ProGrad Melbourne

A Handy Hint

A Handy Hint

Two hands, one shake and a whole lot of potential.

 A handshake may seem trivial but we all know the importance of a good first impression and with around 60-70% of communication being non-verbal, it is important physical cues like this that can contribute to likeability and success in a first meeting.

A strong handshake can tell someone many things about you without you even realising you have said anything. Respect, warmth, confidence and trustworthiness can all be helped or hindered when giving a handshake. This simple gesture is a business tradition and may take you a long way to building good rapport in a short time.

On meeting your interviewer for the first time, remember a strong firm handshake with good eye contact and a smile. Practice this handshake with friends and family, they know you well enough to tell you if it needs work! You might feel stupid but your employer will never know you practised, they will only see the benefits of your forward thinking.

For Men:

If shaking hands with a man, allow him to twist your hand slightly. This is a sign of power, don’t try to twist back as it will represent a power struggle. Do not try to crush his grip, but match it. If shaking hands with a woman, allow her to lead with how firm the grip is and match it.

For Women:

If shaking hands with a man, don’t be afraid to have a firm grip. This shows confidence. If shaking hands with a woman, allow her to lead with how firm the grip is and match it.

Making a good first impression is the easy part… the hard part is making a LASTING impression! The first part of making a lasting impression lies in building rapport. So put your best hand forward.

For more help in meeting prospective employers contact the ProGrad Graduate Management team on 8235 8300 or email us on info@prograd.com.au

Just for starters

Just for starters

Writing a resume isn’t rocket science; but it can be a somewhat delicate art. Especially as a recent graduate when you’re trying to boost your high school CV in order to pitch yourself to corporate high flyers.

So what are some basic do’s and don’ts for the resume writing process? While there are many helpful (and some not so) articles on the internet giving you all sorts of practical advice, it can be difficult to sort through the rubble to find the hidden diamonds.

Some of the best and most crucial pieces of advice can be summed up quite simply and should be enough to get you started, or put the finishing touches on your masterpiece.

Tailor your resume as well as the cover letter to each job you apply for. It can be tedious, but if an employer requests a cover letter, this is your first impression you want it to be the right impression. Your resume is your job application so make sure it fits the bill.

Do NOT title the document with the word ‘RESUME’. You wouldn’t call someone and say “PHONE CALL” when they pick up- there is no need to state the obvious.

Include a career objective. This speaks to the specific requirements of the role you are applying for but also should appeal to the industry and level of role you are seeking.

Be brutal on your employment history. This isn’t your life story, just the relevant roles or employment history that has given you transferable skills.

Keep it short and sweet. Realistically no more than 2 pages are needed to sum up your experience and career objectives at this point in your career.

Finally- it seems obvious but so often is overlooked. Make sure there are NO spelling mistakes at all. There will be no bonus points awarded for “prefectionists” who have littered their resume with grammatical or spelling errors.

Is your resume a little on the thin side? Looking for a graduate position? Contact ProGrad’s Graduate Management Team on 02 8235 8300 or email us at info@prograd.com.au

Closed For Christmas

Here at ProGrad, we have enjoyed some exciting success in 2010. Many additions to our team, an office move to accomodate this growing team, along with meeting many exceptional graduates and placing them in amazing roles have been just some of the highlights of 2010.

To all of those keen graduates looking to get a head-start on their graduate career – we can’t wait to hear from you in 2011. The first assessment day we will be running in Melbourne for 2010 will be the 21st January.

We will be closed over the Christmas & New Year break from the 24^th December. We will be open again from January 10^th so don’t hesitate in contacting us by phone on (02) 8235 8300 or email at info@prograd.com.au at this time when we are ready and roaring to go for 2011.

Have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year,

from the ProGrad team.

How To Deal With A Difficult Boss

Bad bosses can be found in all types of organisations. Whether they micromanage, have no idea, are floosy and flaky, or are straight out monster-like control freaks, it is a sad reality that the job of your dreams could be completely bull-dozed by the actions of a bad boss.

Bad bosses pop up quite frequently in movies and television as the feature of humorous story lines. When Sandra Bullock played a demanding and difficult boss, and made her assistant’s (Ryan Reynold) life miserable in “the Proposal,” their relationship ended in romance and happily ever afters. However the cold hard reality of a work relationship gone wrong often ends with being fired or resigning and in the worst case scenarios – law suits.

So what could constitute a bad boss? Maybe it is one who takes all your hard work and turns it into reward and credit for him or herself. Maybe your boss thinks you have no life outside of work and you end up staying late every day.  You may be given impossible tasks to complete with little guidance or you may do everything right and still not receive positive feedback.

So what are the best ways to deal with a difficult boss?

• Find a mentor or someone you can depend on. If you love the company, it is likely that you can develop a solid relationship with another manager. They might be able to give you the guidance you require and have the pull and power to do something about your bad boss if the situation escalates.
• Stay professional. You can not like your boss and remain professional. Try to refrain from reacting to verbal abuse or criticism with emotion – this will only make things worse.
• Evaluate your own performance. Look at each area of your performance and see if there is room for improvement. In some instances a boss’s poor attitude may be due to a frustration in even the smallest thing you are doing wrong, and changing it could be revolutionary!
• Take note of everything. If things get drastic and your boss starts discriminating against you, keep a journal of what is happening. If the worst happens and the issue becomes more serious it will be crucial to have those details. It is also a good way of keeping track of what you achieve to bring up in performance reviews.

It is only natural that in any social environment some people will clash, and it is also important to consider that the attitudes displayed by your boss might be directly in proportion to the stress they are under from their boss!

Don’t Miss The Boat…

Here at ProGrad, we want to send out the message to everyone planning on job hunting in the New Year… It is not too early to get started now!  Many graduates are of the belief that job prospects are slowing down as 2010 draws to a close, but this is simply not the case. Now is the ideal time to apply for any of the roles available at ProGrad. Why?

It is a chance to get a head of your competition. If you are of the belief that now is a useless time to get on the job hunt, chances are you’re not alone! Solution? Apply now and get ahead of everyone else. See what’s out there, look at your options and possibly secure your dream position whilst everyone else is sipping pina colada’s on the beach and getting busy eating plenty of ham and turkey. What better Christmas present is there than to know you’re entering 2011 with an exciting prospect for the future.

Contrary to popular belief, businesses are recruiting into December, and here at ProGrad we are certainly not short of roles to fill! In fact the amount of roles available seems to be ever growing. Why? Now is the perfect time for a business to find that perfect candidate, lock in dates for the New Year and potentially get some training in so that they have a keen and enthusiastic employee ready to go in January. We also find that current employees are finishing up with their current positions, so businesses are wanting to fill these positions ASAP!

So essentially, don’t miss the boat on the roles sailing out in December 2010! If you are interested in applying for any of the roles available with ProGrad, or you simply want more information, call us on (02) 8235 8300.

Don’t Let Your Resolution Be Rusty

So summer is here and Uni is out, Christmas is only sleeps away and the promise of a New Year and a fresh start is gleaming brightly. Whilst “taming the bulge,” “enjoying life more,” or “quitting smoking,” are at the top of the list for New Year resolutions, kick-starting your new career or getting the most out of your new job could be one of the most rewarding, realistic (and achievable) goals.

A vague “get a job,” or “do well in my role,” just won’t cut it though if you want to have a cracker of a 2011! So what are the best strategies for having success with your career in the new year?

Increasing your network: Get in touch with old Uni colleagues, or even past co-workers. If you’re undecided about what path to take with your new career or the best ways to maximize it, simply talking to peers about what they are up to and how they went about it could be quite enlightening. Even mentioning that you’re looking for a new role, or just finished up university so you’re keen to get into the workforce could open up a new prospect when someone exclaims, “I know just the opportunity for you!”

Take note of the things that make you irreplaceable: Why should a company continue to employ you? Or why should one hire you in the first place? Highlight your best attributes and be aware of what you do well. Interviews are the obvious place to sell yourself to a prospective employer, but what counts even more is putting those words into action and conducting yourself in a manner that would make a company never want to ever let you go. If you are not aware of your better attributes, kicking back over the summer break could be the perfect time to reflect!

Update your resume: a completed and professional resume is your metaphorical map in the journey that is the job hunt, so make sure it’s up to date and ready to go when you click “apply” on that ideal job.

Brush up on your skills: while offices are closed for Christmas, the holiday break and leisurely days could be spent developing a new skill. Companies seem to love individuals who can manage stress, have a passion for life and a good work-life balance, so brushing up on a skill or developing a new hobby could be the perfect way to show your current or prospective employer you’re the unique candidate they’re looking for.

Get off the couch: don’t just sit around waiting for that perfect opportunity to be sitting under the Christmas tree. Scouring the job sites, picking up and reading newspapers and business reviews to get the insight on industries and actually getting active and picking up the phone and calling possible employers – even turning up on their door if you are not having much luck will probably work in your favour. After all, it is probably the keenest applicant who will get the job!

If your interested in how ProGrad can help you to kick-start your career call us on (02) 8235 8300.

Why Training Will Lead You To The Path Of Success!

The days of job-hopping through different roles, companies and even industries to get to the top appears to be over. Graduates are now sticking it out with companies and realising developing this job security and commitment steers them right to exciting paths of progression. In turn companies must reciprocate their commitment and investment to the future of these employees and the best way to do this is practical and relevant training.

In a survey conducted two years ago, Graduate Careers Australia found that more than 95% of university students cited “good training and opportunities” as a primary factor in finding suitable employment. Naturally there is a vast difference between theory learnt and the skills required to work through a business to business sales transaction.

ProGrad focus upon this need for a graduate to be nurtured through their first year and demonstrate to those employing graduates, that a willingness to invest in up skilling graduates is essential for a long term commitment.

So what can training provide to a graduate in a new role? Ideally training should go hand in hand with the experiences encountered in the first year in a job. It is the opportunity to teach good habits first hand and iron out bad ones before they work their way in to normality. Furthermore it is the golden opportunity to learn behavioural skills that can encourage progression.

At ProGrad, we have created a proven methodology for highlighting and training top performing business development candidates. In a nut shell the master classes will make you a master of your field!  Training through ProGrad is also an ideal opportunity to step out of the office to network with peers. Whilst these fellow graduates may seem like a simple support network now, in the future they could be your leads to landing extravagant sales and scoring that promotion. It is also the chance to share experiences, and pick up fresh ideas to invigorate yourself and go back into work with an even greater level of motivation.

Most importantly, as a graduate feeling that sense of investment from your employer goes a long way. It creates a sense of loyalty and support, and enables you to find solutions to problems easier. Effectively you’re not alone. You realise the network around you – the supportiveness in your company, the peers who you can share information with and work with in the future, and of course ProGrad – who are always focused on realizing the progression dreams of our graduates.

For more information on how Training can develop and progress your career visit http://www.prograd.com.au/Training/Training-17.aspx . For any other information regarding ProGrad and our opportunities call (02) 8235 8300.

Leave a message after the beep..

Leave a message after the beep..

What’s seemingly witty and clever, but might lose you a job opportunity? Hopefully, not your voicemail.

As a graduate, you are likely to be applying for countless jobs, sending away your resume with a hope and a prayer that you will get that all important phone call back. But what is waiting for that call should you not be able to answer?

When a call comes in from an unknown number, you are out and about or slaving away behind the retail counter, it is perfectly understandable to want to take the call later. (In fact if you aren’t prepared, knowing what the role is and who the company is then we recommend you don’t answer until you do!) But if you do hit ignore, be sure that what awaits a potential employer is going to be a friend to you as well as them.

Calling graduates on a daily basis, the voicemail messages that we hear are many and varied. Some good, some bad and some downright ridiculous. Highlights (or lowlights) have included stammering attempts to communicate, “Yeah, umm, yeah…” infamous explanations “I can’t answer the phone because I am too awesome to take your call” or the mailbox greeting that is simply a beep.

The voicemail that seemed hilarious to you at the time could be incredibly off putting for an employer, who no doubt has already had the distinct pleasure of sorting through hundreds of resumes- so when you are lucky enough to get the call, make it count.

Your voicemail should be clear, concise and professional. Including your name and requesting a brief message is always safe. Speak loudly, clearly and in your normal voice, and make sure you can understand what you are saying because if you can’t, nobody else will.

The benefits of a decent voicemail are worthwhile. Taking 5 minutes to re-record a “sensible” message can ensure not only will they leave a message, but you’ll leave a good first impression.

For more hints and tips, or graduate job opportunities, contact ProGrad’s Graduate Management Team on 02 8235 8300 or alternatively email info@prograd.com.au