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APRIL 2015
LATEST NEWS
Dedication and Diversity the Key to Success - Jake Nelson,
Bachelor of Science (Chemistry) with minors in Applied Statistics
and Environmental Issues
In last month's CareerConnect newsletter we congratulated Jake Nelson, one of four
graduates who secured a 2015 Graduate Development Program position with WA
Health. Jake kindly offered us his story and key to success.
After successfully completing high school, Jake went on to complete a Certificate IV in
Information Technology and gain more life experience before he began full- time study
at Murdoch University. Jake's time at University saw him dedicate himself to achieving
the best possible results. Through hard work he was presented several awards
including:
- Vice Chancellor’s Commendation for Academic Excellence 2012, 2013 and 2014;
- Epichem Prize; - Nicholas Searcy Prize in Organic Chemistry and;
- Sardar Gurdit Singh and Sardani Sunder Kaur Memorial Prize;
- Royal Australian Chemical Institute Prize.
During his time at Murdoch, Jake also managed to attain summer vacation employment
at Alcoa of Australia (working on a successful chemical research project) and was an
active volunteer. His voluntary work extended to a live-in tutor role for the Western
Australian Science and Engineering Summer School, tree planting and waste auditing.
Through his studies and vacation employment, Jake further developed his passion for
mathematics and research. In his final year of study, Jake applied for a variety of
Graduate Programs offering numerical based roles but felt that the opportunity to use
his skills and experience to better the public was what really appealed to him. His
diversity of experiences and studies, he feels gave him the edge. It not only helped him
to grow as a person, but also evidenced something Graduate employers often look for the well rounded, dedicated graduate.
Since starting with WA Health, Jake had the following to say about his first professional
appointment. "I have been given amazing support from all of the staff and have felt
welcome since day one. The General Corporate stream gives me three unique rotations
across WA Health, allowing me to gain a wide variety of experiences. I am very much
enjoying my first placement as a data analyst working on a numerical research project
for health system improvement. I am excited to make the most of all the learning
opportunities, as well as having a positive impact on the team."
Finally, Jake kindly offered the following tip to current students. "My best advice to
help students set themselves apart from other job applicants, would be to feel proud
and confident of what you have achieved so far and don't be afraid to think outside the
square. There are plenty of opportunities in WA Health waiting to be taken." Thank you
Jake!
REMINDER TO FINAL YEAR STUDENTS: 2016 Finance & Business Stream applications
open now and close 7 April 2015. Both the 2016 General Corporate Stream and
Workforce Data Analysis Stream applications open 27 July 2015 and close 17 August
2015. Advertised on www.jobs.wa.gov.au.
Leeuwin Tall Ship Experience was one to Remember for Murdoch
Student, Bradley Moyle
The opportunity to take part in the Leeuwin Uni Challenge was promoted to the
Murdoch student community last year. For the first time in Leeuwin history, the STS
Leeuwin II was exclusively filled with Perth based university students keen to "broaden
their horizon and develop their leadership skills". The impressive tall ship set sail from
Fremantle in the last week of November 2014. The 40 participants on this unique seven
day voyage were selected from almost 200 students. Current Murdoch student, Bradley
Moyle was keen to try out his sea legs and his application was one of the 40 accepted.
He had this to say about the experience of a life-time:
"I can honestly say I had no idea what to expect after receiving confirmation that I was
to be boarding the STS Leeuwin II for the seven day Leeuwin Uni Challenge. Spending
24 hours a day with the same group of strangers really doesn’t make them strangers,
even after just one day as I discovered. We split into groups or watches as they are
known and we instantly formed a bond within our watch as well as with everyone on
board. We held watch of the ship at all hours of the night as we sailed off the coast
where there was nothing to see but water. We climbed the t’gallant (top most section
of the mast) to hand the sail during some rough weather, at which time you really
know you’re alive! For the first few days most of the new crew had their turn for the
worst, and experienced just how crippling seasickness is. We each had a turn at the
helm, heaving ropes, polishing brass and coiling ropes. We all worked hard as a team
and were so tired yet somehow we always had more energy for our early morning
exercise, a late night game of cards or even our turn in the galley. I had a fantastic
week aboard the STS Leeuwin II. I pushed myself and faced some challenges that I am
sure have changed my attitude towards life and the people around me. I’d do it all
again tomorrow."
The Leeuwin Uni Challenge is due to return in November, 2015. For students who are
interested in taking part in this unique challenge later in the year, send an email with
your name, university attending (Murdoch) and the best email address to contact you
on to [email protected].
Speed Interviews - the Highlight at Careers Week
Careers Week 2015 went off with a bang again this year as students and industry
partners took part in various career building activities at our South Street Campus. The
week-long event in March saw high attendance at various workshops and presentations
designed to engage students with their careers and start thinking about life after
university.
One of the highlights of the week was the Speed Interviewing practice activity. Speed
Interviewing took place over two days and involved 16 industry partners from local and
state government, private enterprise and ASX listed multi-nationals who generously
gave up their time to help develop students' interview skills. Employer representatives
conducted 10 minute mock interviews for students in the familiar surroundings of Bush
Court. Participating students not only experienced an interview situation with real
employers, but they also received honest, constructive feedback on their performance
– an extremely valuable experience for all involved. This activity, complemented with
workshops and presentations on topics such as Resume Writing and Creating An
Impressive LinkedIn profile was further enriched through the Professional Associations
Day, encouraging and promoting professional memberships and networking
opportunities.
“Informative”, “enjoyable” and “rewarding” are descriptors that were thrown around
repeatedly during the course of the event. A number of students and recent graduates
also made good use of their Career Passports and qualified for a complimentary Guild
Keep Cup and coffee voucher for participating in four or more activities. Lastly, one
lucky student won two tickets to the up-coming Blues 'n Roots music festival in
Fremantle. Reuben Hoath, a current Education student was randomly selected from
those who took the time to dress up and take part in the Speed Interview Practice
activity. A worthy winner, congratulations Reuben.
2015 ADVANCE GLOBAL AUSTRALIAN MENTORING PROGRAM
Advance are offering university students across the nation a unique one-on-one mentoring opportunity. The Advance
Global Australian Award Mentoring Program gives the next generation of leaders and innovators the chance to be
mentored by an award-winning industry leader over a 12-month period. Mentees (students) select from the following
categories:
-
Advanced Manufacturing
Clean Technology
Commercial Creatives
Education
Financial Services
Food and Agriculture
Life Sciences
Mining and Resources
Social Impact
Sport
Technology Innovation
The Arts
The program is open to domestic and international, undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in their final
year of study in 2015. A Murdoch Master's in Organisational Psychology student was previous selected as a mentee.
Apply on-line by April 10, 2015. Further details here.
TIP OF THE MONTH FROM A MURDOCH POSTGRADUATE STUDENT
Postgraduate Renewable Energy student, Amir Tabrizi had been applying for professional employment for the past 12
months, submitting close to 200 job applications with little luck. Amir had a fine-tuned Resume and LinkedIn profile,
was a regular attendee at Engineering Networking events and even went along to one of our Succeeding in Interviews
workshops in preparation for that final interview stage, but was not being short-listed. He finally found a way.
Coming from another part of the world, Amir was open to re-locating within Australia for work. Moving to a different
city was not a new or daunting experience. He had therefore applied for various jobs in the Eastern part of Australia
(as well as more locally) but was not getting far, until last month. Amir recently applied for several jobs in Sydney
and decided to put his sister’s Sydney postal address on his Resume. Within the month, Amir received five phone
calls and two job interviews for the Sydney based positions. Amir took a flight to attend the two job interviews
(conducted within the same week) and was subsequently offered BOTH jobs. Amir has just accepted the offer of a
consultancy role with the larger of the two companies and is re-locating shortly.
Amir kindly agreed to share his story and is keen to suggest to others that they provide a legitimate postal address
nearer the employer, when applying for jobs further afield. This strategy proved effective, given as Amir discovered,
not all employers share his global outlook.
Thanks for the great tip Amir and all the best with the new job in Sydney.
CAREER CONNECT EVENTS
1) Resumes and Cover Letters that Work workshop - Murdoch Campus
Thinking you need a more professional looking resume? Or stuck with writing a good cover letter? If your current job
applications are not really working for you, then this workshop will take some of the pain out of applying for jobs
and not getting far. All students and recent graduates welcome, however numbers are limited. Register to attend
this event on CareerConnect.
When: Wed April 15, 2015, 2pm - 3.30pm
Where: Careers and Employment Centre, South Street Campus.
CareerConnect
2) Successful Interviews workshops - Murdoch Campus
Are you prepared for what to expect at a job interview? Preparation and Practice is the key. Come along to this
workshop to find out more and have a go. All students and recent graduates welcome, however numbers are limited
for each workshop. (NOTE: This workshop will be repeated during the month of April.) Register to attend on
CareerConnect (see under Upcoming Events).
When: Wed April 1, 2 - 4pm OR Tues April 14, 10 - 12 noon OR Wed April 22, 1 - 3pm
Where: Careers and Employment Centre, South Street Campus
CareerConnect
3) Job Specific Criteria: Providing Evidence of your Skills and Experience (in
applications) workshop - Murdoch Campus
Find out how to meet the needs of the employer and prove you have the specific criteria (i.e. skills and experience)
they are looking for in your job application.
All students and recent graduates welcome, however numbers are limited. Register to attend on CareerConnect (see
under Upcoming Events).
When: Tues April 21, 10 - 11.30 pm
Where: Careers and Employment Centre, South Street Campus
CareerConnect
4) How to Shine in an Assessment Centre Group Activity / Team Skills Exercise
workshop - Murdoch Campus
Employers offering Graduate Programs often use Assessment Centres as part of the recruitment process. Find out
what assessment centres are all about and how best to prepare and conduct yourself in a group exercise.
All students and recent graduates welcome, however numbers are limited. Register to attend on CareerConnect (see
under Upcoming Events).
When: Wed April 29, 1 - 2.30 pm
Where: Careers and Employment Centre, South Street Campus
CareerConnect
5) Finding Vacation Employment, Internships and On-The-Job Experience presentation Murdoch Campus
How do you find experience as a student? What makes you competitive in looking for work whilst you are still
studying? Get the best tips to understanding what works and the importance of gaining experience before you
graduate.
Prior registration is not needed to attend this presentation. Simply come early to secure a good seat. All students
welcome. For more information, head to CareerConnect (see under Upcoming Events).
When: Thurs April 30, 12.30 - 1.30pm
Where: ECL Lecture Theatre, South Street Campus
More Info here
6) Murdoch Student Emerging Leaders (MSEL) Lunch-time Talks - Murdoch Campus
A series of lunch-time Leadership talks are open to any current Murdoch student interested in Leadership and the
development of Leadership skills. Various presenters from industry and Murdoch University will be presenting on a
specific Leadership topic over the year.
Presenters for the Leadership talks during semester 1 include:
1 ) April 2: Dr Guy Curtis - Senior Lecturer who teaches in the Organisational Psychology postgraduate programs will
be discussing current research on how Thinking Styles relate to Leadership and the implications of the findings on
Leadership selection and development.
2) April 16: Past participants of the MSEL program will discuss their own MSEL student experience and showcase
the three Volunteer Group Projects undertaken last year.
3) April 23: Wendy Voysey - Murdoch Psychology (Honours) graduate now working for Integral Development (a
Leadership and Management consultancy) will be discussing Mindfulness in Leadership and the value of increasing
self-awareness, controlling self-talk and managing emotions.
Prior registration is not needed to attend the lunch-time Leadership talks. Simply come early to secure a good seat.
All students and recent graduates welcome. More information about each of the talks can be found on
CareerConnect (See under Upcoming Events).
When: Thursdays (April 2, 16 and 23) 12.30 -1.30pm
Where: ECL Lecture Theatre, South Street Campus
CareerConnect
JOBS CORNER
Final year and Graduate Opportunities
Graduate Opportunities - Application dates calendar for 2016 Graduate Programs (Multi-discipline)
Find out more
GradConnection - Application dates calendar for 2016 Graduate Programs (Multi-discipline)
Find out more
W.A Dept. of Finance - 2016 Graduate Program (Multi-discipline)
Find out more
Student Opportunities
Student Internships - jobs board (Multi-discipline) (Australia Wide)
Find out more
GradConnection - Vacation Work and Internships (Multi-discipline) (Australia Wide)
Find out more
Student Scholarships for a Work Integrated Learning placement in a regional area (Multi-discipline)
RSM Bird Cameron 2014/15 Vacation work (Accounting) (Perth)
Find out more
Find out more
Aust. Institute for International Affairs - Internships (Multi-discipline) (Syd., Mel. and Canberra)
Find out more
Useful Links
How Study Abroad can help you get a Job
Tips on How to Land a Grad Job (From the Person Who Will Hire You)
Career Resilience: Tips on core skills, strategies and actions that will future-proof your work
Assessment Centre Tips (YouTube video)
Do you have a big Career Dream? (Following Dreams in the Wild)
Careers and Employment
Centre
TEL: +(61) (08) 9360 2596
EMAIL:
[email protected]
Extent your network, get advice, join the Murdoch eMentoring Network Group
WEB:
careers.murdoch.edu.au
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