Advice on Getting Job Interviews as a Fresh Graduate

Lmelissamelxx on 24/10/2015 - 21:35
Last edited 28/10/2015 - 19:40 by 1 other user

Hi everyone,

I am a recent commerce graduate from the University of Melbourne. My main concern is that I couldn't get any job interview after I submitted my resumes on Seek and LinkedIn websites. I truly believe that my resume is not well tailored to score any job interviews. I know that it is very competitive to find an accounting role in Melbourne and I would like to stand out among other applicants. Here, I attach the links to access my cover letter and resume. I am an international student and I am holding temporary graduate visa that allows me to work full time in Australia. I know that it is better to put accomplishments on my resume but I did not achieve any accomplishments in my previous roles as I was just an intern. It is relatively easy to find jobs in Malaysia and I don't know how job applications work in Melbourne. I greatly appreciate any advise and tips regarding my issue. Thank you so much!

Links:
- Resume (CHECK FOR THE LATEST VERSION THAT I UPLOADED)

Addition (UPDATE on 26th OCT):
Thank you for all of the inputs and I have learnt about the weaknesses found in my resume and cover letter. I am editing the documents now and I will update the new versions later for feedback. However, some mentioned that I have failed to tailor my cover letter for specific firms. I want to clarify that I only post my general cover letter at here and I always tailor it before submitting it to firms. Sometimes, recruitment companies are those who post job openings on SEEK ad LinkedIn without mentioning the background of the firms. In this circumstance, there is nothing much I can do to conduct researches on the firms. Thank you once again. I am delighted to view many useful comments.

Latest version of resume after reading most of the comments:
- https://www.dropbox.com/s/le0bisufvl1w3rl/resume.pdf?dl=0

Thank you for the feedback! :)

Education & Work

Comments

  • xoom on 24/10/2015 - 22:20
    +9

    Firstly. Go for any job. Since you just graduated.

    A foot in the door is better than one continually slammed in your face.

    Don't discount the skills you can learn from any job as you can take this on to your future career.

    Things like communication skills. Being a team player. Things like that.

    Lastly. Good luck.

    • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 13:14

      Thank you for the encouragement! :)

    • BoomTetrisForJeff on 26/10/2015 - 14:37
      +6

      nek minit foot in door repeatedly slammed break leg

      • [Deactivated] on 26/10/2015 - 17:25
        -2

        No need for graphic violence.

  • hellbound on 24/10/2015 - 22:26
    +2

    You could change up the format and follow a template design similar to the ones here if you want it to stand out
    http://www.resumelift.info/
    Space everything out a bit more, it's quite a dense read.
    Keep your dot points short, and you only need a few points for older past employment.
    Include your grade average for the Uni degrees since you're going for grad roles.

    Good luck!

    • speedyjonzalas on 25/10/2015 - 20:55
      +3

      I second this. If you have some spare cash maybe buy a template from Etsy as they do stand out.

      https://www.etsy.com/au/search?q=cv

      I cant tell you the amount of CV's I have thrown out as they just look like they were thrown together in word in 5 minutes.

      & as for jobs… go for whatever you can get - make 5 different CV's each with a different basis for your job aims.

      Eg 1 cv for accounting in public practice, 1 for auditing in public practice, 1 for auditing in commerce, 1 for payroll in commerce…. the list is endless.

      It will take a good amount of time to make up the different CV's but it will really help in a recruiter reading it and thinking 'great, here is someone who wants to work in payroll rather than saying they are willing to work anywhere.'

      • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 13:20

        Thank you for the links, hellbound and speedyjonzalas! The resume templates look fancy. The reason why I adopted plain layout on my resume is because some recruiters told me that colors and templates do not matter as long as I have the content. I guess there is no harm to edit my template if my resume is able to attract more attentions from HR.

  • toniyellow on 24/10/2015 - 22:30
    +15

    Did you graduate from VU or just spend a year there before transferring? If the second, I would delete that.
    Delete high school. The Uni your degree is from is all they are interested in

    Explain what MARA scholar is or delete. Anything they would have to google, if there are other equally good but less confusing resumes, it makes yours weaker. Most workplaces get tons of applications and need to be brutal and reject resumes for dumb reasons, you can't interview everyone.

    I would delete hobbies. It is mostly a space filler for kids immediately out of high school with nothing at all to write. Sure the person reviewing resumes might love your hobby and feel warmly towards you. Equally possible, they hate your hobby.

    Most Unis the careers centre can be used by recent alumni, see if they can give you more help.

    • justinh93 on 24/10/2015 - 22:47
      +4

      Good feedback Toni, I would disagree on the deleting hobbies… I do believe that depends on what firm you are going for. If you are looking at big 4 or MC you should definitely keep your hobbies there and add a few more.

      • toniyellow on 26/10/2015 - 11:21

        I guess I am fine with the way they are included here - at the very end, with not much space dedicated to them. I admit I don't work in Accounting, so discipline-specific or even firm-specific advice is going to be the most relevant for her applications.

        I do not care at all how someone spends their time outside of work, and from an equity perspective, it is easier to judge someone on their skills alone if that is all they talk about. I don't care if you have kids or dogs or like baking, and I don't even want it coming into the conversation at all, because then subconsciously, even if you try to avoid it, it can become part of how you judge someone.

        • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 13:31

          Thank you for the feedback, toniyellow, Justing197! :)

          I completed my first-year curriculum in Victoria University (the uni campus in Malaysia) and then I did credit transfer to University of Melbourne in Australia to study abroad. I have added the clarification on my resume. Thank you for pointing out the confusion!

          Regarding whether I should mention my hobbies on resume, I think it is better to include the section. Some of the colleagues are looking for candidates that can work well with them during office hours and also have something in common with them. I have a friend that failed few uni subjects but he had a job offer because he mentioned that he enjoys playing futsal on his resume. Coincidentally, the manager was finding few futsal players to join his team and now they are close with each other during non-working hours!

    • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 18:21

      I have uploaded the latest version of my resume. Please give advice if you are free! Thank you. :)

  • currentfad on 24/10/2015 - 22:52
    +1

    Yeah just took a quick glance. Maybe double space your work as it does look quite dense.

    • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 13:33

      Thanks! I'm editing my resume now.

    • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 18:22

      I have uploaded the latest version of my resume. Does my resume still look dense now? Thank you! :)

      • currentfad on 26/10/2015 - 22:29

        Yes yes it is much easier on the eyes now :)

  • Cave Fire on 24/10/2015 - 23:09
    +1

    Hi, your "Personal Summary" in your resume probably needs a spell and grammar check. There are some minor mistakes. Once that's done and you've given the resume a bit of a face lift, you can maybe look at contacting local job agencies for feedback/advice on positions. Note that they do receive commissions if they find you a placement. You may want to also prepare a C.V. as you are going for professional jobs.

    • Fobsessive on 26/10/2015 - 01:38
      +3

      A CV is another name for a resume in Australia. Same document, different title.

      • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 13:39

        Thanks for the comments, shadako and Fobsessive! :D

        I am editing my resume now. I have visited few recruits and unfortunately most of them asked for upfront payments (approx $800 including interview training). I have to support my own living expenses, thus I have to work part-time in restaurant and I cannot even afford to provide free labors to accounting firms. Btw, CV is the same document as resume. Fobsessive is right.

        • Cave Fire on 26/10/2015 - 18:24
          +2

          I've never been to a job agency that asks for payment. Sounds like one of the many scams targeting foreigners. Also, I don't want to split hairs, but a C.V is technically a different document. It is generally longer and has formatting that is unique to it. While I get that the terms are interchangeable, the main thing I was suggesting was to send something longer. More info here: Link

        • NimitzHarrington on 27/10/2015 - 00:35

          A Curriculum Vitae is a formal summary of your educational and academic backgrounds, and in Australia only typically used when applying for a academic, education, scientific or research positions. For you however, a CV and a resume is the same.

        • Fobsessive on 28/10/2015 - 03:22

          @shadako: A 3-4 page resume would be instantly junked by HR, contrary to that linked website. It should always be 2 pages maximum. Be succinct and get to the point. Make sure to emphasise skills developed with each role.

  • GameChanger on 25/10/2015 - 00:01
    +9

    I will be brutally honest, don't bother applying until you have the required visa to work in Australia. You're better off heading back to Malayasia, gaining experience and coming back here once you can work.

    The only employers that will take you on are Asian employers who bend the rules i.e pay way below min wage $20k or less for you working full time.

    • [Deactivated] on 26/10/2015 - 11:38

      Is the temporary graduate visa not the required visa to work full time? That is not a student visa. It is the temporary graduate work visa (I think). Because "graduate"?

    • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 13:44

      I already stated that I am eligible to work unconditionally in Australia. I am still working on my PR application so I prefer to gain working experiences in Australia. If I travel back to Malaysia for work, it is even harder for me to come back to Australia once I have settled down in Malaysia. lolbbq is right about my visa. The visa is for those who graduated in Australia and want to extend their stay for work. My visa expires in July 2017.

      • GameChanger on 26/10/2015 - 13:59
        -1

        Yes I understand, but why didn't you work whilst studying? You have put yourself into a position, where you don't even have basic Australian experience. You have to play the probabilities and from what I seen that's to head back to Malay gain experience in big 4 and head back here. Alternatively only Asian firms here will take you on, but be aware they will abuse you and might even refuse reference if you find a good place.

        • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 18:29

          I aware that I wasn't good in planning my future when I was a uni student. I didn't intend to extend my stay in Aus until I completed my degree. It was even harder to get a part time job with student visa and I had lectures almost everyday. Currently, my parents encourage me to look for opportunities at here. I know that I can easily get a job offer in one of the Big 4 firms just like my friends in Malaysia but I just want to do the best I can right now. Sometimes I wish that I have done more when I was still in uni.

      • paperkut on 27/10/2015 - 21:12

        I think gamechanger is being a bit harsh. Depending on the course, I know plenty of local & overseas students who did not work in their field during their studies, yet they were still able to find jobs once they graduated.
        Any local experience helps, even if it is retail/hospitality. Try not to put too much emphasis to your language abilities unless you are specifically applying for a job in a Chinese/Malaysian company.

        Try to get your foot in the door even if the position is only the slightest bit related to your field. Don't be too fussed about pay either, you'll have a chance set the bar for your second job. Don't underestimate cold-calling, especially for smaller companies. Call up or go to their office and ask if they have a position available, if not ask if you can send your CV anyway in case they have an opening in the future. My company never advertises jobs, the ones getting hired are either friends of existing staff or show up at our office with their CV.

        I don't believe going back to Malaysia to gain experience is the way to go, you'll go through this process again when you come back. Maybe while you're applying for job, try to do some volunteer work doing administrative stuff (I did something like this back in uni; designing promotional items, writing letters, data entry, etc).

        I was an overseas student once myself, and contrary to what others say I didn't have any problems getting hired even before I got my permanent residency (I pretty much worked in the industry the whole time I was studying though). Anyway, just keep trying and you'll get there eventually.

        If you don't mind spending some money, have a look at these templates

    • [Deactivated] on 29/10/2015 - 00:19

      I started working as an intern who I didnt get paid much and he didnt pay my super. I stayed there for 6 months and I buggered off. What's the big deal??

      Do Mexicans complain in the States when they cross the border?

      You get paid and you get experience. You may not be getting paid much but the experience can help you apply for better places later on.

      As long as you find a place better than 7/11, you'll start learning. Even 7/11 can teach you Australian's way of doing bossiness. You can apply for jobs once you are more confident

  • plmko on 25/10/2015 - 00:03
    +7

    We're hiring for an Accounting position at my place, and first off I would not forward your application to my managers to consider hiring you the truth hurts I know :(

    Short answer: You blab on a lot about what your role was or is, but you don't explain what you did or how you improved the company/workplace. Did your MYOB/interpersonal/etc etc skills result in anything? $xxxx sales increase? More efficiency? What can you give to the position (Refer specifically to the ad/company, don't copy 'n paste)

    The mistake is people like listing how awesome their skills/experiences are, what I can't tell what your personality or drive is like. Given enough time we can train a monkey to do anything, but a monkey can't be a contributor/leader, that's what employers want to see.

    Also get rid of those billions of bullet points and stick to 3-4 ultra concise lines.

    • GameChanger on 25/10/2015 - 00:07
      +12

      I think you're being unrealistic, how many graduates will have improved the efficiency, sales etc.. Most who claim to have, are bullshitting or the top 1% of graduates.

      Though I agree people list all their achievements that are absolutely irrelevant to the position.

      • plmko on 25/10/2015 - 00:08
        +6

        You miss my point, those are examples, not necessarily what people have done.

        And why would increasing efficiency be a hard thing at any level? I remember in my first job, I made an excel tracking sheet to pass around my team to put down requests for the client, so we don't send multiple emails sporadically: improved relations with client and made tracking information easier.

        See?

        • GameChanger on 25/10/2015 - 00:12
          +1

          Yes I understand those examples, but accounting isn't exactly rocket science. Employers have unrealistic expectations of graduates simply because they have an excess to choose from. The irony is that many of the established accountants got gigs by just turning up to the interview, back in the day.

          As to your example of efficiency, most employers just won't buy it.

        • plmko on 25/10/2015 - 00:15
          +1

          @gamechanger:

          because they have an excess to choose from

          Well you pretty much nailed it, and really it's because I do have a pile of resumes that do list examples of what I'm trying to say, but OP hasn't, so why would we consider someone like that?

          As to your example of efficiency, most employers just won't buy it.

          Who would you rather hire, someone who just lists things or someone who cuts down to 2-3 examples and explains the outcome?

          Pretty self-explanatory, but I'm not the applicant you don't need to take my examples seriously.

        • GameChanger on 25/10/2015 - 00:19
          +4

          @plmko: Because I can bet those resumes, are full of sh**. If it was at the immediate level I would agree with those examples. At the graduate level, the people who claim to have quantitatively improved a business or process are plain out lying.

          But who am I to judge? Resumes/Interviews is all about lying.

          As to who I would choose? Well I would meet them in person, on paper it means nothing, unless they can back it up.

        • plmko on 25/10/2015 - 00:26
          +2

          @gamechanger:

          You can take it as talking sh**, or you can take it as trying to sell yourself in a sea 1000s of similar applications.

          Well I would meet them in person,

          I work in a small firm, you expect me to meet all 115 applicants? LOL I used to work for Big 4, and even they wouldn't interview more than 50 or so with a dedicated HR team.

        • GameChanger on 25/10/2015 - 00:34
          +1

          @plmko: Out of 100 applications the level of suitable applicants is about 20, that's after you rule out people who don't fit your criteria. It would be foolish to rule out someone because they don't provide achievements. If anything they're been honest as they haven't achieved something that is worthwhile to write about.

          I do find the small accounting firms to be the worse discriminators, the irony been they usually hire high achievers who are using the firm as a stepping stone and can't wait to get out asap. If I was hiring for a small firm, my biggest concern would be to hire someone who will stay long term. If you're providing the training, like you said in accounting you don't need to be a genius to do the job.

        • plmko on 25/10/2015 - 00:40
          +2

          @gamechanger:

          You seem pretty set on what you think works, but let me tell you applicants are real high quality these days (even OP seems already pretty reasonable). You say you can just cut down to 20 or so, but how do you cut down to 20 if 50 out of 100 are all top notch educated and experienced at your expectations? You do that through discrimination and quick cut-down via little details like spelling or presentation, if an applicant can't prepare basic or convincing notes, that's very unrealistic to expect employers to keep them around because simply bringing them in has a cost.

          I think you're being way too idealistic here.

          you don't need to be a genius to do the job.

          You don't need to be a genius, but you need to be human and independent. OP's resume hasn't shown any of that, it's just a stretched list of experiences.

        • GameChanger on 25/10/2015 - 00:46
          +1

          @plmko: Yes its small things that can get you cut off from the short list, which is out of the applicants control.

          Spelling and good presentation is a must these days.

        • plmko on 25/10/2015 - 00:47
          +2

          @gamechanger:

          Going to bed, hopefully this long string of comments helps the OP hahah

        • 18 on 25/10/2015 - 01:07
          -2

          @plmko:

          cut down…through discrimination

          You do realise that is breaking the Fair Trade Act right?

        • GameChanger on 25/10/2015 - 01:19
          +6

          @18: small firms are nortorious for discrimination. In interviews they will ask what your parents do and many other personal questions.

          Whilst it may be illegal, you can't do anything about it.

        • Serapis on 26/10/2015 - 00:47
          +2

          @18:

          You mean Fair Work Act (Cth) 2009?

          It's sort of political fluff because #1: Onus is on the individual to prove they were discriminated against and #2: It is of no direct benefit to you since it attracts a civil remedy (i.e you can ask a court to fine them) which is why claims like that are few and far between.

          You can do stuff about it but because of #2, people rarely ever do. You might get $5000 out of it if you're lucky like this guy.

        • TheZohan on 27/10/2015 - 15:49

          @Serapis: there are only particular kinds of discrimination that are illegal, such as race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion and so on. Outside of those listed by Federal State Equal Opportunity Legislation (not so much Fair Work legislation regarding this stuff) it's a free for all to discriminate really… in some respects, you need to if you've got a lot of applications, to be able to efficiently narrow down a pool of potential candidates!

          And technically it doesn't matter what questions you're asked, it's about what logic they use to make the decision. There are no illegal questions per se - though it is unwise to even hint that you may be considering an illegal reason for making a decision.

      • [Deactivated] on 29/10/2015 - 00:23
        +1

        "improved the efficiency"

        employers want sheeps, they dont want ppl that talk back to you lol. It's the manager's job to improve the workplace. What does a grad know lol :p

    • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 18:44

      Thanks for the inputs, guys! I greatly appreciate every comment. I have uploaded the latest version of my resume. Please give advice if you are free! Thank you. :)

      plmko, I understand your comments and I tried to think harder about my accomplishments. I added some accomplishments on my resume even though they are not significant to the firms. I had very limited autonomy and I only could follow instructions precisely. Anyway, may I know what is the recruitment process in your office? What are the measures used to judge how successful the candidate to be qualified for the role? Thank you so much!

      gamechanger, I guess this is reality. Accounting field is very competitive and I know even locals couldn't able to get job offers. I just wish that HR will spend more time on scanning resumes diligently. Most of the great candidates are being missed out during initial scanning stage.

      No matter how much we wanted to deny this, discrimination always exist. I know some of the recruiters threw away resumes after they had a glance at applicants' names.

    • ganymede on 28/10/2015 - 00:33

      Something like this?

      Flipped 16 burgers an hour, faster than my KPI of 14 burgers an hour. Resulted in one additional customer served per hour. Increased outlet sale by $2000 per month. Awarded "Employee of the month" for 3 consecutive months.

      • DeafMutePretender on 28/10/2015 - 23:27
        +1

        Washed 9000 dishes an hour, faster than my allocated KPI, let alone, faster than the dishwasher itself (the machine one). Received an average of 3 written compliments per night from customers regarding cleanliness of dishes. Received multiple awards from Health and Safety inspectors. Personal efforts have resulted in an increase in the restaurant's revenue by $1,000 per month (seasonally-adjusted). Affectionately nicknamed "The Human Dishwasher" by management, employees and customers alike.

        …please let me become an accountant at your firm, pretty please? Another night washing dishes and I'm gonna go dish-ravin' maaaaaaaad!

        • ganymede on 31/10/2015 - 02:29

          Lol! That's a good one!

          Seems like employers are expecting job applicants to put their achievements in CAR format even for a mundane position such as a cashier or the trolley guy, this is getting ridiculous!

  • [Deactivated] on 25/10/2015 - 01:25
    +4

    Be the Alpha. Once you get an interview, squeeze their hands when they offer to shake, and don't let go. Stare them down, make them wince. Assert your authoritar immediately. They will respect you for not being weak.

    • DeafMutePretender on 25/10/2015 - 03:26
      +14

      tl;dr Approach the interview like you're Mark Latham approaching John Howard

    • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 15:12

      Both of you are funny. Haha!

      Unfortunately, I only managed to have 1 skype interview as initial stage. I didn't even get the chance to meet anyone from the firm to shake their hands.

  • Muimuimorris on 25/10/2015 - 08:45
    +3

    2 things that stood out for me in addition to the comments from the folks above:
    1) In your objectives section take out the face that you are looking for a specific role (accounts officer). Most recruiters like me look at the person's potential and perhaps it may be different to the role you stated in the first paragraph of your resume. For entry level people we look at potential to adapt to the work culture. A potential outcome is that your resume gets forwarded for another vacant position in the same company.
    2) If you are an overseas student, I would state somewhere that you have relevant work permits for Australia. Sometimes when I see great candidates with an international background I have to ask myself if I need to work sponsor this person. For experienced professionals I have no hesitation doing work sponsorship because I know that would be easy to get through the official channels in Australia. For entry level, it's a bit harder because it embarks on the questioning around "could you have hired a local Australian for this entry level role?"

    • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 15:23

      Thanks for the useful feedback, Muimuimorris!

      1) I usually tailor my personal summary and cover letter before I apply for a specific role with title. Should I still retain from mentioning the title of specific role if so? You remind me that I should mention about fitting well in work culture under the section. Thank you!

      2) I was told by few recruiters not to mention my visa status and nationality on my resume. I'm asked to only tell the employers when they ask. I do not need any sponsorship as I am working on my PR application. It is just matter of time. Should I just briefly state "Eligible to work unconditionally in Australia" on my resume or cover letter without further explanation about my visa subclass?

      • GameChanger on 26/10/2015 - 16:28
        +1

        No don't write anything about your visa at all. But be mindful when an advertisement states only PR/Citizen, don't waste your time applying as you will piss many people off when they find out.

        • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 18:49

          Yes, I know. I will usually ignore the job openings when they state that the roles are only for PR/Ciziten. :(

      • Muimuimorris on 26/10/2015 - 16:30
        +1

        I was referring to your resume. It will get passed around, so best to keep it generic, and save the specifics about what job you are applying for in your cover letter.
        Quite frankly when I see potential in a candidate, I forward a candidate to another department I usually ditch the cover letter and just on forward the resume. Think of your resume as your personal calling card.

        I would be up front in the resume and say "Possess relevant work permit for Australia. Available to commence work immediately."

        • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 18:50

          Alright! I understand. I have uploaded the latest version of my resume. Please give advice on my personal summary if you are free! Thank you. :)

  • StewBalls on 25/10/2015 - 09:26
    +1

    My nickel's worth of free advice, as an applicant watch what you put on social media; both before and after interviews…the first thing we do to cull potential applicants is trawl through social media to see how you conduct & present yourself, how much of your personal/professional life you disclose, and finally who else you've been interviewing for & what you've said about them/the experience.

    You'd be shocked how many otherwise great sounding applicants shoot themselves in the foot with social media rants & other general stupidity! ;)

    • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 15:26
      +2

      Thanks for the advice, StewBalls!

      I am confident that I do not post anything that is embarrassing on my social media. I only uploaded landscape and food hunt photos. lol

  • RandomNinja on 25/10/2015 - 11:13
    +9

    Hey OP, great that you're proactively seeking to improve your resume and chances of landing a role! toniyellow and plmko offer sound advice, tho plmko could have phrased it a bit more positively!

    Here's my 2 cents (as a manager):

    Cover Letter:
    Cover letter is a bit long - don't feel you need to fill the page, especially with lines that won't contribute to the employer's decision making eg: I will be proud to work in a firm where dedication and enthusiasm are exemplified in each employee. A few simple paragraphs is all that's needed.

    Minimise talk about skills, just highlight the most relevant ones. The employer will assess your skills based on your resume, not the cover letter.

    Resume:
    Resume wise, I would recommend changing the order to prioritise what an employer would want to see first. For me that's employment history, education, then skills.

    Personal summary - talking about skills and experience here doesn't mean anything as the employer will assess that in the other sections of the resume. Use this as an opportunity to connect with the company's culture/values or how your aspirations/goals fit with the company.

    Consider changing the Skills Summary section to 'Other skills' that aren't covered in your employment history. Many skills can be removed from that section and integrated in to employment history, it's also more effective as you're proving to the employer you have used the skills you claim to have. This is especially relevant for buzz word' skills such as 'problem solving/analytical skills' or 'time management/work ethics' - currently, I can't tell in which role you've needed to apply those skills. Conversely, I can see in your past accounting internships, you've had experience following process and procedures, but it hasn't been called out. IMO this is a critical skill in an entry level Accounting role.

    Employment history - as plmko mentions, cut down on the bullet points and add any achievements. I would also suggest you keep them succinct and specifically relevant to the role you're applying for. As a quick rule of thumb make sure you include 'what and how' where possible. For example, your current role could simply be - Face to Face Customer Service, X customer interactions/shift, Cash/EFTPOS Handling using <software>, Working in a Team of X people. For your accounting roles, you need to flesh them out with more of the 'how'. Documented financial transactions in QuickBooks and processed invoices -> good example. Performed accounting duties including data entry, petty cash, accounts payable/receivable and reconciliations -> how?

    With regard to hobbies and affiliations, I would keep them in if they are relevant to the company you're applying to (eg: photography for Canon). If they are not relevant, then remove them as they'll likely be more of a distraction to the employer.

    Finally, take care that you are realistic/accurate with your wording. eg: '…extensive experience of providing accounting duties, administration duties and professional customer services in large organisations' 2x 3mth internships might seem extensive to you, but may not mean the same thing to the employer.

    Hope this helps, all the best in the hunt for your first FT role!

    tldr; keep things realistic, relevant and succinct. Use what and how in employment history

    • newozbargainermelb on 25/10/2015 - 23:11

      Best advice.

    • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 18:55

      Thanks for giving useful advice, RandomNinja! :)

      I have tried to add some accomplishments on my resume. I had limited autonomy when I worked and I could not contribute much in term of improving the operation of firm and so.

      However, can I have further explanation about "Conversely, I can see in your past accounting internships, you've had experience following process and procedures, but it hasn't been called out. IMO this is a critical skill in an entry level Accounting role."? I don't really understand.

      I have uploaded the latest version of my resume. Please give advice if you are free! Thank you. :)

      • RandomNinja on 27/10/2015 - 00:10
        +1

        Np, happy to help :)

        However, can I have further explanation about "Conversely, I can see in your past accounting internships, you've had experience following process and procedures, but it hasn't been called out. IMO this is a critical skill in an entry level Accounting role."? I don't really understand.

        I assume that in your internships, for any task you were assigned there would have been a clear set of instructions for you to follow? Although it's such a simple thing, it's surprising how many new staff make mistakes by not following documented process or waste time trying to reinvent the wheel. For entry level Accounting, most corporate businesses will have well established processes for tasks in this role (hence limited autonomy in your past experience). Employers will want you to pick up these processes quickly and perform the task accurately. Highlighting your experience with this can only help - for example:

        Instead of - Performed accounting duties including settlement of accounts payable, accounts receivable and reconciliations in MYOB and Microsoft Excel
        Try - Learned procedures for settlement of accounts payable, accounts receivable and reconciliations in (X weeks/days?) and performed these duties in MYOB and MS Excel

        Re: revised resume, as others have mentioned, it's still a bit verbose with details that don't seem directly relevant to the role you're seeking. For example, in your current employment:
        ► Taking customer orders diligently and ensuring that orders are processed rapidly to shorten the queue especially during peak lunch hours.
        ► Serving meals to customers in keeping with service standards and patron’s requests.
        ► Verifying online vouchers for meal redemptions on apps
        As I mentioned previously, Customer Service pretty much sums up the above 3 points. Does elaborating on these points help the Employer's decision making? If it doesn't then remove it or replace it with a relevant point. Then ask yourself the same question for each dot point in the Employment history. As ednamekin suggested, ordering the Accounting roles first could be a good idea.

        Still need to elaborate more on the 'how' in your employment history - be specific. eg: Involved in planning marketing strategies and designed brochures to boost sales. How were you involved in the planning (decision maker or minute taker)? What software did you use to design brochures? Where were the brochures used (local or national distribution)?

        You seem to have removed the type of employment from your history (ie: full time, part time, casual). Curious to know the reason as it's usually a mandatory detail to include?

        • melissamelxx on 28/10/2015 - 17:57

          Thank you for the great inputs! They are really useful! :)

          I am editing my resume now according to some of your suggestions.I didn't have any proper training when I worked but I was recognized to be a fast learner by my employers. I should mention about it on my resume.

          I just wanted to emphasis my ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment. I will restructure my sentences for recent employment.

          I removed the type of employment because I thought it is not important. Thank you for the reminder. Cheers.

        • melissamelxx on 28/10/2015 - 19:07

          @melissamelxx: emphasize*

  • chrischeese on 25/10/2015 - 18:49
    +1

    Personally from reading your resume, compared to other candidates, I feel nothing jumps out to make you more employable than other candidates. For graduate positions and other full time roles, employers are looking for internship experience within large companies, leadership within a university club, competitive extracurricular activities (e.g. sports) etc.
    The resume just comes across as plain and in these days with the amount of competition for jobs, you're going to be hard pressed to even get an interview.

    However this doesn't mean it isn't possible though, i'd focus on reformatting the resume to be more presentable as it currently looks a bit cluttered and also cutting out details that would be irrevelent to the job at hand (HR is only going to gloss through your resume anyway). Otherwise if you want to find a role, you have to treat looking for a job as a full time job, meaning doing a couple of applications a day and keeping track of them.

    • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 18:58

      I know. I am not a high achiever in academic and I did not join case competitions actively. I just wish that I could have done more when I was still in uni. I did not join any internship in Big4 because I wasn't planning to practice public accounting. I have to admit that I regretted for not applying internship in Big4. Btw, I have uploaded the latest version of my resume. Please give advice if you are free! Thank you. :)

  • gstfree on 25/10/2015 - 20:11
    +2

    I suggest you start from Accounts Assistant first to get some commercial experience. Unless you are a super outstanding candidate, accept any offer that is available to you.

    Make sure cover letter is tailored made for the position you are applying for. Explain why you are competent to the job description.

    Make sure you know your resume very well. Be able to answer any question. If you are an accounting graduate, make sure you really know accounting.

    Interviewed a couple of graduates before. The common issue is not knowing accounting.
    For example: What is GST? What is an valid tax invoice? How to write manual sales journal entries? What are the common financial reports?etc….

    Good luck mate.

    • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 19:01

      I have looked at most of the entry level roles and I'm surprised that few years of experiences are needed for just an assistant or a bookkeeper role. I always tailor my cover letter before submitting it to any firm. I only uploaded a general cover letter at here.

      Btw,I have uploaded the latest version of my resume. Please give advice if you are free! Thank you. :)

      • gstfree on 26/10/2015 - 21:07

        Suggest you check Melbourne uni careers website. You may find a lot of low pay jobs there, but you will get some commercial experience.

        Do not lie in resume. Trust me interviewer will be able to find out.

        You may consider to liaise with your local volunteer resource centre to do some volunteering work - a couple hours every week.

        Please try Sydney as well. Sydney market is far more than Melbourne. I have a few friends tried one year in Melbourne without any luck, but found a job in Sydney just three weeks.

  • Iangh on 25/10/2015 - 20:54

    It used to be the economy, now it's the visa. I think your problem is lack of PR.

    • No ONE on 25/10/2015 - 23:08
      -1

      That's just an excuse.

      • Iangh on 26/10/2015 - 10:36
        +3

        No, fact. Why would an employer take on a new graduate with no long-term residency rights in Aus? It's not worth it. If OP had PR, with those language skills, Melissa would be a catch.

        In her shoes, I would apply to every major Australian and/or Chinese company doing business in the other's country. Play to your strengths. Try this list for starters, http://www.acbc.com.au/members-directory. I would assume 5% hit-rate - apply to 20, 1 job offer.

  • rodinthink on 25/10/2015 - 22:27

    Wacist bogan comment incoming in 3….now

  • No ONE on 25/10/2015 - 23:06
    +1

    I am also a graduate struggling to find a job, but I would definitely say there are many things in your resume & cover letter that needs to be rectified, e.g. Resturant ATTENDANT!??, extensive!?accounting skills. If you have extensive accounting skill then why are you looking at gradute jobs. Gradute jobs are for those you have less experience and are new in the field. Or perhaps you should remove the word extensive experience from your resume. Secondly, you made point in your cover letter that you have accounts experience but failed to mention the firm name you worked for and how your duties are related to the current job application.

    • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 19:04

      I have uploaded the latest version of my resume. Please give advice if you are free! Thank you. :)

      As I have explained above, I only post my general cover letter at here and I always tailor it before submitting it to firms. Sometimes, recruitment companies are those who post job openings on SEEK ad LinkedIn without mentioning the background of the firms. In this circumstance, there is nothing much I can do to conduct researches on the firms.

      I have excluded the word, "extensive" from my resume. Thank you for pointing that out! Btw, may I know what is wrong with "attendant"?

      • No ONE on 26/10/2015 - 23:06

        Recruiters that advertise without company background to me looks like a fake job and never apply for them.
        Attendant looks odd as if you a customer of that restaurant. Instead use other words like waitress/hospitality etc.

    • NimitzHarrington on 27/10/2015 - 00:43

      Grad roles used to be open for people with up to 2 years of experience for the private industry and 5 years for public. Is that still not the case?

  • StarkIndustries on 25/10/2015 - 23:43

    Damn the comments here are brutal

    • Clear on 26/10/2015 - 09:58
      +4

      They're probably unemployed too.

  • Serapis on 26/10/2015 - 00:34
    +2

    Think of the HR person as a person on a forum. You need to somehow interest them in the first 5 seconds of looking at your post then be able to summarise everything about you in 2 minutes. If a person in a forum would go TL;DR looking at your resume then start again.

    Issues with your docs:

    Cover letter:

    • Initial thoughts: TL;DR, please shorten down or start putting this in dot points.
    • Tips: Bits, esp. like paragraph #2, does not need so much detail unless your role is highly specialised. Just summarise it with some examples, it currently looks like you copied and pasted some other ad's job desc. Example of what I mean. If it was me I would start reading from the word 'briefly' (where the dot points start) in the example, and if agreeable, just flip over to the resume without reading the rest. Putting the entire thing in a written document forces me to read the thing thoroughly from start to finish which I frankly CBF doing.

    Resume:

    • Initial thoughts: Everything looks far too cluttered, looks worse than a university essay. Too much of an eyesore. Looks too bland. Doesn't matter how much stuff you got there if the recruiter doesn't want to even start read it.
    • Tips: Your references just put them in there, don't make 'Available upon request' because ain't nobody got time for that. From past experience noticed resumes are almost 100% rejected when 'references available upon request'. Also some formatting corrections would help like proper headings and line spacing. Doing something like this would make it much more pleasing to the eye. I'm looking for someone with a bit of character, not someone black, white and bland.
    • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 19:11

      Thank you for the advice and I appreciate it!

      I know that I tend to put everything on my resume and cover letter because of the keywords. Some firms use a type of system for recruitment process. If the documents do not have sufficient keywords, the applicant will be eliminated to proceed to the next stage. I adapted a plain template because some recruiters told me that colors and template designs do not matter as long as I have the contents. I guess I can do something more on my resume and cover letter to increase my interview opportunities.

      I have uploaded the latest version of my resume. Please give advice if you are free! Thank you. :)

      • Serapis on 27/10/2015 - 00:27

        Yeah unfortunately to save time some companies may choose to implement some system to do a word count, however the process is for the start to isolate those without a detailed resume. After they've fished out the desirable ones a real person is still going to look at your resume hence the above points still apply. The new one looks far better but would encourage line spacing like others above have suggested.

  • haverford on 26/10/2015 - 03:06
    +2

    Try putting your cover letter into 3 sections:
    1st paragraph introduce yourself, what motivates you and what motivates you to apply for this position. You need to be more specific, just mentioning the word sustainability is not enough. Read their annual reports, chat with representatives at grad fairs to work out what specific sustainability projects they are implementing and what you could bring to the table or how you specifically want to learn from them.

    second paragraph addresses key selection criteria. You really need to identify what is key and how you specifically address that. for grad positions maybe you need to demonstrate that you are able to learn. consider removing some of the generic things if they are not great, and be specific about the experience. the more detail will be in the CV, but you don't need to refer to it.

    in the third paragraph I would put your soft skills, reiterate your enthusiasm.

    a good fourth stub there, consider inviting them to contact you if they have any queries.

    A general comment about writing. Don't tell them what you would do, tell them what you do do. Anybody can say "I would apply myself with enthusiasm to all tasks", but YOU say "I apply myself with enthusiasm to all tasks". You need to be more assertive, you only have 10 seconds to make yourself shine. Every line on your cover page is designed to get them to read the next line, and eventually to look at your CV. You need to make sure you have a strong first paragraph that keeps on delivering for the rest of the page. This is a test in communication as much as anything else. Keep on drafting it again and again for each job so that it gets better and better.

    A little thing to consider would be to sign with Yours Sincerely rather than Kind Regards

    some old school people really adhere to formal writing and it doesn't hurt to use it.

    In your CV maybe split it into professional employment and other employment. Lead with professional employment section. Lead with the most relevant positions, either in relevant experience or most recent, in that order.
    As others have mentioned, structure each employment experience. I go for "Responsibilities" and "Achievements". this lets recruiters easily see what you did and what was the outcome of your work.

    As others have mentioned it may be good to get any job (for starters). A Malaysian mate worked in a Malaysian restaurant for a while before he got a professional job. Was it his passion? No. But it payed the rent and showed that he was committed to working and was going to be a reliable worker.

    • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 19:13

      Thank you for the feedback! I have uploaded the latest version of my resume. Please give advice if you are free! Thank you. :)

      As I have explained above, I only post my general cover letter at here and I always tailor it before submitting it to firms. Sometimes, recruitment companies are those who post job openings on SEEK ad LinkedIn without mentioning the background of the firms. In this circumstance, there is nothing much I can do to conduct researches on the firms. I will try harder to edit my CV now. Thank you for pointing out my weaknesses.

  • JetLi on 26/10/2015 - 11:07
    +1

    I would presume being a Melb Uni graduate would be quite attractive in Malaysia, so I reckon the best course of action is to return to Malaysia, get a position with a Big 4 accounting firm in Audit as this is a lot more transferable than Tax and then look for a secondment to Australia. Given your current Visa situation, most reputable firms will be very reluctant to hire you.

    • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 19:14

      I am still working on my PR application. It just a matter of time. My current visa allows me to work unconditionally in Aus and it expires in July 2017. Will it be an issue for me to work in Melbourne?

  • vonNeuman on 26/10/2015 - 14:21
    +3

    Hi my fellow Malaysian,

    I started my job application 7 months before I graduate. I applied two positions in Australia, and I received two job offers as a Malaysian on temporary graduate visa. So don't lose hope.

    I didn't apply to any well-known firms, instead I opted for firms that hire international students (one was an ASX-listed company).

    I reckon results aren't very important, though H1/H2A average (for international students) is necessary to show your commitment in studies. Being active in community is another important factor that helps you to stand up among other candidates. For instance, I was involved in AGA too, not volunteering, but a position with a lot of responsibilities.

    Worst come to worse, Malaysia is home. I received an offer with above average starting salary in Graduan career fair that tempted me to go home. However, I chose to stay in Melbourne for my relationship.

    • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 19:19

      Hi, vonNeuman! Nice to meet a Malaysian at here!

      May I know what are the names of the firms that you applied for jobs in Melbourne? Did you send your applications on recruitment websites such as SEEK or the company's website directly? I actually received few job offers in Malaysia. However, I'm still working on my PR application and my parents encourage me to look for job opportunities at here.

      I have uploaded the latest version of my resume. Please give advice if you are free! Thank you. :)

      • vonNeuman on 26/10/2015 - 19:57
        +1

        Why did you remove MARA? I had one prestigious Malaysian scholarship, and I incude it in my CV as well, just decorate it with big words. :P Btw, I transferred my credits from Malaysia as well, but I didn't include any Malaysian schools, because they are irrelevant!

        I guess I was lucky, and I applied via my school's career portal. We are in different field. :( I know Accounting is super competitive. I was approached by a few 'recruiters' on LinkedIn, but I ignored them.

        I was on student visa when offers were made. I'm currently on temporary graduate visa, and it's expiring in 2017 as well. I didn't mention anything about my visa status while applying, but they asked if I had a valid visa, then I showed them my visa status. Also, I applied with my Malaysian chinese names because I don't have an English name. My current company called me every few days for 3 months to check if my temporary graduate visa was approved (I applied 2 months after the offer was made), because I hadn't taken my IELTS back then. Also I was struggling to decide whether to stay or go back (a GLC company and Intel offered me a position).

        There are many grammartical errors in the CV.

        • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 21:31

          Oh wow. I guess I have to keep trying then. Thanks for telling me! :)

          Okay. I will try to think how should I explain about MARA scholarship on my resume. lol

          Can you kindly point out few examples of my grammatical errors? To be honest, English is not my first language as I studied in a Chinese school for 11 years! I am still in the process of learning. Thank you so much!!

  • Viderzo on 26/10/2015 - 16:47
    +1

    I was also an international student ( I graduated from Melbourne Uni back in 2003) and basically was lucky I found a job on my first try working for a top ASX listed company partly owned by a top 10 Fortune 100 company (yes luck, I didn’t do anything special and my grades are nothing special although it is mostly H1 and H2A/B, I am pretty sure my resume was nothing special also). My study was Information System though so might be a bit different in terms of job market.

    Here are some pointers though: as a new graduate your resume won’t be the most important thing, same as your cover letter. Try to find some graduate position and practice your interview with a professional. If no grad position is available try to apply to an entry level position, my very first role was for a IT Help Desk then promoted out within a year. The most important thing is to get your foot at the door so you can start networking. I climbed fairly quickly and was earning 7 figures within 5 years and recently was recruited by another high profile company. I was lucky but it is important also to increase your chance of luck. Hope you find something!

    • melissamelxx on 26/10/2015 - 19:22
      +1

      Wow, you are lucky! :) I believe that you are just being humble at here.

      Anyway, may I know what is the visa that you were holding when you got job offer in Aus? Unfortunately, it is very competitive in accounting field. I have looked at entry level jobs and most of them require few years of working experiences! :((

      I have uploaded the latest version of my resume. Please give advice if you are free! Thank you. :)

      • Viderzo on 27/10/2015 - 08:42
        +1

        Not being humble, just being lazy and took the first role I applied and got. I took 4 months off after graduation to wait for my PR (2 months) and travel (another 2 months) so I was a bit panicking when I started looking. Lucky for the first break! Was supposed to be a temporary job. Ended up staying with the company for 10 years

        I had my PR already when I started looking, mind you this was when the waiting time for PR was only 2 months. I heard it is longer now. However someone I know got his first job when he was on TR back in 2007 (Melb Uni grad also).

        Some suggestions after reading your responses to others:

        1. NO legit job agency will ask for money, especially upfront. That is a scam. If you need coaching or resume writing go google one, they will charge you a fee of course but they are legit. A proper Job/recruitment agency will receive their fees from the company they are recruiting for.

        2. Your resume looks good, I will read it in details later on, with that many details why don't you try one of the graduate position? I know I said aim for entry levels but I think you should be able to get a grad position easily, just practice your interview. I know the big 4 (EY, KPMG, PwC, Deloitte) are always looking for fresh grads and they more than other companies here in Australia usually prefer candidates from the higher ranked school such as yours.

      • Viderzo on 27/10/2015 - 08:43

        I just realized I typed 7 figures, I meant 6 hahaha, not so impressive now huh

    • gstfree on 26/10/2015 - 21:27

      I guess you worth 155k pa now.

      • Viderzo on 27/10/2015 - 08:28

        Yeah around the ballpark :)

    • NimitzHarrington on 27/10/2015 - 00:46

      7 figures in 5 years? Wow, you've done very well. Though why are you on ozbargain if you're earning >= $1M? :P

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join