Careers News for Staff
In the December edition:
In the November edition:
Welcome to the first edition of 'Careers News for Staff'!
In the September edition:
- Don’t let your students talk themselves out of a career: Advising students in a tough career market
- Do you work with Postgraduate Students?
- Information and advice for students on looking for work and writing applications
- Your Careers Centre Jobs Database for University of Sydney students
Disability Forum
The University of Sydney hosted a ‘Managing Disability at Work: the Things you Need to Know’ forum for staff and students on 23 November 2009. This forum was jointly organised by the Careers Centre and Disability Services from The University of Sydney and the University of Technology, Sydney as well as the National Disability Coordination Officer Program and was open to staff and students across NSW and ACT.
‘Over 130 people registered for this event, which was a wonderful response as a forum to discuss managing disabilities and career development has not been held at this university for several years’ says Natasha King, Career Education Officer with The University of Sydney Careers Centre. ‘Our opening speaker was Ben Harvey, a graduate from The University of Sydney and founder of Skimming Stone who inspired the audience with stories of his progress from sales and marketing, public affairs and project coordination, business development and research to business owner and strategic consultant. Ben learnt valuable skills in social networking, time management, setting priorities, self-reliance and resourcefulness while managing his study and working life around his motor neurone disease.’
Student learnt from a range of speakers including Samantha French, Mark Lazaroo and Robyn Lang (Australian Employers Network on Disability), Amelia Britton (KPMG), Marijke Wright (UTS), Dawson Ko (Stepping Into and Willing and Able and Mentoring Program) and Rosemary Kayess (Chair of the Management Committee of the NSW Disability Discrimination Legal Centre). The speakers shared their stories of success and tips on managing disclosure, looking for the best job fit, negotiation of workplace adjustments and finding and retaining work.
The afternoon session provided a panel discussion and allowed student to ask questions. Mark Lazaroo and Robyn Lang from the Australian Employers Network on Disability stressed the importance of students linking with a mentor while at university and as they enter the workforce. They highlighted the benefits of the Stepping Into Program and the Willing and Able Mentoring Program which they coordinate.
Rosemary Kayess closed the event with her own story of success and the need for students to know their rights and responsibilities in the workplace. Rosemary has vast experience in the area of international human rights and disability discrimination and stressed the need for ongoing and clear communication as the key to success in managing disability in the workplace.
For information for students with a disability who are seeking employment, please direct them to the Careers Centre web site at www.careers.usyd.edu.au/finding_jobs/job_seekers_disability.shtml.
Audio files from these speakers can be found on the Careers Centre website at
www.careers.usyd.edu.au/student_events_workshops/workshops/slides_handouts.shtml
For further information about managing situations if any of your students have a short term or longer term disability, please contact the Disability Services team on 8627 8422 or visit the website at www.usyd.edu.au/stuserv/disability/index.shtml
Careers Centre open during semester vacation
The Careers Centre is open year round (apart from the university shut down at Christmas and all Public Holidays). Let your students know that they are welcome to call or visit the Careers Centre for advice about resumes, interviews, job hunting and vacation work. ‘Resume Rescue’ workshops continue in vacation time so that we can continue to assist our students with job preparation. Now that exams have finished, students may require an extra boost in confidence to conduct their career exploration and planning. A full program of career workshops and events will be available from Week One of semester 2010. Encourage your students to take advantage of careers fairs and a strong employer presence on campus when classes resume next year.
For more information visit the Careers Centre website:
www.careers.usyd.edu.au.
Telephone 02 8627 8403 or visit us at Level 5, Jane Foss Russell Building
Graduate Careers in Focus
In August the Careers Centre hosted a ‘Graduate Careers in Focus’ event for staff to launch the redesigned Careers Centre’s website and to view our new location in the Jane Foss Russell building.
‘It’s an excellent service to all students, particularly those finding it difficult to get a job’ said Jane Borton, Senior Administration Officer from the Faculty of Arts (Government, Industrial Relations and Political Economy).
The event was opened by Inta Heimanis, Director of Careers Centre and formally addressed by Professor Derrick Armstrong, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) and Registrar.
The student focus of the Career Development Team, lead by Lucinda Crossley Meates, maintains a high standard of quality and enables students to receive professional guidance on their career exploration, decisions and planning. Assistance with job applications is a popular aspect of the service and students receive advice on their resumes, cover letters, online applications and interview technique. ‘It’s an excellent resource I used myself as a student of the university’ said Ben Middleton, International Marketing Officer at the International Office.
Dr Sascha Jenkins, Industry Development Manager described the strong relationships between the Careers Centre and over 3500 graduate employers. Even though we are in tough financial times, the Careers Centre has advertised over 1800 jobs for students so far this year. Our jobs database is a free service to both students and employers and includes casual, part-time, vacation and graduate jobs. The employer presence on campus is a key component of graduate recruitment strategies and provides opportunities for students to make direct contact with prospective employers.
The Careers Centre works strategically with the faculties and schools of the university to manage a range of events and activities to bring students and employers together. ‘We look forward to working even more closely with the Careers Centre to develop faculty-specific careers seminars in 2010. These are well attended events and an important part of our career calendar’ says Keiran Passmore, Executive Director of Engineering Sydney(trademarked), Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies.
The Graduate Careers in Focus event was followed by a series of morning and afternoon teas for staff in August and September. Relationships were strengthened with Teaching and Learning, the International Office, Honours and PhD Supervisors, the University Marketing Forum and School Administration officers.
The Careers centre welcomes your enquiries and looks forward to working with all staff across the university to enhance the student experience.
Do you need some career management input into your course?
Do you coordinate a unit of study which includes an aspect of career management? Perhaps it involves professional development, an industry-related assessment, a requirement for a resume or portfolio, a workplace visit, an employer’s perspective or an industry body information session. Would you like to work more closely with the professional staff at the Careers Centre to increase student-employer engagement? Are your students prepared for the gruelling recruitment processes they will be facing? Would you like to improve students’ success in their job search strategies?
This year, the Careers Centre has worked with a range of faculties, schools, student associations, employers and professional associations to provide programs to meet the specific needs of students as they approach their transition from formal studies to the world of work. We can tailor career programs to fit within your course goals, timetable and content.
Some of the Careers Centre’s recent showcase events arranged in partnership with representatives from faculty include:
- Developed a Mock Interview program for Electrical Engineering students in partnership with the Foundation Members
- Coordinated a ‘Careers in Psychology’ seminar with guest speakers representing the broad scope of career opportunities with over 400 Arts and Science students attending
- Planned a ‘Kick Start Your Career in Law’ seminar looking at opportunities outside the corporate arena
- Participated in an informal barbecue ‘Careers in Agriculture’ get-together
Contact the Careers Centre to find out how we can assist your students to make a successful transition from study into the world of work.
For more information visit the Careers Centre website at www.careers.usyd.edu.au.
Telephone 02 8627 8403 or visit us at Level 5, Jane Foss Russell Building
Don’t let your students talk themselves out of a career:
Advising students in a tough career market
There’s no doubt that students are in a vulnerable position during a global economic downturn. However, there are signs that the crisis may not have hit Australia as hard or for as long as expected. The mood of many graduate employers is possibly more buoyant than six months ago. Hard lessons have been learnt in previous downturns and many graduate employers are planning for a more positive future. Some employers are trialling creative recruitment strategies to engage with students, for example rolling graduate recruitment throughout the year as opposed to the single cut-off date. The current situation provides an opportunity for students to explore a broader range of career options and industries.
Employers want to hear from University of Sydney students.
David Als, Graduate Recruitment Manager at Macquarie Group says that "Sydney University is renowned for producing high-calibre graduates who make the transition from university to the workplace with relative ease. We hire students into Graduate and Internship programs as well as IT Industrial placements. Additionally I'd recommend students regularly refer to employer websites, as workplace opportunities sometimes occur outside the traditional campaign dates. Applications for most of our Groups have closed but we are still hiring both graduates and interns for our Information Technology Group.”
Don’t let your students talk themselves out of a career. Your students may be expressing concern about their employment prospects. The University of Sydney Careers Centre is here to help. We work with students to improve resumes, develop interview skills and search for alternative employers and career directions. In this tough career market they may need extra help to develop a career plan that incorporates options for their longer term goals as well as some creative shorter term strategies to get their ‘foot in the door’.
Useful information for your students can be found in “Tips for Finding Work in a Challenging Employment Market” on the Careers Centre website.
www.careers.usyd.edu.au/career_advice/information_handouts.shtml
Information on the 2008 University of Sydney Careers Centre Graduate Destinations Report is available for staff at www.careers.usyd.edu.au/staff/gds/index.shtml and for students at
www.careers.usyd.edu.au/career_advice/career_options/index.shtml
We also recommend the Graduate Careers Australia website for recent media releases and research regarding graduate outcomes at a national level.
www.graduatecareers.com.au
Do you work with Postgraduate Students?
The Career Education Officer (Postgraduate) is a new position within the Careers Centre and is able to provide support to you and your postgraduate students with regards to career options and career management.
Monthly Resume Rescue sessions have been scheduled for postgraduate research students as well as some specific workshops on academia and career options after a PhD.
If you have students who are concerned or confused about their career pathway after completing their postgraduate studies or wish to run a workshop for your postgraduate students, please contact Career Education Officer (Postgraduate) at the Career Centre.
Information and advice for students on looking for work and writing applications
The Careers Advisers at the Centre have written many handouts with information and advice on looking for work in a targeted way, developing a career strategy, identifying and promoting key skills as well as writing cover letters, resumes and addressing selection criteria. Available to download as a .pdf, you can view these documents at www.careers.usyd.edu.au/career_advice/information_handouts.shtml.
Your Careers Centre Jobs Database for University of Sydney students
The Careers Centre has an online database available to students of the University of Sydney advertising casual, part-time, full-time and graduate roles throughout the year. Students can access the database anywhere via our website at www.careers.usyd.edu.au.
So far this year we have advertised over 2,000 jobs to students and employers speak highly of the service and the students who apply.
There are links throughout the site, but the easiest way to access is by clicking on the Student Login option towards the top left of the homepage.
So if students are looking for general or degree-related employment they can find it through the Your Careers Centre Jobs Database.