Employment HQ (1 Viewer)

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cro_angel

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Female
HSC
2004
Employment HQ

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Where/how should I apply for a job?


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What do all of the different patterns of work mean?

[as taken from my CAFS notes on 'Individuals and work']
• Full time- Work 35+ hours per week. Receives benefits of paid annual leave, sick leave, maternity or paternity leave and long service leave, superannuation. 60% of workers are employed full time.
• Part time- Work less than 35 hours per week. Receives same benefits as a full time worker, but on a pro rata basis. May choose to work part time because of family, travel interests or a hobby. Main growth in part time work is in service industries and retail trade.
• Casual- Engaged in work on an hourly or daily basis, for which the employee is paid an extra loading on top of the normal rate to compensate for lack of usual benefits. Hours vary greatly week to week. Used most frequently in retail and food industries (lower skilled). 23% in the 15-19 age bracket and most were attending school or tertiary institution full time.
• Permanent- A permanent worker is one who will still be in that position next year, and for as long as they continue to perform well. Can be full time, part time or casual. Gives security for a worker.
• Contract- Only employed for a certain period of time. Examples include trades people, IT specialists. The business is not tied down to keeping an employee whose tasks will be complete. Income can be unstable; can lead to problems if they are the main income provider.
• Shift work- A shift worker is a person who works at different times of the day depending on when they are needed. Common in mining, health and community services, accommodation and cafes and restaurants. Can have flexibility and financial advantages (penalty rates).
• Voluntary- A volunteer worker is a person who donates their time to an organisation. They do not expect any form of payment in return. Our society relies heavily on volunteer workers to contribute their time, skills, energy and expertise in areas such as meals on wheels, hospitals, schools and sporting clubs. Most people work as volunteers because they wish to give something back to their community.
• Self-employment- A person who sets up a business and then works for that business is considered to be self employed. The person can work or not work as they want and any profits made go back into the business which they own. Do not have leave, work longer hours, no guaranteed income.
• Job share- Involves two workers voluntarily sharing one full time job. Each work part time, with the responsibilities and salary shared. Used often in teaching, the office and financial sectors. Enables the person to continue to use their skills and maintain contact with the industry they are working in.
• Telecommunicating- An off site work arrangement that permits employees to work in or near their homes for all or part of the working week. Communicate through telephone, internet, fax etc. Employees are able to organise family commitments around work commitments, and they don’t have to access an office to send information. Can lead to an increased workload and stress. Can be used effectively for people in marketing, finance and computer programming.
• Seasonal- People are employed for a specific period of time, which is dependant on when the work is available. For example fruit and vegetable picking, ski instructors, lifesaving. Usually paid piece rates. Work is often intensive and physically demanding. Used by backpackers, students, retirees, holiday makers, people on long service leave, those unemployed, migrants etc. Provides opportunities to travel and meet people from different places.
• Working from home- Self employed people have worked from home for many years, and with the advent of telecommunications other workers are also using the home as an alternate office. Ideal for people who do not like the regular routine of office hours, or who find it preferable to work on their own. Examples of people who may work from home include Writers, journalists and photographers.
• Flexitime- A flexible arrangement where workers can work more or fewer hours in any one day, as long as the total hours worked in a scheduled period add up to the minimum requirement. Requires employees to be available for set hours and then offer the option of when to complete the remaining required number of hours. Gives autonomy to the individual, allowing them to balance work and family commitments.
• Career Break- Career break schemes allow an employee to negotiate a fixed period of time away from the workplace to undertake study or tend to private commitments, while returning to the job at the end of the period. Allows employers to retain skilled staff who might otherwise have been forced to leave their place of employment.
• Variable year employment- Requires an employee to take a reduced salary for four years. The money put aside by the employer from the salary loss is then used to fund one year of leave. Used by employees wishing to study, it is also popular with older workers who do not wish to sacrifice some of their long service leave.

(Students are generally involved in Casual, Part time and Voluntary work patterns).

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How can I get involved in volunteer work?

(thanks to the UNSW job help site)
Volunteering is a great way of getting experience in your field or in a field in which you are interested. Through volunteering you will meet and network with a wide range of people who may be able to offer advice and assistance in your job search. It is also a way for you to develop skills that may help you get a job. Volunteer experience shows an employer that you have initiative and motivation and a community spirit.
If you have not had much work experience, volunteering can also be useful when you are writing your cover letter and resume. In addressing skills such as communication, client service and teamwork you will then be able to give examples from your study and also from your volunteer work. Employers are very interested in students who are well rounded and have interests outside their studies. Volunteering can earn you valuable points when you are competing for a job.

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Whats a resume?

A resume is a one or two page summary of your education, skills, accomplishments, and experience. Your resume's purpose is to get your foot in the door. A resume does its job successfully if it does not exclude you from consideration.

To prepare a successful resume, you need to know how to review, summarize, and present your experiences and achievements on one page. Unless you have considerable experience, you don't need two pages. Outline your achievements briefly and concisely.

Your resume is your ticket to an interview where you can sell yourself!

How do I make a resume?

Here are some useful websites with tips on how to make a resume. The most important thing is try to keep it to 1 page. Anything more than 2 pages, they will not be bothered reading through.
http://www.jobweb.com/Resumes_Interviews/resume_guide/how_to.htm
Employment services - Current students - The University of Sydney
Resume Writing - 10 Tips to Bullet Proof Your Resume
http://www.iconrec.com.au/sw/fwritres.html

What does a resume look like in the end?

Here are some websites with sample resumes that you can look at. Remember not to copy them word for word!
http://www.careers.unsw.edu.au/careerEd/jobApplications/resumes/samples/
http://www.jobs.vic.gov.au/CA256D160006CABE/0/EDB918107A132BA3CA256D33001AD878?OpenDocument&ctxt=m40
Resume Samples
90 Sample Resumes | Susan Ireland's Resume Site
Sample Resumes :: Career-Resumes® :: Former resume expert for Monster.com

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I got called in for an interview!! What do I do?

Well congratulations for a start! Here are 10 tips for a successful interview.

* Arrive on time.
* Introduce yourself in a courteous manner.
* Read company materials while you wait.
* Have a firm handshake.
* Listen.
* Use body language to show interest.
* Smile, nod, give nonverbal feedback to the interviewer.
* Ask about the next step in the process.
* Thank the interviewer.
* Write a thank-you letter to anyone you have spoken to.

What are some questions they can ask?

Well there shouldnt be any trick questions, they are generally seeing if you are going to be committed to and good at the job that you are going for. Some websites with some of their favourite questions to help you prepare yourself are located below.
http://www.jobweb.com/Resources/Library/Interviews/Interviewers_92_01.htm
Career advice, interview questions, salary comparisons, and resume tips from Monster

What do I wear?

Put yourself into the shoes of your prospective employer, would I want to hire me dressed like that? Obviously you have to try and give a great first impression (as that is the one that will last) to get on the good side of your employer. If you are a school student and the interview is sometime in the afternoon before about 5pm, often the most impressive outfit you can have is your school uniform (provided you are wearing it correctly, which includes a blazer). Try not to arrive in joggers or thongs. It may be appropriate to conform to the companies dress standards though, for example if you are going for an interview in a surf shop you may not feel it is appropriate to wear a suit, whereas at David Jones or Myer you would probably not show up in jeans and a low cut top. It is hard to define what to wear, but just try to be well presented to leave a lasting impression.
Here are some websites which may give you some ideas/tips on what to wear.
How to Dress
How to Dress for an Interview
MonsterCollege™ : Graduate Into Your Career

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How would I go about finding what degree I need to do to enter a certain profession?

If you are in year 12, your best bet would be the UAC guide. This has a list of all the professions and what degrees are relevant, as well as all the universities that they are available at. You can also do a course search here http://www.uac.edu.au/mya/course_search/search.html to find relevant courses/programs. Many careers involve TAFE training, and you may wish to check out http://www.tafensw.edu.au/ for further information.

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I have been asked to take an unpaid work trial, is that legal?
(Thanks to = Jennifer =)

Unpaid Work Trials
There is no such thing as an unpaid trial where an employer requires you to work in a job for a trial period. This is particularly so where the work you perform benefits the employer's business and would otherwise be performed by paid staff.
However, it is possible to work as a volunteer for an organisation, such as a charity, and not be paid for the work that you do.
Each year, the Office of Industrial Relations receives a large number of calls from young people with complaints about unpaid trials, with a sharp rise over the Christmas period.

Here are a few typical examples:
A casual shop assistant with a Sutherland florist who was let go after a three-day 'trial' recovered $162 in unpaid wages after the OIR intervened.
A South Coast transport worker who was put on for two weeks at a 'trial rate' which was below the award covering that work, and did not include overtime and leave entitlements recovered $461.
A casual clerk from East Maitland recovered $131 after a three-day 'trial'.
A waitress from Koolewong recovered $202 following a three-day 'trial' with a restaurant.
A kitchen hand at a nursing home in Armidale recovered $230 for three days work.
If you are required to perform productive work for an employer, you are entitled to be paid proper wages.

Other things to look out for...
employers not giving you job offers in writing
employers not paying you on time
jobs which pay you only by commission
work experience or practical placement which is not recognised or approved of by an educational institution (whether or not as a requirement for the award of an academic qualification or for qualification in a recognised trade vocation).
Provided that you are not working as a volunteer, you have the right to be paid for any work you are required to do during the course of a trial period. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

Work Experience
Trial work must not be confused with unpaid work experience or practical placements, which are usually registered and administered through an educational institution. Those doing work experience or practical placements may be allowed to observe, or to participate in, any element of work or workplace activities in accordance with the academic or course requirements of the institution.

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How can I find out about the appropriate wages and conditions for my job?

WageNet provides information about wages and conditions of employment in Australia for work that is covered by federal awards and agreements.
So basically, this is an indication of the MINIMUM amount that you should be getting. Luckily, most employers pay a bit more than the minimum wages indicated on the website.
http://www.wagenet.gov.au/WageNet/GuidedAssist/GuideAssist1NSW.asp

The SDA is a union which covers many places of work that employ large numbers of casual/part time workers (like yourselves), for example Big W, Coles, Woolworths, Myer, Franklins, Just Jeans, Ikea, Pizza Hut, Red Rooster, Target, Wendys etc. At this site you can click to go to a companies specific enterprise agreement, which covers wages, entitlements, overtime and things like that.
http://www.sda.org.au/awards.php3



[for further additions please pm cro_angel]
 
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