School Leavers

If you’re about to leave school, and not sure what you want to do for a career, here are a few ideas that may help.  

Think about your strengths, skills and interests. What do you enjoy doing? Are you good with your hands, or do you want a job that will test your mind too? Do you think you would be more suited to working outside, or indoors, in an office, or a combination of the two?  

There are numerous ways you can get into your chosen industry, from college courses, an apprenticeship to work experience. It is important to do your research on the careers that most interest you. There are lots of resources available online to find out about the types of work available. 

If you have an idea of the kind of careers you might be interested in. Make a long list of these careers, and then as you do more research try to narrow this down to a shortlist. Include information like earnings, skills and training requirements. This will help you to focus your thoughts and narrow down your choices even further.  

When it is time to choose a career, don’t just think about the short term. Earning money for the first time in a full-time job is exciting, but looking ahead there may be better careers for you than the job you start out in. If you have ambitions to work away from where you live, or even abroad, or want to develop your skills, consider what may be right for you in the long term too.  

Tertiary Graduates

Being a new graduate can be an exciting time. One chapter of life is closing and another is just beginning. But, in many ways, finding post-grad work is a job in itself. Making that transition from student to employee is not always easy. There are a lot of mistakes to be made if you don’t know what to look out for.

Do not over-edit your resume to include only the work experience that you believe is relevant to the position for which you are applying, for example include the restaurant/retail jobs to demonstrate that you are outgoing and tenacious. The more experience listed, the more likely you will have something in common with your interviewer, making you a more memorable candidate.

Understand your values, know what you want and be ready to be flexible in your future position. Show up on time, dress the part, prepare for meetings, complete work by the deadline, collaborate, communicate, etc. It may seem basic, but if you’ve mastered these skills, you’ll start at the top of the class.

Employers are looking at social media. Build a strong profile and catalogue your achievements as you go on LinkedIn. Make sure to show your successes.

Immigrants to New Zealand

CV4Sudents supports immigrants from across the globe by writing professional CV’s tailored to the New Zealand and Australian jobs market. Many CV’s that we see from new arrivals are simply not up to standard and therefore do not get the interviews.

New Zealand is a dream destination for many as it is the perfect place to build a career or raise a family, however new arrivals often face language and cultural barriers in finding employment. 

The first thing a potential employer sees of you is your CV/Resume. 

Because there are no second chances if your CV is not the greatest fit for the job, it is crucial to ensure that it is optimised, especially when looking for a job in New Zealand that supports a visa. 

Having a CV tailored for potential employers is an important first step. Remember, the more effort you put into your CV now can be the difference between getting an interview or not. You will need to translate all your documents, diplomas, certificates and references into English and have them verified.

The hiring manager is only going to glance at your CV so must be quickly able to grasp who you are and what you seek to do, this is your one opportunity to get noticed

They must be compelled to contact you personally after reading your CV in order to learn more about you and your professional background.

You could also consider using an a expert in immigrant employment to guide you through the process.