Coaching for Job Interviews, Resumes and Selection Criteria Cheryl Mills of CAMILLS Consulting (Brisbane Job Coach)

Australian Graduate Recruitent Opportunities – Apply now for 2013

camills59 — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 23:09:49 +0000

This is an exciting time for graduates – Grad Connection continues to do a great job identifying in one place most of the opportunities available throughout Australia. Today there are 97 companies such as Commonwealth Bank, John Holland, GE, BHP Billiton, Department of Finance, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Defence……..- – all with applications open. Through this site you can ask questions relating to Graduate Jobs and the employers that offer these positions, at the Graduate Jobs Forums. Either a member of GradConnection, another student or even an employer may be able to help you out with answers.

Most of the Career Fairs are over for this year – check out the Graduate Opportunities Career Fair Dates for what remains for the year.

Good Luck with your application

Filed under: Applying for a Job, Graduate, Public Service Tagged: Applying for a Job, Graduate

Leadership Scholarships

camills59 — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:11:21 +0000

Being successful in gaining a prestigious scholarship or fellowship can add interest to your career, provide you with opportunities to add to your profession and advance your career. Most require detailed applications, and have annual application close dates. The list below shows the wide range of scholarships available:

Australian Leadership Award Scholarships (AusAid)

Australian Leadership Awards: Leadership Development Program

A ustralian Non-Profit Fulbright Leadership-Scholarship-

The International WaterCentre (IWC) Water Leader Scholarships

Future Leaders – Not for Profit sector

Sampson Leadership Scholarship (Water)

Social Leadership

Chief Executive Women Scholarships

Arts Leadership

Indigenous Youth Leadership Program (IYLP) Tertiary Scholarship 2012

Churchill Fellowship

Australian Laureate Fellowships (Research)

Future Fellowships

Filed under: Career, Leadership Tagged: Careers, Leadership, Scholarship

What is the Difference between a ‘Resume’ and a ‘CV’?

camills59 — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 07:31:34 +0000

From my experience, these two words mean the same thing in most Australian jobs.

Wikipedia has a good summary account of the role of the résumé which includes:

A résumé (pronounced /ˈrɛzjʊmeɪ/ rez-ew-may or /rɛzjʊˈmeɪ/; French: [ʁezyme]; sometimes spelled resume) is a document used by individuals to present their background and skillsets. Résumés can be used
for a variety of reasons but most often to secure new employment.^[1]A typical résumé contains a summary of relevant job experience and education. The résumé is usually one of the first items, along with a cover letter and sometimes job application packet, that a potential employer encounters regarding the job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview, when seeking employment. The résumé is comparable to a curriculum vitae (CV) in many countries, although in English Canada and the United States résumé is substantially shorter than CV.

To decide how long your résumé should be, make sure you follow any instructions given. It is becoming more common in government job vacancies for the size of the application to have a word or page limit. For example the DEEDI ‘Guide for Applicants – Making a difference’, the following guidance is given:

You are required as part of your application to provide the selection panel with a resume. Your resume is to provide the selection panel with a summary of your education, work history, and any other training and
skills you have gained through school, study, work experience and hobbies. Your resume should include where you have worked to date, jobs held during your period of employment and major duties performed. Your resume may also contain the details of two referees who can provide an objective assessment of your work performance. Your resume may be considered as a part of an application or may be considered on its own, so it may be vital to include as much information as possible to allow the panel to assess your suitability for the role. A resume should generally be no more than four pages.

If no limit is given – ask the contact officer or recruitment area what is expected. Generally, if your résumé exceeds four pages, it is too long.

Filed under: Applying for a Job, Public Service, Resume Tagged: Applying for a Job, Government Job, Job Application, Resume

Will Being a Harassment Contact Officer Help me to get a Job Promotion?

camills59 — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 07:04:06 +0000

It is unlikely that taking on this voluntary role will by itself create a pathway to career advancement. However, there are elements of this role that you can use to substantiate claims against many selection criteria in a job application. For example:

Undertaking this voluntary role has demonstrated your drive and commitment to support the values and code of conduct of the organisation
Being selected for this role supports that the organisation has confidence in your well-developed communication and interpersonal skills, and capacity to act with integrity
Attending training (and annual refresher training), and providing advice to employees, has increased your understanding of human resource policies and procedures (including privacy and right to information)

As well as job coaching services, I also provide training for Harassment Contact Officers. For more information on this, please visit my web site here.

Filed under: Applying for a Job, Harassment, Human Resources, Job Interview, Public Service, Workplace Investigations Tagged: Applying for a Job, Harassment, Workplace Investigations

Making the Best Use of Perusal Time before a Government Job Interview

camills59 — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 07:14:55 +0000

Many government selection panels will give you 15 – 20 minutes to peruse the questions and think of answers before you meet the interview panel. Good preparation to anticipate questions (especially examples of achievements to demonstrate your capabilities) will assist to maximise this time. Remember that you can take notes with you into this perusal time.

This is a sample sheet that I give to my clients to help them to prepare for interview.

INTERVIEW PREPARATION – The Lists of Five

TOPICAL ISSUES/CONCERNS RELATED TO THE ROLE

SHAPES STRATEGIC THINKING (What are the five key messages that I must get across in relation to this capability?)

EXAMPLE: (What is the most relevant example I have to demonstrate this capability – which shows that I have addressed these 5 points)

ACHIEVES RESULTS

EXAMPLE:

PRODUCTIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

EXAMPLE:

PERSONAL DRIVE AND INTEGRITY

EXAMPLE:

COMMUNICATES WITH INFLUENCE

EXAMPLE:

5 REASONS WHY I AM A GREAT FIT FOR THE ROLE

Good Luck preparing for your next interview.

Filed under: Applying for a Job, Job Interview, Leadership, Public Service, Selection Criteria Tagged: Applying for a Job, Government Job, Integrated Leadership System, Job Application, Job Interview, Public Service, Queensland Government

Using Leadership Capability Frameworks to Apply for a Job

camills59 — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 07:43:29 +0000

Leadership Capability Frameworks are used by organisations to identify the types of capabilities and behaviours expected of their leaders. Reviewing a framework should give you ideas about achievements to list in your résumé, and appropriate ‘leadership’ words to use. If the particular organisation where you are applying for a job does not have a framework , there are many frameworks that you can use to prompt your thinking. For example:

1 . Health

NHS Leadership Qualities Framework

2. Education

Education Queensland

Victorian Education

3. Public Service

Australian Public Service

Glasgow City Council

4. Business

SHL Leadership Model

Filed under: Applying for a Job, Leadership, Public Service, Selection Criteria Tagged: Government Job, Integrated Leadership System, Job Application, Job Interview, Leadership, Selection Criteria

Applying for Leadership Roles in the Health Sector

camills59 — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:51:05 +0000

Health is a large and complex industry sector, with many funding and workforce challenges in the coming decades (increase and aging of the population, chronic disease, increased use of technologies etc). If you are about to apply for a health leadership role you will probably know a lot about these – if not, you might struggle to be competitive.

When considering a leadership role in the public system, it would be wise to show that you are familiar with State Government Strategic Health Plans, and the Business Plans and Priorities of your local district. Also you should show that you have thought about the impact of the Australian National Health Reform Agreement on the advertised role.

As a busy clinician/technician wanting to move into a health leadership role, you may not have taken the time to find out what leadership frameworks or development opportunities exist in your organisation. Thanks to the intranet and Google, these are now easier to find.

Here are a few:

NHS Leadership Framework

Queensland Health – Healthcare Culture and Leadership Framework 2010

Victoria Health – LINK in Health (Leadership, Innovation, Networks and Knowledge)

Pan-Canadian Health Leadership Capability Framework Project

Good Luck with your Leadership application. The health sector needs great leaders to lead the coordination and cultural changes required for the future.

Filed under: Applying for a Job, Health, Job Interview, Job Search, Job Vacancy, Leadership, Public Service Tagged: Applying for a Job, Australia, Health, Integrated Leadership System, Job Application, Leadership, Queensland Government

Verbs for Applying for Leadership Roles

camills59 — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 07:30:55 +0000

If you are applying for a leadership role, your language should reflect that you have shown leadership. Your resume and job interview should show that you are a person
who has ‘ succeeded in …..’ ‘initiated ……..’, ‘championed…………….’, ‘worked in partnership…………….’ etc. Here is a list of verbs to have in your repertoire:

Championed

Positioned

Promoted

Anticipated

Modelled

Capitalised

Focussed

Inspired

Nurtured

Motivated

Created

Translated

Integrated

Challenged

Oversaw

Defined

Drove

Ensured

Delegated

Enabled

Built

Sustained

Negotiated

Resolved

Identified

Represented

Mentored and Coached

Took responsibility

Committed to action

Established

Galvanised

Persisted

Overcame

Consulted and Listened

Acknowledged

Reflected

Achieved

Any other suggestions?

Filed under: Applying for a Job, Leadership, Public Service Tagged: Applying for a Job, Integrated Leadership System, Job Application, Job Interview, Leadership, Selection Criteria, Shapes Strategic Thinking

Resumes – University and College Graduates

camills59 — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 06:56:11 +0000

I recently had the pleasure of being invited by the Toowong Student Residence to talk to University students (from UQ and QUT) about applying for jobs. It is always rewarding to spend time with talented individuals; and to leave feeling reassured that our future is in the hands of students with great leadership potential.

Slideshare Presentation – Resumes for University and College Graduates

Filed under: Uncategorized

The Workplace Harassment Investigation found in my favour……

camills59 — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 07:48:11 +0000

……… but I still want out ! How can I apply for a job now?

When people first complain about workplace harassment and bullying, they generally just want it to stop. However when trust in the organisation to resolve this situation disappears, it is not unusual for the employee to think about moving to another job. Even when an investigation or other resolution strategy does sustain a complaint, the employee can be left feeling disillusioned and uncomfortable.

If you are in this situation, the employer will often asks ‘What outcome are you looking for?’ If you feel that the best option for you is to move on – why not consider asking for financial support to engage the services of a job coach. A good job coach will:

help you to come to terms with the ‘grief’ of losing your old job
explore with you career options suited to your skills and aspirations
coach you to write a great Cover Letter and CV (and address selection criteria if necessary), and prepare for common interview questions
help you to answer challenging interview questions like ‘Why do you want to leave your current job?’ or ‘Give us an example of when you have experienced conflict in a team and how have you managed this?’
give guidance on how to provide a referee report when your supervisor (if they are the person causing you distress) is not the best option

Employers can be very receptive to this option – especially when the alternative is paying for ongoing mediation, workers compensation claims, or the costs of a more protracted dispute.

As well as individual job coaching, I also conduct workplace investigations for employers. For more about these services please click here.

Filed under: Applying for a Job, Bullying, Career, Harassment, Health, Job Interview, Workplace Investigations Tagged: Applying for a Job, Bullying, Harassment, Workplace Investigations