Applying for your dream role

Whether you’re looking for your first job after university or just looking for your next career challenge, you need to get your house in order. It sounds daunting, but with a little time and effort you can prepare yourself to look for your dream job. Our Career Services team at the LGEA have all you need to know to prepare yourself before you begin your job search.

What’s the difference between a CV and resume?

CV stands for Curriculum Vitae (‘Course of Life’ in Latin) and shows your complete working history in order. This includes anything from your education, qualifications (academic or otherwise) and/or any achievements like awards, presentations or research. It is quite fixed and formulaic.

A CV presents the facts of your employment history to a recruiter or employer. A resume on the other hand is a summary of your job experience and information relevant to the job you’re applying for. A compelling resume follows four standard sections: objective, summary, work history and education. Even though resumes follow a formula (sections), they can be dynamic. You can customise your resume to the job you’re applying based on the knowledge, skills and expertise gained from your education, qualifications and/or any achievements.

Take note of the subtle differences. What you apply with, could make or break your job application for an overseas job or for an Australia–based multinational company. We offer tailored advice for your situation – advice you can’t find anywhere else.

Improve your resume

A US report found that hiring managers spent an average of 7.4 seconds looking at resumes. So, that first impression needs to count and immediately. You should aim to write a resume that is tailored to what employers want to read. You’d want your best foot forward to land your dream job.

Here are five simple things you can do to improve your resume:
1. Highlight your most important skills and experiences to employers in your professional summary
2. Tell your potential employer what you can offer in relation to the job in your personal statement
3. Highlight your transferable skills
4. Use specific terms unique to the industry, company and role
5. Place your technical skills between transferable skills and results

Applicant Tracking Systems

Think about how many times you’ve applied to a job only to hear nothing. These days, recruiters and hiring managers process resumes through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

Through an ATS, the recruitment process is automated and streamlined from start to finish. It allows a company to review applications, send automated messages and schedule interviews.

If you’re applying online, it’s safe to assume your application will be entering an ATS.

When applying, as a rule, you should make you application focused and specific to that job so that it cannot be used for any other job. When preparing your resume for an online submission, be sure to:

1. Follow instructions – include all the right documents in the specified formats
2. Use the exact words from the advertisement

LinkedIn

Your LinkedIn profile needs to step up its game. Organisations and recruiters are using social recruitment software to find suitable candidates. Think of LinkedIn as your digital resume!

Here we list five things you can do to raise your LinkedIn profile.

1. Profile Picture: Have a professional photograph taken which is ideally a mid-frame shot with a blank background. Wear a formal outfit like a shirt with a collar and be neat and well-groomed for this photograph and that’s it.
2. Introduction: Often professionals add their current designation/role along with the name of the organisation. If you are unemployed and looking for a job, add something like, ‘Actively seeking a job in …”
3. Newsfeed: Show what you are passionate about in your newsfeed. Share news articles, industry reports and various opinions published to demonstrate your knowledge, interests, passions and your point of view on subjects. Don’t shy from publishing your own content either. Start a blog, write about new innovations and their impacts as you see it.
4. Skills & endorsements: LinkedIn offers this section for you to list down the skills you specialise in. They can be endorsed by your colleagues and peers.
5. Recommendations: When it comes to getting social proof about the value you bring to the table, this is one of the most effective tools LinkedIn has to offer. Aim for 3-5 recommendations on specific skills you have. If you’re a student, ask for a recommendation from a professor, team leader or supervisor.