Category: News

GBCA would like to thank our students for their support of the Career tip – we’re coming back early!
Based on student’s feedback – we would like to share a short series that focus on some of resume mistakes which active job seekers may find useful….
If you have any questions or seeking advice, please email career@gbca.edu.au or stay tuned for our career seminars commencing in February 2019!

Have you ever met someone at a party that you found either attractive or a good potential friend? It might be because they communicate well.

Let’s explore the subject of communication in regards to resumes. Your resume is your professional file. As such, it should communicate why you are a qualified individual to potential employers. Make sure to outline your career experience in order to demonstrate why you are suitable for the position. If there are any hobbies or activities that you enjoy that might be compatible with the position, consider adding them to your resume.

With that said, you should avoid including any unprofessional content in your resume that might limit your chances of success. Irrelevant hobbies or an unprofessional email address could spell doom for an otherwise excellent application. If you do want to add a personal touch to your resume, try to restrict it to items that are still relevant to the job or industry.

Let’s think about the party scenario again: if you meet someone who’s jump from 1 topic to another every 30 seconds, do you you would be taking this person seriously?  

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, coming soon)

GBCA would like to thank our students for their support of the Career tip – we’re coming back early!

Many had expressed to us that they felt sometimes their job applications had disappeared into a void that nobody had actually read it – It could be true and can certainly be discouraging, we would like to share some resume writing tips that would increase your chance of getting an interview offer. Please note these are not the “holy grail” of resume writing, each application is different and should be different. If you have any questions or seeking advice, please email career@gbca.edu.au or stay tuned for our career seminars commencing in February 2019!

Most recruiters have identified spelling and grammatical errors as the leading factor in whether or not a resume would be shortlisted. There are many apps that provide Auto-Correct functions, but spelling and grammatical errors are still a pervasive issue in job applications. Here are some of the examples that the majority of apps will not detect:
1. “principle” and “principal”
2. “affect” and “effect”
3. “they’re” and “their”
4. “its” and “it’s”
Please take the time to review what you’ve included in your application. Try revisiting the application after a good night’s sleep and, if you’re unsure, ask a qualified friend to proofread your resume.

Some people rush through their job applications, only to get nothing in return. Giving your resume a little bit of extra love and care is just like spending a few minutes to make sure that you look nice before you leave the house: That additional effort could be what you need to turn a few heads!

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, coming soon)

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!) 

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)

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)

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)

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)