Career tip: Ask when you have the chance

A good interview is a two-way conversation. You should aim to have a discussion with your interviewer about where your resume matched the job description. Try using the information that you’ll learn from these discussions to improve upon your resume.

In most cases, employers will perceive an interviewee who does not ask questions when offered the chance as either unprepared or disinterested. Use this as an opportunity to get to know more about both your potential employer and the job that they might offer you.

The best questions that you can ask will be based around the conversation that you just had. Make sure to prepare a couple of interchangeable questions that relate to the position prior to the interview. Don’t stress if you don’t feel like the questions you’ve prepared are suitable; you can always ask about the company’s internal culture or how the position that you are being interviewed for became available.

This article was written and edited by Arthur Chan and Matthew Leach.
中文版,由Arthur,Cissy和Nebula编写和编辑 (WeChat or browser compatible)

(Career tip will return in Feb 2019, we would like the thank the kind DMs and cards from our students! To revisit our career tips so far, follow #GBCAAU #bejobready on our official social media channels and blog!) 

Career tip: Be kind about past experiences

Badmouthing anyone at any point of a job interview will make you come across as someone with a bad attitude. You wouldn’t want to show a potential employer that you’re someone that may be difficult to get along with.

Occasionally, an interview might attempt to test your attitude by asking questions, such as “Have you ever worked with someone you didn’t like?”. This might seem like a prompt for a negative response, but instead of speaking ill of a past employer or colleague, try focusing on what the problem was and how you ultimately dealt with it. Explaining how you contributed towards resolving the issue can be a great way to showcase your communication skills.

This article was written and edited by Arthur Chan and Matthew Leach.
中文版,由Arthur,Cissy和Nebula编写和编辑 (WeChat or browser compatible)

Career tip: Be 15 mins early (to an interview)

First impressions can take you a long way. We all know that if you don’t hand in your application for a job on time, you won’t be considered for the position. As such, you should avoid arriving late to your interview at all costs.

In any professional environment, showing up late implies that you are either disorganized and unable to manage your schedule properly or that you simply don’t care enough about your job to be there in a timely manner. As such, turning up late to an interview can cost you a valuable opportunity.

To avoid this major mistake, why not practice travelling from your home to the location of the interview ahead of time? This will ensure that you have a route planned out and that you’ll be aware of how long the trip will take.

On the day of the interview, arriving fifteen minutes in advance can be a great way to show that you are both keen and organised. It can also give you the time you might need to deal with your nerves, enjoy a quick break or provide a buffer against any unexpected traffic that might have slowed you down.

If your interview is being conducted over the internet, you should still make sure that you’re ready fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. Consider sending a quick “hello” message to your interview and offer to test the connection with them. They might not respond but it is a nice way to show that you care about this opportunity and that you are willing to take initiative.

This article was written and edited by Arthur Chan and Matthew Leach.
中文版,由Arthur,Cissy和Nebula编写和编辑 (WeChat or browser compatible)

Career tip: Are you a Show-Off?

Just as reality shows often dramatise how people brag about their abilities to the point of borderline arrogance, individuals with a strong personality may come across as overly prideful without realising it. Ask yourself: is this the best way that you can present yourself?

There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance. In order to not come across as a show-off, you should avoid over-selling yourself. Be honest with your colleagues and with yourself; being open about your weaknesses and showing the willingness to learn and develop will do a lot more for you than being disingenuous and feigning competence.

Think about the “Reality Stars”, many said they’re “not themselves when the cameras are rolling.” 

This article was written and edited by Arthur Chan and Matthew Leach.
中文版,由Arthur,Cissy和Nebula编写和编辑 (WeChat or browser compatible)

Career tip: Are you preparing for an interview?

Many employers ask “What do you know about our company?” during an interview.

It’s not a difficult question to answer but it pays to do your homework. Take the time to go to the company’s website and look at the ‘About Us’ page, check out their social media platforms and read news articles and blogs that discuss the organisation in question. This should give you a good idea about the company’s various strengths and weaknesses, allowing you to prepare an argument showcasing what you could potentially offer. You should focus on discussing how you can play to a company’s strengths rather than its weaknesses; potential employers will usually favour positive potential employees rather than negative ones, especially when the subject at hand is the status of their company.

Either stress or a lack of time can lead some interviewees to skip this simple step, but an open-ended question can be the best way to show just how much you care about this opportunity! Taking the time to prepare for questions such as these can help push you ahead of the competition

This article was written and edited by Arthur Chan and Matthew Leach.
中文版,由Arthur,Cissy和Nebula编写和编辑 (WeChat or browser compatible)

19 Nov 2018 Live Project Melbourne 2018

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GBCA is delighted to be one of the 7 institutions in Melbourne participating in the Live Project Melbourne career experience!

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We’re now open for Expression of Interest from International Students that are studying B.Com and Bachelor of IT to participate.

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Live Projects is aimed at further enhancing the international student experience in Victoria under the Study Melbourne LIVE Initiative. Live Projects works to improve social connectedness, engagement with the wider community and employability skills.

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Participation in Live Projects is open to all international students in Victoria with places organised through participating Victorian Universities and TAFEs.

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During this exclusive 3 weeks program (19 Nov – 7 Dec), you’ll be crossing over and teaming up with students from other universities – as business consultants and solve business scenarios for Victorian Agencies, Businesses and Community organizations alongside real business mentors!

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For further enquiries please contact our team at 03 9041 3050.

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Nebula’s Experience at Multicultural Event

  • Nebula is one of the staff members of GBCA and she would like to share her experience as part of the GBCA community 

 

How time flies! It has been more than three years since I moved to Melbourne, and so much has happened in the blink of an eye. Melbourne is a very special city in terms of demography – many people from different cultural backgrounds are calling Melbourne home. I guess everyone somehow expected a regular level of “cultural shock” . 

 

Melbourne has many wonderful features after one got through the initial “shocks”. Working at GBCA, I often enjoy the serenity and calm when strolling around the green spaces near the college, which are within a few minutes’ walk – isn’t that delightful? Especially as our college is only two blocks away from Central Station.

 

Yesterday we held a multicultural celebration at the college’s library. It was a short two-hours lunch gathering, but it reflected the unique charm of Melbourne in many ways. There were staff, lecturers and students from our college, as well as guests from the University of Canberra and Deakin University. Over 70 guests from many walks of life: different ages, different country of origins, have different heritage and different cultural backgrounds, all came together to celebrate a community that we established for ourselves.

 

The event was inspired by the Diwali festival and coincidentally this year’s Halloween as well. Some people showed up in beautiful Saris and others were in fun Halloween costumes like apes and witches – believe it or not, we were not the only ones dressed up when we walked around that evening… 

 

Diwali (also spelt Deepawali) is regarded to be the Festival of Lights. It is one of the four major festivals celebrated by Hindus and a grand festival in India, usually taking place in the tenth or eleventh month of the Indian Gregorian calendar. To me, Diwali has a lot of similarities to the Lunar New Year in China. I enjoyed the many legends and regional stories shared by my colleges and students. They told me that on this day, fireworks and celebratory lights illuminate the night sky and purify our body and mind. Not only is it a metaphor of good defeating evil, it also serves as the symbol of knowledge fending off ignorance and enriching our lives – I love this metaphor.

 

On the other hand, Halloween is rather different from the fear-themed Chinese Ghost Festival and Ching Ming Festival. It is widely known as a popular holiday from the United States, but it can also be traced back to centuries ago in Europe, as it is related to the Iron Age Celtic’s “Samhain”. The ancient Celtic Savin Festival is the celebration of the end of the harvesting season and the beginning of winter. According to the Celtic story, the spirit of the dead would return to visit the living – now that’s rather similar to Ching Ming! I guess to some extent, Halloween commemorates the generations and experiences before us, farewellautumn or fall and prepare for winter… which can be confusing in the Southern Hemisphere as we’re actually preparing for a hot summer according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

 

Either way, it is wonderful to be able to find parallels between cultural groups.

 

My most memorable moment on the day was my first bite into the famous traditional Indian desert “Gulab Jamun” and “Rasgulla”. They were made from dairy products and sugar, black tea, rose water, rose petals, etc… I always believed that the experience of food can be the first step in experiencing attitudes, cultures and lives. I encourage everyone to go out there and learn about other cultures – starting with food!

 

The only imperfection of the day was that I didn’t win anything from the event’s lucky draw: movie tickets, JB Hi-Fi vouches, Google Home, and those cute little gift packages! Hopefully I will be lucky in GBCA’s upcoming Christmas event, and experience more stories and delicious food! 

 

I know there’s no way we can list and try all the different foods, stories, cultures and festivals – but if we keep an open mind, and the willingness and openness to connect with one another, we will  have a bigger and more wonderful world to share.

 

Aussie presences at CIIE Shanghai

Australian Trade Minister, the Hon. Simon Birmingham is leading a delegation of Aussie state politicians and business leaders to Shanghai during the first week of November to attend CIIE in Shanghai, which GBCA is one of the only 10 Aussie tertiary education providers exhibiting. 

Aussie presences at CIIE Shanghai

Senator Birmingham was the Minister for Education and Training, during a speech at the EduTECH Conference, 8/6/2018, Senator Birmingham had expressed that the Federal Government “knows the challenges our nation and our education system face in preparing for the future”, which prompted the country’s investment on innovation and reinvigoration of Australia’s national research infrastructure.  

GBCA’s motto is “Innovative Minds, Caring Hearts, Global Skills”. Our team hope to become one of the critical parts of the Aussie education ecosystem and help bringing young talents to enrich the Australian innovation and research landscape. 

Senator Birmingham had contributed the following article based on his experience at CIIE on the Australian Financial Review where he explained “…education, healthcare and logistics” are some of the longstanding partnerships fields between Australia and China. 

Aussie presences at CIIE Shanghai

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GBCA in China International Import Expo – learning from the best

GBCA’s Managing Director Dr. Celina Yu had represent GBCA at the first ever China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, 5-10/11/18. GBCA is one of the 106 Aussie exhibitors among 2668 exhibitors from around the world.  

GBCA in China International Import Expo

Based on economic forecasts, China expects to import goods and services of over 13.8 trillion AUD (10 trillion USD) every year from the late 2010s. CIIE marked an important point in international economic history and a unique platform for international collaborations. During CIIE, Dr Yu has connected with many international delegations and discussed global economic and trade issues and developments.  

GBCA in China International Import Expo

This year’s CIIE feature the launch of the Hongqiao International Economic and Trade Forum. The forum highlights on topic areas including “trade and openness”, “trade and innovation”, and “trade and investment” with world class panelists for example Mr Jack Ma, Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group; Mr Bill Gates, Chairman of the Board of Terra Power, LLC; Mr John Denton, Secretary General of International Chamber of Commerce and many distinguish economic leaders.  

GBCA in China International Import Expo

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An interview with China Education News Network (中国教育新闻网)

We are very delighted to share that our college’s Managing Director Dr. Celina Yu was interviewed by one of the major education news outlet in China, China Education News Network, during Day 2 of the China International Import Expo in Shanghai. 

An interview with China Education News Network

“The first China International Import Expo had opened in Shanghai today; exhibitors, guests and audiences gathered (at National Exhibition and Convention Centre) in Shanghai. It is a world stage that promote exchanges and cooperation between countries and continents, many participants from the education sector had told our reporters that the Expo will be a valuable opportunity for exchange in innovation and international collaboration ideas.” – 5/11/18, China Education News Network 

Reporter from the Beijing based Network had complimented that GBCA is closely in touch with this great opportunity and appreciate GBCA’s welcoming approach at the Expo, GBCA booth was set up in the Trade zone at the exhibition’s Main Hall. 

An interview with China Education News Network

GBCA’s Managing Director Dr. Yu had told the reporter: “Since we opened our doors, we closely stay tuned with the demand from around the world, for example, China has great demand for tertiary education. So, we provide a good and practical variety of high quality education and training, ranging from employment-ready training to academic qualifications; we also have good collaborations with Soochow University and the University of Canberra that enabled us to offer Postgraduate and Undergraduate opportunities to international students that are interested. By attending CIIE, we are hoping to reach out to more and wider scope of cooperation, particularly with the Chinese government, China based enterprises and schools.” 

Full article was published on page 2, Breaking News segment, China Education News Network, 6/11/2018. Link to read in Chinese:《中国教育报》2018年11月06日第2版 版名：新闻·要闻 (NB external site – browser compatibility may vary)

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