The ProGrad side of the assessment day

March 10th, 2010 - 
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The office is buzzing, excitement is in the air, and everyone is in preparation mode…It must mean ProGrad;s assessment day is being held today! Everyone in the office comes on board to ensure it’s a great day for the graduates attending.

If you are a graduate who is coming along today it is probably a good idea to have lunch before the day as we probably won’t have time for a break. You are welcome to bring a bottle of water along too!

If you are having problem’s preparing for the assessment day feel free to get in contact with your graduate manager and they will be happy to help you. We can assist you with your speech and let you know if you are heading in the right direction, and also give you a few hints and tips

We aim for the assessment day to be a great experience for everyone! But at the end of the day unfortunately we cannot make everyone successful. If you are not successful today, do not loose hope!

There are actually many times where we have placed candidates in positions that have not been successful on the day. I myself, was unsuccessful on a ProGrad assessment day, but I managed to score a position within ProGrad itself!

We also hope that you come away with much information about how to be successful when attending interviews and how to better construct your resume. We hope our assessment days are a valuable experience for everyone.

Good luck today!

If you would like to find out more about ProGrad and our assessment days visit our website at www.prograd.com.au or contact us directly at (02) 8235 8300

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ProGrad News

Part 5 of the ProGrad journey – The assessment days

March 8th, 2010 - 
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Here at ProGrad we hold assessment days for a pool of high calibre graduates that have been fortunate to pass our telephone interview.

Prior to my position at ProGrad, I attended one of the assessment days. Palms sweaty and my heart beating in my ears, I decided to take the opportunity that was presented to me and it proved worthwhile. Not only did I secure a job with ProGrad, but I also learnt some valuable hints and tips about how to conduct myself in the workforce and business realm.

Now I am thankful to say I am on the other side and involved in running the assessment days. Personally, I think the assessment days are very valuable to any graduate and can help immensely when looking for a job.

Here are some things that I took away from ProGrad’s assessment day:

- You have the opportunity to source out your competition
- You learn some valuable things about how to conduct yourself in an interview
- you get to enjoy the experience with others
- You have the opportunity to build your network
- You get to broaden your knowledge
- You receive some much needed advice about how to build your resume!

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

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ProGrad News, ProGrad People

Voicemail vandetta

March 8th, 2010 - 
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Looking for a job for some time now? Not sure why you haven’t received a follow up from your resume to attend an interview?

Sometimes it has nothing to do with your academic skills, but how you present yourself. For example; If you have a great resume with a lot of experience and a range of opportunities you have had to demonstrate your skill sets, but have a “funny” voicemail, it may lead to your failure at securing the job.

Your potential employer will not be amused. If you are looking for a job, do yourself a favour, be professional and change your voicemail!

This will increase your chances greatly in securing the position you desire.

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Industry News, ProGrad Interview Tips

Resume Preparation – PART 2

March 30th, 2009 - 
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Experience:

This is very tough for a graduate. You don’t have a lot of experience so what employers are looking for is experience that relates to the role you are applying for, so you really need to think laterally about what you’ve done in the past.

What you need is 3-4 previous work experiences with 4 bullet points in sentence format. In this part you really need to tailor the wording. You need to relate what you have done in the past to what the potential employer will be looking for. For example if a company is looking for someone with ‘Great communication skills and the ability to work proficiently in a team environment’ you need to give examples of when you have used your effective communication skills and team work and how it would be of benefit to the context of their business.

Achievements:

This is one of the most important things on your entire resume. Employers are looking for high achievers for their teams. People who show competitiveness and drive will stand out amongst the bunch.

You need to remember that Managing directors and CEO’s of companies are there to generate profit- increase sales/manage costs. They will be looking for people who can help achieve these goals within the organisation.

You need to think of anytime you’ve made it to the final few of something or anything that has required lengthy commitment. The sorts of things that you can include in this section are:

  • Duke of Edinburgh.
  • Being captain of a football team.
  • Making it to the Grand final of a sport.
  • Academic awards.
  • Exceeding sales targets.
  • Promotions in previous employment.

Remember for each role a company may be looking for completely different personality type. So make sure every time you apply for a job you tailor your resume by changing your Profile and Experience so it’s relevant to what they are looking for. Good Luck!

- Jarrod.

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ProGrad People