People to people – how to effectively network – ProGrad – Graduates that sell themselves

People to people – how to effectively network

February 10th, 2010 -

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ambition, business opportunities, business success, contact list, effective networking, going places, Graduates, hiring manager, job hunting, new job, possibilities

Networking is essential for business success. Networking can land you that client that you have been working hard to crack for months and create endless business opportunities.

But don’t wait to start your career to network. The key to effective networking is to start now! Everyone should be seen as a potential contact. Go out and meet people and build your contact list.

There is a perfect example and opportunity to network at ProGrad’s assessment days and it’s FREE! Think about it. You are in the room with another 39 graduates all who are going places in their life. Even if candidates on the day do not make it through a ProGrad assessment day, they still have the drive and ambition to attend and do their best. Although they may not be what ProGrad was looking for on the day, they can take the experience and job hunting advice and be exceptional in another interview they attend.

Who knows where all the graduates will end up in their life in 5 years time. And in five years who knows how these graduates can help you. You may be looking to start a new job; someone that was at your ProGrad assessment day may be the hiring manager, or you may need to get into contact with a high profile executive for an interview and someone that came through the ProGrad assessment day with you might work for that same company and can get you a face to face interview. The possibilities are endless. So don’t miss the opportunity to network on a ProGrad assessment day! Get people’s Facebook address and stay in contact.

If you would like to know more about ProGrad and ProGrad’s assessment day’s you can visit our website www.prograd.com.au or contact us directly on (02) 8235 8300

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Industry News, ProGrad News

Gone are the days of staples

February 9th, 2010 -

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continual updates, crimes act, criminal offence, criminal record, educational qualifications, employee history, experience qualifications, false references, history details, job hunting, job titles, landmark laws, online resume, paper edges, personal characteristics, plastic sleeves, south australian government, staples, torn paper

The job hunting begins once University comes to an end and the continual updates to the resume! Here are some tips and hints from ProGrad on how to present your resume.

Gone are the days of staples, torn paper edges and plastic sleeves. Online Resumes are the way of the future. These are beneficial to both the employer and the candidate as it shortens anticipation; there is no longer a need to wait weeks, or even days, for applications to be received, collated and examined.

An online resume means potential employers are able to search online, through databases created by different websites. For public resumes, this means a higher chance that a potential employer will come across your information. This is where keywords are so important, because potential employers will be searching for particular experience, qualifications or personal characteristics. It’s also possible to create multiple resumes, so if you’re interested in jobs in a few different industries, this is a great chance for you to increase your exposure to different employers, who would be looking for different qualities, qualifications and experience in a candidate.

Keep in mind that the credibility of your resume is imperative to your trustworthiness. A study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2003 found that 40% of resumes were falsified. Lying in your resume is actually a legal issue and is considered a ‘crime’ and can be charged under a number of acts, including the Crimes Act. Don’t get charged with fraud!

In 2004 the South Australian Government introduced landmark laws, making it a criminal offence to obtain income using false references or qualifications. The greatest offenders in resume fraud are males between 21-30 years of age. The most common resume lies are not admitting to having a criminal record (60% do not admit they do when asked), job titles and dates, employee history details, and educational qualifications.

Here are a few websites that you may like to check out to upload an online resume:

iD Logik – www.idlogik.com (I found this site one of the easiest to use)
Australian Job Search – www.jobsearch.gov.au (This is currently Australia’s largest employment website)
ComeOnAussieDotCom – http://www.comeonaussie.com/categories/employment.html
JobsPLUS – www.jobsplus.com.au

ProGrad wishes you all the best as you venture into the workforce.

ProGrad is Australia’s leading assessment, training and placement company, specialising in assisting graduates in business to business sales positions with fast growing International companies.

If you would like to take advantage or find out more about ProGrads services please visit our website, or you can contact us directly on (02) 8235 8300

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ProGrad Interview Tips, ProGrad News

What not to do in an interview

February 9th, 2010 -

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assessment training, australia, blouse, business sales, cv, dress pants, embarrassing moments, first impressions, grads, Graduates, jewelry, job hunting, piercings, placement company, punctuality, sales positions, skirt, utmost importance, what not to do in an interview

First impressions count! So it’s important to conduct yourself in a manner that is appropriate.

· Don’t be late! Punctuality is important

· Don’t chew gum. The worst thing would be for it to fall out onto your CV and hand it to the potential employer. Here you can view some more of the embarrassing moments our grads have experienced during an interview – feel free to share.

· Don’t dress casually! I know we all like to try to abide by the saying ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover,’ but what you wear and how you present yourself is of utmost importance in an interview. If it is for a corporate company wear a suit. Make sure you remove all piercings, wear minimal jewelry, and are cleanly shaven if you are a male. If you do not own a suit wear a nice skirt and blouse or dress pants and a shirt.

· Don’t be shy. Even if you are a quite achiever in the interview you need to sell yourself! Be confident and speak up.

We wish you all the best and happy job hunting!

ProGrad is Australia’s leading assessment, training and placement company, specializing in assisting graduates in business to business sales positions with fast growing International companies.

If you would like to know more about ProGrad’s services and how we can help you visit ProGrad’s website or contact ProGrad directly on (02) 8235 8300.

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ProGrad Interview Tips

ProGrad Graduate