munication is essential for a business to succeed and you must be able to demonstrate that you can articulate your thoughts clearly and logically for a designated audience.
• : In the work force, you will always find yourself collaborating with your colleagues. For example, while working on projects your team may consist of people from different departments such as marketing, accounting and finance and to make a meaningful contribution, you will need to function well as a team member.
• : This deals with your ability to assess a situation, identify key issues that need to be addressed, seek multiple perspectives and gather information as necessary. Employers deem problem solving as an essential skill and seek graduates with the confidence and competency to proactively solve emerging problems.
• : Creativity is the ability to approach issues in alternative and innova-tive ways and often works in tandem with analyti-cal skills. Demonstrating creative flair is an excellent way to differentiate yourself from other graduates.
• : In the modern workforce, it is vital to be able to adapt quickly to new ideas and cultural change as well as been able to adopt new tech-nologies and method-ologies. It also involves compromise and the ability to prioritise tasks.
• : Leaders are able to take charge and manage co-workers effec-tively. You will need to be able to set goals, motivate others and mitigate conflict with those around you.
• : This does not refer to ethnicity, but rather how well you align with the work environment and underlying values of a company. Above all, be professional.
• : You must be able to work effectively whilst juggling multiple deadlines. Prac-tice planning and prioritis-ing your workload.
• : As the world becomes
more interconnected with businesses operat-ing and expanding over-seas, a more multicultural workforce arising, and increasing transactions with people from different cultures and backgrounds, employers are recognising the importance of interna-tionalism, such as exchange, overseas experiences, and foreign langauges.
Personal attributes are qualities and characteristics that define you as a person and ultimately affect how well you will ‘fit in’ at a company.
Desirable personal attributes include:
• Honesty and integrity• Adaptability and flexibility• Dedication and work ethic• responsibility• Loyalty• A positive attitude• Professionalism• Confidence• Willingness to learn and enthusiasm• friendliness and courtesy
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It’s great to have options in life. But sometimes too many attractive options becomes overwhelming. We find ourselves paralysed, unable to make a decision then risking missing out on the opportunities completely.
LEFT OR RIGHT?
You are presented with a vast number of career opportunities throughout your de-gree.
Many of the best are by your SUBS spon-sors and there’s a lot even beyond that. There is a lot you can do to feel very con-fident about the decisions you make. The essential ingredient it all boils down to is something you, as a top uni student, should understand well – research.
Here’s the crucial truth – you won’t be suit-able for every job out there nor will every opportunity be right for you.
It takes great maturity to accept this and be
comfortable saying ‘no’ to certain opportu-nities but the purpose here is to reduce the large list of opportunities to a more mean-ingful few.
“You won’t be suitable for every job out there nor will every opportunity be right for you”
Start with collecting information about as many opportunities as possible. A great place to start is with the most common student recruitment websites such as graduatecareersaustralia.com.au, unigrad.com.au and gradconnection.com.au.
32
Other ideas are: • visit as many campus career events as
possible to meet company representatives• stay up to date with career service e-newsletters which contain job ads. • find campus services such as credit
bearing internships or professional mento-ing programs e.g. Lucy
• stay current with the business pages of leading newspapers and other business publications e.g. BrW (you might come across a really interesting company profile as well as giving you an excellent ground-ing for who is hiring, who isn’t and what the common big issues facing business are at the moment)
Then, for each opportunity you have on your long list, get to know the company and the actual role as well as you can.
Start this by spending some time on each company’s website, get a feel for their lan-guage, how they present themselves, what seems to be their image and culture.
Read up on each division and service line description to know the core business roles well. Do a media search – what is being said about them?
Think of anyone you might know who works/has worked there – can you get their per-spective on working there? Is there a possible way for you to go on site at the business to feel for yourself what the culture is like?
Once you’ve done as much research as you can, weigh what you now know up against what you know about yourself and your skill/strength areas, your career values, what motivates you to perform and your long term career goals.
Is there a direct match between what the role/company is offering new candidates and what you offer them?
The closer the match, the better suited you’ll be to the role/company and the greater success you’ll have in the role. For example, a person who loves to explore and try new things will be better suited in a company that supports innovation rather than a company with set procedures and traditions.
You should be able to confidently see which opportunities are the right ones for you, giving you a great platform to start an application.
Don’t let the fear of making a mistake stop you from your decision making process. You are not locking yourself in right now for the rest of your life.
You can only expect your first professional ca-reer choice to define you for the first 5 years of life out of uni. You have no way of predict-ing right now what you’ll do after that.
Common moves people make within the same profession are moving from one sec-tor to another, moving from large business to your own start up, moving from one country to another or even a complete career change.
Like building a muscle, if you practice the art of taking notice of opportunities around you and having a natural curiosity for finding out what they honestly offer, you will quickly de-velop speed in making decisions on whether a role just sounds interesting or whether it really is the right professional fit for you.
“Know yourself - your skills, strengths, values, goals, what motivates you to perform”
You know yourself the best. With the re-searched information at your fingertips, back yourself and have confidence in your deci-sions. Go for it!
Lucinda Crossley MeatesCareers Service Manager (Education)
Careers and Employability Office (CEO)
33
Accredited by: Australian member of:
AS A BUSINESS STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY YOU HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR OWN DEDICATED BUSINESS SCHOOL CAREERS OFFICE
The CEO has many workshops and events planned throughout the year to assist you with your career decision making and provide you with important links to potential employers.
CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY OFFICE �CEO�CEO � The Business Specialists
We offer our students collaborative working environments as well as the opportunity to participate in extra curricular activities.
THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
BUSINESS SCHOOL
WHAT WE DO FOR YOUBusiness Careers AdviceVisit us at our kiosk for careers advice, get your final job applications looked over, pick up employer booklets & industry information. Book in for private business career advice appointments and resume review at the kiosk.
Employers on Campus Network with top graduate recruiters at lunchtime events, careers workshops and guest lectures.
Careers Skills WorkshopsAttend workshops on all aspects of the job search process to launch your business career.
Resume Review WorkshopsGive your resume the business edge by having it checked before submitting.
Interview Practice Practice your interview skills before it really counts. You will receive personalised feedback on how best to improve.
eNewsletter Business School specific job opportunities, internships and careers events emailed regularly to your student email account and posted to Blackboard and the website.
VISIT USCareers Events Calendarsydney.edu.au/business/careers/events
Careers KioskLevel 2, Merewether Building (opposite the staircase near Lecture Room 5), where all the employer flyers and assignment boxes are.
Careers on BlackboardYou’ll find comprehensive career information on Blackboard. Go to CEO on Blackboard - Careers Resources under My Organisations.
Websitesydney.edu.au/business/careers
CONTACT USE [email protected]
Produced by The Univeristy of Sydney Business School, November 2013. The University reserves the right to make alterations to any information contained within this publication without notice.ABN 15 211 513 464 CRICOS 00026A
Understanding how majors work can be confusing and confronting if you are in your first year. Which Business School majors are there? What do they all mean?
Here, we give a snapshot of each one, and list re-lated Clubs & Societies for you to find if you’re inter-ested in investigating further.
Discipline Snapshots
Basic information about Business School Majors
04
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An accounting qualification provides capability and credibility across a broad spectrum of careers. It opens the door to many other markets and profes-sions where the ability to understand and interpret financial information is the key capability.
Formal accreditation by a professional body is avail-able through Certified Practising Accountants (CPA) and Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia (ICAA).
Related Clubs & Societies:Accounting and Auditing Society (AAASOC)Beta Alpha Psi
Quantitative Business Analysis introduces students to the quantitative methods they will need in order to thrive in the modern business world. Business Analytics is concerned with using business data to develop new insights and understanding.
This involves being able to extract and summarise information from the rich data sets readily available in today’s business environment; being able to anal-yse this data in a way that leads to useful models of both the operations and the environment of a busi-ness; and being able to respond appropriately as managers to quantitative information and quantita-tive models, and as such be able to make better business decisions.
As well as being useful in their own right, these skills in business analytics will also enhance the effec-tiveness in the work place of graduates majoring in other business disciplines.
There is a range of electives offered within this ma-jor, so that students can select topics in business statistics, in operations management and in deci-sion sciences.
This major aims to meet the increasing demand for professionals who possess the business acumen to understand a company’s business systems and information needs, and who also have a technologi-cal awareness to ensure that the right information systems support is available.
Through use of modern technology in business op-erations, businesses acn improve their capacity for management decision making and capitalise on the use of network based information sharing.
The primary emphasis of the major is on the ways in which information and communications technolo-gies, databases and enterprise information systems can be strategically used for business process im-provement and business innovation.
Students develop the ability to contribute to the de-cision-making, design and implementation of busi-ness process change, and to manage business improvement and information systems projects in organisations.
Formal accreditation by the Australian Computer Society (ACS) is available.
Related Clubs & Societies:Business Information Systems Association (BISA)Beta Alpha Psi
The Commercial Law major provides an introduction to commercial law as well as in-depth specialisation in some of its key areas: stock markets and deriva-tives law, finance and banking, taxation, insolvency, trade practices and consumer law.
These specialist units are designed to provide the basis of a professional capability in the area far be-yond the general introduction, not a qualification for admission to the professional practice of law as a solicitor or barrister.
BUSINESS SCHOOLMAJOrS AND DISCIPLINES
36
The Discipline of Finance works in partnership with the Australian Stock Exchange, the Sydney Futures Exchange, the Australian Financial Markets Asso-ciation and several of the largest banking, broking, accounting and funds management businesses in the region.
A sound knowledge of finance is important for graduates in a wide range of commerce/econom-ics disciplines. The units offered are designed to integrate a variety of practical applications with es-sential theory and financial reasoning skills.
The University of Sydney is recognised as a CFA (Chartered financial Analyst) program partner through the Bachelor of Commerce (finance) and the Bachelor of Economics (finance) degree pro-grams. This recognises that the university curricu-lum at Sydney University in these areas is closely tied to professional practice, and is well suited to preparing students to sit for the CFA exams.
Formal accreditation by the Chartered Financial An-alysts Institute is available.
Related Clubs and Societies:finance and Banking Society (fINSOC)Financial Management Association of Australia (fMAA)
Marketing creates value for customers, organisa-tions and society by matching what organisations produce with what people want. It is a core man-agement function within every type of organisation.
Marketing skills are used to sell products and ser-vices, obtain support for charities, persuade people to improve their lives, which many health campaigns aim to achieve.
Students are taught to understand customer needs through extensive research, apply this information to new ideas for products and services and devel-op creative ways to communicate these offerings through advertising and other types of media.
The curriculum is grounded in the real world and emphasises team building, role-playing, and other interactive exercises. This approach helps students develop confidence and skill in the areas of busi-
ness planning and problem solving, public presen-tations, and social interaction.
Related Clubs & Societies:Sydney Marketing Society (SMS)
The International Business major is designed to provide students with knowledge and skills relevant to the development, strategy and management of international business organisations and the insti-tutional context for their development, growth and operation.
Management is the process of planning, organising, leading and controlling the efforts of organisational members and using resources inside and outside the organisation to achieve set objectives.
A Management major draws on subjects from a number of disciplines in the Business School and the School of Economics (faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) and develops a sound understanding of managing the internal processes of organisations and the relationship between organisations and their environments.
Related Clubs & Societies:Work and Organisational Studies Society (WOSOC)
A major in Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management has two strands: the the-ory and practice of relations between employers, employees, unions and government; as well as the management of people within an organisation, including recruitment, selection, remuneration, ap-praisal, and training and development.
This is a professional major which includes a work experience program with placements in unions, employer organisations, companies and govern-ment.
Related Clubs & Societies:Work and Organisational Studies Society (WOSOC)
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You’ve heard it a thousand times before: the first step to success is having a great resume. Your resume gets you an interview, and your interview gets you a job.
So it’s important that when the recruitment process begins, you know how to play the game and ensure that your resume can see you through to the end and land you your dream job.
Recruitment Process
Resumes and interview tips
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A resume is a short, succinct value proposition – it tells your recruiter what value you can bring to their company.
As such, each resume needs to be targeted to each individual job. Each resume needs to highlight the skills you have that are needed in the selection criteria. Don’t make a shopping list of achievements! Employers are interested in your skills.
One of the most commonly cited problems that recruiters have with resumes is that they are too generic and unspecific. This occurs when using a single resume for a wide range of job applications. If your employer can see that your resume isn’t catered to the job in question, it shows them that you don’t really value the job and are probably won’t work as hard as some-one who took the time to tailor theirs.
Take a close look at the specific job require-ments before writing your resume. Each job will list a specific set of skills that they are looking for – make sure you select the most relevant work experience to include in your resume, and describe the skills you’ve gained.
Having a skills section that lists the skills you have (and explains where you developed them) is an increasingly popular way of quickly show-ing a recruiter you have what they are looking for!
You need work experience to get a job, and you need a job to get work experience. This catch-22 can seem very daunting at first, but there are ways to beat it – otherwise nobody would have a job!
The trick is to be creative – extra-curricular activities in school can serve as analogies to work, and help you develop many similar skills.
Constructing a skills based resume that em-phasises academic or extra-curricular situations in which you exercised the required skills is a great way to make up for a lack of work experi-ence.
For more resume tips, visit http://sydney.edu.au/careers/
Your resume is you in a nutshell. But it’s more than that – it’s a way of marketing yourself to a prospective employer. Thus, it’s important that you ask yourself:
- Use quality white paper- Use a single easy to read font- Keep it short – max 2 pages.- Use LinkedIn
:- Make a spelling or grammatical error.
One error will cause your CV to be binned.- Include a photo unless asked. 88% of CVs
with photos are rejected.- Have an unprofessional Facebook account.
68% of employers will search for you.
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A cover letter is a personal statement about your motivations and experience. It supplements the resume by allowing you to demonstrate your written communication skills. As such, it is another value proposition – it needs to explain to your potential employer why YOU are best suited to the task.
So you’ve written a stellar resume that accu-rately and succintly sums up your experiences and skills. But that often isn’t enough. Writing a personalised cover letter that demonstrates your written skill can be a great way of showing that you have taken the time to tailor your resume to the specific job.
Employers spend on average 5-7 seconds reading a resume. But did you know that the average employer will spend approximately a minute on cover letters?
Of course this will vary – larger organisations spend between 1 and 30 seconds, while smaller organisations tend to spend longer. But having a cover letter can mean that an employer spends more time reading your application, and getting a better idea of who you are.
This is the reason that two thirds of resumes are now accompanied by cover letters.
Here are some for some tips on how to make sure your cover letter stands out -
Cover pages should not exceed 1 page. You can use the format of a simple letter if it is a cov-er letter for an unadvertised position, as you are requesting a job or position. Either way, make the letter formal, polite and avoid all grammatical or spelling errors.
The first paragraph of a cover letter should in-troduce yourself, your interests and your career aspirations – ideally, these should be in line with the job sought. You should then go on to talk about your relevant experience.
For example, if applying for a marketing role, why not talk about the time you worked at a ra-dio station, or how working in sales gave you advanced insight into consumer behaviour? The key is, take what you have, and spin it into something that applies to the job.
Talk about your interests - specifically, those aligned with the job. But make sure you back up everything you say. It’s easy to say you have an interest in something, but if you don’t say how you worked in or developed that interest, em-ployers will probably see right through it.
format it as you would an ordinary letter – find out who you will be submitting your application to, and address it appropriately. Always try to find out the name of the person reading your application; you can usually do this except with large companies.
Your resume is a great tool for your employers to quickly gain insight into your experiences. But it usually won’t let the employer know about you personally – are you the kind of person they want working for their company?
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With online applications, making your applica-tion stand out is even more vital, as often you won’t even have a chance to submit a resume! Thus, if you want to differentiate yourself, you should follow these few steps...
You need to know why you want to work for the company, and you need to be able to put it down on paper. This means going beyond a simple search of the company’s characteristics; Commonwealth Bank doesn’t need you to tell them they are the biggest bank in Australia, they already know!
Find the mission statement, the values of the company and what makes this company differ-ent from its competitors. Most of this will be on the company website – but go beyond.
Search their recent news; have they had any positive contributions to the industry or world lately? Talk about why this matters to you. This creates a more personal connection and shows the company means something to you.
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Copy all of the questions they have into a word document.
- Don’t try to fill out all the questions online and submit it immediately!
- Edit and proof read! Get someone else to read over your answers too – hasty submis-sions are one of the most common mistakes with online applications.
You will usually have to fill out your personal de-tails first. There is nothing confusing or tricky about this – simply fill out all the relevant parts truthfully. As for education and experience, there is no need to go overboard. Only list the ones that are relevant to the job; the HR team doesn’t really need to know about your Year 7 achieve-ments.
The personal questions are the parts where you will be distinguished from the others. These are the parts the recruiters are truly interested in – and as a result, you need to ensure that all of your writing skills are brought to bear.
While answering these questions, keep in mind this question: why you? Remember, it is a value proposition. You need to demonstrate your value to the company in this job.
Draw on your past experiences! Often questions will ask you about difficult situations, or times you had to demonstrate a particular skill. Be specific, and explain exactly how the skill developed.
There is a simple formula for answering these questions - .
: What was the setting?: What needed to be done?
: How did you overcome the problem? (Hint: by using the skill they asked for): Did the problem get fixed? Don’t be afraid
to say no - as long as you mention how much you learned from it
(e.g. you developed that skill!)
As we move towards a more technologically enabled world, more and more companies are moving towards online applications rather than paper ones, as it is more efficient and is more environmentally friendly!
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Your goal is to leave an impression. Never underestimate the interview – the most qualified candidate will be rejected if they leave a poor impression. Simply think this: how can I be a person who I would want to work with?
Almost every employer will be looking for a dif-ferent thing, but there are a few key things that they will look for. Recruiters usually search for positive values that you have that will be a boon to the company, while also keeping an eye out for red flags that will cause you to be rejected.An employer looks for these things in an inter-view:
1. Skills to do the work2. Values that align with the company3. Motivation and passion4. Inherent traits (eg. Diligence, ambition)5. Mannerisms
Even if you are highly skilled and qualified to do the job are an outgoing person who can easily make friends, if you fail to research the compa-ny beforehand and don’t prepare any questions for the interviewer, you are demonstrating that you’re not very motivated to work for this job, and probably won’t work hard in the job either.
If you want to impress your interviewer, research their industry and company beforehand. Make sure you are up to date with any news that could affect the company and find an appropriate time to mention it; this will show that you take a per-sonal interest in the company, and will likely be a more engaged employee.
HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS PREPARED THAT SHOW THAT YOU ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE VALUES OF THE COMPANY.
Be specific when it comes to the company val-ues: provide examples of times when you have used skills or worked in a field that is in line with your company’s stated mission!
Research your company, the industry, and the news, and formalise your own goals. They may ask for your opinion on a current business news affair – have an answer at your fingertips, one backed up with research.
So now you’re done preparing, and you are in the interview room. What do you do?
Think back to every workplace you’ve ever been in. There would have been one person in almost every office that everyone wants to work with, ei-ther because they are efficient, or because they are simply likeable. Think about all their traits – openness, honesty, and try to emulate the best parts of their behaviour.
We’re not suggesting you try to change who you are – simply take what you liked about them, and bring it to the interview room.
Now sell yourself. And again, be specific. Inter-viewers today like to ask ‘behavioural’ questions; in other words, questions designed to see how you would act in certain situations.
These are usually along the lines of: “Describe a situation in which you…” or “When have you
Now you’ve passed the resume and application stages, and it’s time for the all too dreaded interview, when you finally get to meet your (potential!) employer. This is also usually the final stage between you and your dream job –
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been faced with a difficult situation?”. Answer these honestly from your own pool of experi-ences.
Remember the formula in the previous section? Repeat it here – describe the SITUATION, TASK, ACTION, and RESULT.
This method is designed to showcase your ap-proach to challenges with proof of how you’ve done it in the past.
If they ask you a question in which you honestly have no idea, or have never been in that kind of situation before, tell them that you do not per-sonally know, but also how you would approach the issue if you were in that situation.
Other types of questions interviewers will ask are more specific to the position or company, and your motivations for working there. They may ask you how you align to the company values or vision, what your preferred working area of the business is, and even for suggestions on how they as a company can improve.
This is where you can draw on your preparation, and demonstrate your critical and analytical abil-ity as well to show that your research has ac-tually resonated with you, and not merely been memorised.
Assuming you get to the point where they ask if you have any questions, you’ve probably done alright in the interview. However, this isn’t the time to slack off – this is still an assessment! Your recruiter is still looking for intelligent, rea-soned questions.
Find out about the workplace environment. What kind of conditions are there in the workplace? What is the culture like? Don’t simply ask to try to impress the interviewer – if the culture doesn’t sound like something you would enjoy, don’t be afraid to admit it to yourself. You don’t want to be caught working in a workplace you hate!
Ask your interviewer questions about them-selves, but don’t get too personal – ask them how they got to where they are in the company, any advice they’d have for a fresh hire, and what their opinion is on office culture.
Finish up an interview by sending a thank you email to the interviewer afterward – this is a mere formality that goes a long way!
For more information on interviews and resumes the Careers and Employer relations Office (CEO) offer interview and resume workshops. Visit http://sydney.edu.au/business/careers
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Throgh out your professional career, it is likely that you will encounter more than one type of interview. Here are a snapshot of some of them and how you can prepare for such a scenario and ace it anyway!
In many cases, your interview will be conducted by just one person, particularly if you’re applying to a small or medium-size organisation or initially through a recruitment agency. One-to-one in-terview are often more relaxed than panel inter-views.
While the prospect of a panel interview might seem nerve-wracking, handling the interview is easier if you can find out the panel members’ names and job titles before the interview.
You can then refer to interviewers by name, have time to consider the recruitment process from their perspective and prepare questions to ask based on their various areas of responsibility or interest.
When asked a question, look mainly at the questioner but also glance at the other panel members to include them in your answer. Pan-els may include a community member and staff members from other departments in the organi-sation.
These may be short screening exercises used by employers and recruitment agencies to make up shortlists for interviewing. Because you can’t see the interviewer, shake hands or assist your communication through body language, tele-phone interviews can be daunting.
You can still make a good first impression how-ever. Prepare for the interview as if it were in a formal setting. Speak confidently, clearly and en-thusiastically. Have your written application and the job description beside you in case you need to refer to these. Also, wear something that makes you feel like a professional. Whilst this
may sound silly, dressing formally will give you much needed confidence.
At an assessment centre, groups of job applicants complete a strategic set of tasks in a simulated business environment. For further information see the handout Assessment Centres.
Whilst most interviews are formal in nature, some organisations may prefer to conduct informal meetings in their interview process. The interviewer might ask you various questions about you and your interests to assess whether you will fit the organisation. It might seem relaxed, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking that this is a casual conversation! remain professional, as you would be in any other interview.
Most management consulting firms that recruit graduates conduct case study interviews, which can also be used as assessment centre exercises by other industries. Case study interviews outline a business problem and candidates are required to work through the case in a logical manner to come up with recommendations for solving the problem.
Some organisations choose the successful applicant after just one interview; others require two, or even a series of interviews. The sort of questions you could be asked in the inter-view rounds may appear similar, however, you might be meeting more senior and/or technical specialists within the organisation.
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You never know when you might need some-one’s help, so the key to good networking is leaving a good impression on everyone you meet. Now don’t panic – even if making friends isn’t something that comes naturally to you, it is a skill that can be developed.
Networking is something that can seem insincere and selfish at first; people often dismiss networking as simple ladder climbing. Howev-er, this is not at all what networking is about: networking is quite simply making friends.
The whole point of networking is that you are not only friendly and open, but genuine. The easiest way to come across as needy or self-serving is if you aren’t genuine about forming a positive relationship with the person; in other words, if you are willing to take help but not give it. Networking is a two way street.
Although the key to networking was leaving a good impression on everyone you meet, being on good terms with a whole bunch of people isn’t worth as much as having a few people who are genuinely friendly with you. The three steps of networking are aimed to fix that:
1. Making a good impression2. Focusing your contacts3. Maintaining connections
This is again, all about selling yourself. Be open and friendly – engage people in the business
world with politeness and interest. Ask questions about them and demonstrate an interest in what they have to say – after all, people love to talk about themselves! Try to talk about your individ-ual accomplishments with a degree of modesty; state your achievements and be proud of them, but not arrogant.
Try to talk about their world; if they are a journal-ist, why not share you opinion on Rupert Mur-doch or Fairfax? Demonstrate that you know a little, and if you don’t, be eager to listen.
Now it’s time to start thinking about who is most relevant to you. What are your career aspirations? Who shares similar interests to you? Again, try not to think of it as ‘who can benefit me most?’, rather think who you will be spending more time with as your career progresses. These people may end up being your mentors in your job!
Staying friends with people involves more than simply adding them on facebook (or LinkedIn) – as you are probably sadly all too aware of by now. Just like your primary school friends, if you don’t talk to people for years, you will probably sadly lose that friendship and approaching them for help will seem insincere or awkward.
Ensure that you keep in touch regularly – ask them how their work is going and if they need help – this ensures that when you need it, they will likely give it!
No matter how you look at it – who you know (and who knows you) is im-portant. Making good connections in the business world is a fantastic way to kickstart your career. While having a business contact may not neces-sarily guarantee you a job, it will almost certainly benefit you in some way down the track.
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