General Advice

Online vs Print Advertisements
These days the best places to find advertised positions is online - even if you look in the paper, the majority of the jobs will probably be online as well - unless the job is with a smaller company.

There are two main places where jobs are advertised online - on generic job vacancy/search sites like www.seek.com.au or www.careerone.com.au or www.jobs.gov.au and they are also advertised directly on some company websites like www.virginblue.com.au for example.

It's easy to stay up to date with what jobs are available by signing up to receive email notifications of suitable jobs. I know you can use this facility at Seek to specify the type and location of jobs you're interested in, and I'm sure it's a similar story with other online job search sites.

This online notification service also allows you to stay in touch with the kinds of positions available in the work place - even if you have a great job, you want to make sure your salary and benefits are still competitive in the marketplace.

It's not just hit or miss
It might seem like some people have all the luck when it comes to jobs, but that's just not true. For the most part, people don't just fall into the perfect job, even if they themselves think they have.

Finding the perfect job is all about knowing what you want and putting specific plans in place. I know from experience that research, networking and presentation are some of the most important aspects of job hunting.

I had a friend who really wanted to get into the multi-media industry, but she didn't have a great deal of experience. She was studying in the field at the time which helped, but she also knew she needed to break into the market before she graduated - to edge out her competition. So she researched some of the companies she wanted to work for and made a short list of 15 potential employers. She checked on their websites and even called a few of them to get contact names. Finally she prepared a very specific letter and resume for each company (which of course looked extremely professional) and emailed an expression of interest to each of them.

She only heard back from one of company (but that was without making any follow up calls), and after a brief interview she was hired on the spot - now she's going to graduate with industry experience and walk straight into her perfect job.

When do you make your career move?

Whether you are planning on moving up (seeking a higher position), out (total career change) or over (same industry, new company), then you need to make sure you have a clear idea of what you want and the best way to make your move.

First you should evaluate what you ‘have’ already, compared to what you want, what is realistic and what areas you’re prepared to make sacrifices in. After evaluating your situation you may decide it’s not so bad after all…although you should always strive for job satisfaction where you can continue to grow. There are many things you need to consider:

Ideal Work Environment...
Located near your home OR easy to get to Pleasant surroundings Friendly people and team

Key Values & Policies...
Occupational Health & Safety / Equal Employment Opportunity / other Honesty and fair minded Genuine concern for staff Holidays and recreation time is important

Career Opportunities...
Learning Training Promotional potential (management, training staff) Travel

Financial Rewards...
Competitive salary
Bonuses
Company car or car allowance
Expense account
Health benefits
Telephone
Uniforms
Travel
Free products
Other benefits that you place value on