The Internet
The online FSU Careers Centre is a great place to search for a new job. The Careers Centre is powered by Seek and is a one-stop-shop which lets you quickly and easily find finance vacancies across Australia and overseas, apply for jobs online and download finance specific information to help you with your jobsearch. There are currently thousands of finance vacancies listed on the site.
By going directly to www.seek.com.au you can search for graduate and entry level jobs in the finance industry.
Many of the larger companies in the finance industry have a section on their website that lists vacancies within their company and/or lets you know what the process is for applying for a job with them. It is always a good idea to look at a company’s website as a first step to seeking employment with that company.
Other sites where you can look for a job include:
Employers
Human Resources or Recruitment Officers/Consultants within companies can be contacted regarding vacancies that may be available, both currently and in the future. It’s good to know something about the company before making this approach. It’s also useful if you can let them know about the type of job you’re looking for.
Contact can be made in person, by telephone or in writing. Always try to make contact with people who have some control over recruitment activities within that company. However you make your approach, be as business-like as possible and know what you want to achieve from the contact you’re making. Although you’re not being interviewed, be prepared to answer the sorts of questions you’d get in an interview as the person speaking to you is likely to be assessing your suitability to work for their company.
- If making contact in person, ensure you look neat and well groomed. Take an original résumé with you and be prepared to leave it with the employer. If no one is available to speak with you, ask to make an appointment to see someone at another time. If there seems to be some hesitation, stress that you only need about ten minutes of their time.
- If making contact by phone, make sure you have a pen and paper handy. Do your best to speak clearly, confidently and to the point. Offer to send the person your résumé and then send it within twenty-four hours of making the call.
- If making contact by letter or email, always state the type of work you’re looking for and ask whether they have any vacancies now, or whether they will have in the near future. Always include your résumé and details as to how you can be contacted.
Whichever way you make contact always record, for future reference, the name and position of the person you contacted, the date and the outcome of your contact.
Employment Agencies
A large number of finance sector companies use employment agencies to recruit and select staff. Approximately 70% of all advertised finance positions are actually advertised by employment agencies.
There are currently more than 250 employment agencies that place staff in finance companies, and most companies will use more than one agency to provide them with staff.
To find out which employment agencies are worth contacting, look on employment websites and in the employment classifieds in newspapers to see which agencies are filling positions similar to the ones you’re interested in. If there is a particular company you’d like to work for, it could be worthwhile to visit their website or contact them to find out which employment agencies they use.
As with employers, contact can be made in person, by telephone or in writing and it is important to be aware that the person you’re talking to will be assessing your suitability for vacancies they are trying to fill.
It’s important to remember that it’s not normally an employment agency’s job to help you find a job – instead it is their job to help their client (the employer) fill a vacancy. Wherever possible, try to get each agency you contact to take your résumé but if some agencies don’t really want to know you, don’t waste your time - move on to make contact with the next agency.
Your Networks
Finance employees in some occupations are noticing that more and more jobs are being filled through word of mouth. Talk to friends and relatives about your career goals and ask them to look for opportunities for you. You never know what doors may open as a result.
Newspapers
Most newspapers have an employment section where positions vacant are advertised. The financial pages of major newspapers can also provide important information regarding which companies are growing and therefore may be looking to increase their staff numbers in the near future.
For more information
Visit the FSU Careers Centre .