Careers and Personal Development Module
Finding the Jobs Out There
The most obvious place to start looking for available jobs is in the careers/employment sections of the major daily newspapers. If you are not already doing so you should regularly scan the newspapers looking for interesting vacancies. Most Commonwealth Government department graduate recuitment programs are normally advertised around May each year for intake at the start of the following year. Other vacancies should also be looked out for from at least six months before the end of your University studies.
This may seem a bit early to you in terms of expected starting date in the event of receiving a job offer. However, as long as you are honest with the potential employer during the selection process regarding the stage you are at in your studies and your availability it need not be a problem. Some employers will be prepared to wait a little for someone they perceive as being a promising appointee. Alternatively, a very good job offer at mid-year may warrant adjusting the completion of your program - e.g. by changing from internal to external study mode, or changing to part-time status and taking an extra semester to finish your degree.
You will find the major newspapers have "specialty" days for particular job advertisements. For instance, with reference to NSW-based population/health vacancies, the Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday issues of The Sydney Morning Herald are particularly good sources: the Saturday issue carries the main body of NSW State Government job advertisements, plus other interesting vacancies; the Tuesday issue has a special Local Government jobs section; and the Thursday issue always has the various Area Health Services' positions. The Australian newspaper also has its specialty job advertisement days.
Another useful source about vacancies is the Career Development Office. Final year students should call in at the Office and check the vacancies it has listed. The Office scans the major newspapers, but also has information on some vacancies that are not advertised in the newspapers.
Registering yourself with a commercial employment agency is another way of tracking down the many jobs that are not advertised. There are numerous such agencies within Sydney and most are listed in the Yellow Pages. Similar web-based services also exist and can be easily tracked down using web search engines. Check out the government web sites as well. Many Commonwealth Government departments and agencies advertise job details on their sites. Current NSW Government job vacancies meanwhile can be found at http://www.jobs.nsw.gov.au
Also, don't forget the avenue of making your own approaches to potentially interesting employers and enquiring about possible job vacancies. This "cold hit" approach has been the way many graduates in the past have got their first position. Asking friends already in the workforce about job vacancies they may be aware of is also another way many graduates have learnt about openings.
One final point. Some of you may be planning to travel overseas on a working holiday after finishing your studies. Many who do this find work in short-term, low skilled service jobs - e.g. bar tending, waitressing, etc. If your entry visa conditions allow you to take on longer term employment consider trying to get a position in which you "use your degree". Those who do this often find upon returning to Australia that this relevant overseas experience helps win a good job here.
Kevin
McCracken
Phone: +61-2-9850 8388
Email: kevin.mccracken@mq.edu.au